Ninja 250R/500R

[DrunkenMonkey]

Originally Posted by cpslaughter

Spare no expense when it comes to tires , your life depends on them .

Thanks for sharing your info on the EX500 purchase price above.

Did you upgrade your tires already? What did you get?

[ervins]

Congrats to all the new bike owners and new members...Yes, your tires are probably the most important upgrade for your bike. I ride Pirelli Diablo Corsas. They wear fast but grip the road extremely well.

[cpslaughter]

I upgraded the exhaust before the tires . I think I'd like to try those Diablo Corsas, or Michelin pilots . right now I just have the OEM , Bridgestone tires on my bike . The Bridgestone tires suck , they have a ridge at the edge of the tread that I swear I can feel when I corner deeply . I know that I push this bike much further than it was designed to go . This is my practice bike . In November I will be getting the R10, if I can find the right price .

[ervins]

Originally Posted by cpslaughter

I upgraded the exhaust before the tires . I think I'd like to try those Diablo Corsas, or Michelin pilots . right now I just have the OEM , Bridgestone tires on my bike . The Bridgestone tires suck , they have a ridge at the edge of the tread that I swear I can feel when I corner deeply . I know that I push this bike much further than it was designed to go . This is my practice bike . In November I will be getting the R10, if I can find the right price .

Pilots are good...I have ridden them...Their design makes turning easy. I though like the way the Corsas grip. I feel more confident on the Corsas compared to the Pilots.

[DrunkenMonkey]

The last few posts got me thinking, so I spent some time surfing around tire sites.

While you can easily find a stickier front 110/70-17, it looks like the rear 130/70-17 offerings from Michelin, Bridgestone, and Metzeler are pretty thin (so to speak ). 150mm seems to be the cut-off point for current performance rear tires.

Pirelli has the affordable, neat-lookin' Sport Demons.

What upgrades have y'all managed to find for the stock 500R rims?

[cpslaughter]

Originally Posted by ervins

Pilots are good...I have ridden them...Their design makes turning easy. I though like the way the Corsas grip. I feel more confident on the Corsas compared to the Pilots.

dude, it's all about the grip . I have a lot more fun than 50 miles an hour on the winding Blue Ridge Parkway roads than I do at 120+ miles an hour down the highway . I'll give the Corsas a try . Does anyone out there have experience with fender eliminator kits on the Ex500? Does eliminating the rear fender make the bike look better ? Does eliminating the finder make it hard to keep the bike clean ? Are there any safety issues that I need to consider before getting rid of the fender ?

[ervins]

Originally Posted by cpslaughter

dude, it's all about the grip . I have a lot more fun than 50 miles an hour on the winding Blue Ridge Parkway roads than I do at 120+ miles an hour down the highway . I'll give the Corsas a try . Does anyone out there have experience with fender eliminator kits on the Ex500? Does eliminating the rear fender make the bike look better ? Does eliminating the finder make it hard to keep the bike clean ? Are there any safety issues that I need to consider before getting rid of the fender ?

That is one reason I like the Corsas...I have no less than 5 canyon rides near me...Two of which can put a severe scare on most riders - 10mph turn and they mean it. Some have sheer drops into rocks and off the short mountain. Those are my weekend rides and grip is something you want on those things. Eliminating the rear on most bikes clean it up...The fender on the new 636 is huge...That is the first thing I would take off if I ever get it.

[alduro]

Originally Posted by cpslaughter

dude, it's all about the grip . I have a lot more fun than 50 miles an hour on the winding Blue Ridge Parkway roads than I do at 120+ miles an hour down the highway . I'll give the Corsas a try . Does anyone out there have experience with fender eliminator kits on the Ex500? Does eliminating the rear fender make the bike look better ? Does eliminating the finder make it hard to keep the bike clean ? Are there any safety issues that I need to consider before getting rid of the fender ?

I don't think it looks radically better, you'd notice it, but 99% of the people out there wouldn't. If you can find a rear seat cover that does make a big difference though. I've been thinking about this..

http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/...5001994-06.htm

[cpslaughter]

I'm still trying to figure out this whole motorcycle thing . I have gotten a lot of great advice from you guys. Will someone please tell me, what is a frame slider ? Should I be looking for one ? I've seen what they look like , but I have no idea what they do ? ? ?

[cpslaughter]

Thanks for sending that web site . They really do have a lot of great accessories for the ex 500 . Lots of other people have been looking for these kind of parts .

[DrunkenMonkey]

Originally Posted by cpslaughter

Will someone please tell me, what is a frame slider ? Should I be looking for one ? I've seen what they look like , but I have no idea what they do ? ? ?

They attach to your bike and stick out wider than the fairing, so if you drop the bike, the sliders should take the punishment instead of your shiny, expensive bodywork. They can also be good for making fashion statements.

The only sliders I've ever seen for the 500R are from BRG.

I e-mailed them asking what the difference was between the "race" and "street" versions, and how much shipping was for a set of front and rear sliders.

The response: "The race bikes we build have solid motor mounts in them and use short bolts
Shipping is around 15.00 to 20.00"

[cpslaughter]

Thanks for the info . These things seem awfully expensive. Would it be a lot cheaper just to have a local machine shop whip up a pair?

[nwujames]

Don't get why I paid $60 just for those a$$es to overfill my oil at the shop. I'll be doing it myself from now on. Here's a question - where is the bolt for removing the oil? I have the manual, but the picture doesn't make it easy to discern. I don't have a centerstand due to my Muzzy exhaust - I'm assuming I can change the oil with the bike on the side stand, right? Sorry for the dumb questions - I'm a noob to mc maintanence.

Alternatively, I could ciphon it from the top in the resevoir. I bought a turkey baster to try that, but it wasn't long or narrow enough to get to the oil.

Also, anyone know where I can order oil filters for the 500?

[cpslaughter]

At the very bottom and in the center of the bike you will find an aluminum colored bolt that drains your oil. the amount of oil that your owner's manual recommends actually over fills the bike . although you can change the oil on the side stand , I use the side stand and a cinder block underneath the bike to keep it level . If you have a two to one exhaust . I don't have a center stand either , I think some sort of Jack stands would be a good investment at this point . Learn how to do your own oil changes . my local Kawasaki dealer charges $68.00 per hour for labor. this is a ripoff . Heck I don't even think that my psychiatrist makes 68 bucks an hour, but then again I'm screwed up.

[nwujames]

Originally Posted by cpslaughter

At the very bottom and in the center of the bike you will