2009 Ninja 250R - What to Expect

[adcoleman]

It looks like the MSRP is going up $500 and there will not be green according to this. Not sure about its credibility but I thought it was interesting. 2009 Ninja 250R - What to Expect | Kawasaki Ninja 250R Parts, Reviews, Mods, and Information

[eidian]

$4k huh? Maybe Kawi is trying to reach arbritrage and they're going to take the money that the dealerships are stealing from everyone that has to have a 250R right now. Because let me tell you, I just saw two '08 250R's listed for $5k on CL just now and it's still ****ing me off.

How can people be so dumb to think that they can sell the bike for that much?

[07Ninja250]

Green may not be as popular as you might think. The two times I witnessed my local dealer getting '08s in, a green one was in the bunch and was the last one to sell both times. I'm sure it's just another economic decision..the slowest seller gets the axe. I'm just surprised to see that a replacement color isn't listed. Orange would get my vote.

With the rising costs of everything else, it stands to reason that producing and shipping bikes has become more expensive as well. $4K is a lot of $$ for a 250 anything IMO, but it's still one of the best small cc sport bikes offered, so where else do people really have to turn when they're in the market for such a bike? I don't consider the Chinese clones to be a valid replacement.

I'll be interested to see if there's as much scrambling and gouging on the next go-round.

[adcoleman]

What gets me more is that people are willing to pay that much. I sold my black 08 250 with 118 miles for $4400 in one day and I broke even if you consider the $150 I paid to have it broken-in on a dyno. But I guess I'm just a nice guy.

Looking at that letter I am suprised at how much dealers pay for that bike, I guess the sales guy was telling me the truth when he said they don't make much money off those bikes. he said that they consider it a gateway bike and hope that you will buy your next bigger and more expensive bike from them.

[sxgt]

Gas prices go up the demand for motorcycles go up. the price of every type of bike will go up with this increase in demand. Altho how come no one ever thinks to make an electric motor cycle XD

anyway. I think 2008 will be the same at 2009 as far as the actual bike. They have something good and they will stick with it. Like i said before I want to see the 500R redone and the 650R taken away. Kawi already has two INLINE 4 options in the 600cc class no need for this p2 650cc "bike on the fence" thats what the 500 should be. I say Give the 500R FI and a full faring all it needs it a tad more pep to make people feel like they can hang with the 600cc class.

As for no green 250R I LOVE IT. right now i have the only green bike in town and probably one of 4 new green 250Rs in the state.

[adcoleman]

....and when you go to sell it, it will likely fetch a higher price.

[bennice]

Originally Posted by sxgt

Gas prices go up the demand for motorcycles go up. the price of every type of bike will go up with this increase in demand. Altho how come no one ever thinks to make an electric motor cycle XD

anyway. I think 2008 will be the same at 2009 as far as the actual bike. They have something good and they will stick with it. Like i said before I want to see the 500R redone and the 650R taken away. Kawi already has two INLINE 4 options in the 600cc class no need for this p2 650cc "bike on the fence" thats what the 500 should be. I say Give the 500R FI and a full faring all it needs it a tad more pep to make people feel like they can hang with the 600cc class.

As for no green 250R I LOVE IT. right now i have the only green bike in town and probably one of 4 new green 250Rs in the state.

I can see a price increase for the 250R because it's been so popular here, and due to the rising costs of everything else. It would certainly be justified if they started selling the FI version they have in Europe.

What are the two I4 600's being offered? You mean the ZX6R and the ZZR? I can see the ZZR being phased out eventually since it's still carb'd technology. With EPA restrictions tightening there soon won't be a market for them anymore.

Green isn't offered for every bike, and certainly not every year (save for the ZX models). This is the 3rd year of the 650R, and the first year green was offered. That's not unusual at all. I don't think you'll see the 650R going anywhere. Up till its birth there was nothing really competing with the SV (kind of like there's nothing competing with the 250R). It's been a winner so far, and the Versys was born from the same design. If anything I think we'll start to see more of them out there as time goes on, and fewer 250/500's due to the relatively small price difference.

[adantis]

I have green too-SWEET. FI would be good upgrade-carb OK.
I don't think I will get rid of-just add new one to the stable(600-650).

[xeon]

This is sad, one of the good things about the Ninja 250 is/was its price. I thought the new MSRP might be an adjustment due to the crazy prices (5K+) that some dealers were fetching over the $3499 MSRP, but it appears the invoice is going to be roughly $3.6K now.

Anyway, the price and availability is a problem IMO with this bike. Even the used market isn't what I would call reasonable for the bike with people trying to recoup the arm and leg they spent on the bike. I might like to have one, but it will be a few years for sure.

[CKRider]

Well the 2 dealers here can't even get the green ones in fast enough to meet the demand.

[GreenRocket]

there will be a special edition 2009 in green and black. It looks to be costing $100 more.
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Detail.aspx?id=359

The prices of almost all 2009 motorcycles will be higher, which is at least partly due to the fall of the dollar vs the Yen:
USDJPY=X: Summary for USD to JPY - Yahoo! Finance

The problem with paying $5,000+ for this bike is that you expect a little more from it than you might a bike costing $3499, especially suspension-wise.
Too bad Kawasaki can't update the 500. Then we'd have the $5,499 bike lots of us would pay that much for!

[roxynoodle]

Originally Posted by GreenRocket

there will be a special edition 2009 in green and black. It looks to be costing $100 more.
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Detail.aspx?id=359

The prices of almost all 2009 motorcycles will be higher, which is at least partly due to the fall of the dollar vs the Yen:
USDJPY=X: Summary for USD to JPY - Yahoo! Finance

The problem with paying $5,000+ for this bike is that you expect a little more from it than you might a bike costing $3499, especially suspension-wise.
Too bad Kawasaki can't update the 500. Then we'd have the $5,499 bike lots of us would pay that much for!

They raised the price of the 2009 500 as well, to $5449 I think it is. My understanding is the 500 will be dropped after the 2009 year. I'd love to see it redesigned as well but it doesn't look like that will happen. Seems they plan on dropping the ZZR too, so if that is what you want, grab it up this year or wait for a used one. They see the 650r as replacing the 500.

[Guest.]

with them stepping up the 250's in the past few years, i expect extroidinary(sp?) things.

[CKRider]

that green and black one looks decent.

[Bush Pilot]

The ones hitting the showrooms here in Thailand are fuel injected.
I almost bought one. But better sense prevailed as economic uncertainties loom on the horizon.
They are assembled here in Thailand BTW!

[cvzzr]

Originally Posted by Bush Pilot

The ones hitting the showrooms here in Thailand are fuel injected.
I almost bought one. But better sense prevailed as economic uncertainties loom on the horizon.
They are assembled here in Thailand BTW!

My Canadian ZZR250 (ex250H / close relative to the ninja250) was built in Thailand! After 15000km it still looks and runs like new. I didn't know the new 250 was built there - maybe the old ZZR production facilities were converted.

Are all the US model new Ninja 250s produced in Thailand?

[A-J]

Right now, Kawi can pretty much ask whatever they want cause people are grabbing them up faster than the dealers can stock them, and there is zero competition in the states in the 250 class for sportbikes. Well, there's the Hyosung 250, but the base model (single color) was already 4K last time I checked.

As for the 500, the Ninja 650 is the replacement for it, hence no "upgrade" on the styling. They were supposed to stop production in 08 IIRC, but they keep selling.

[Bush Pilot]

Originally Posted by cvzzr

Are all the US model new Ninja 250s produced in Thailand?

I'm not sure, but I'd suspect they are. The KLR 650 is assembled here.
They've got a huge plant in Rayong. Most of their stuff get's exported. I was tickled to see the little Ninjas for sale.(they finally relaxed the taxes a little for bikes over 150cc)

[Jane Honda]

The new 09's look great, maybe the headlight casings look a little more ****ed off to me.


All prices of bikes are going up. My guy really want's an 09 R6, and its over 10 grand.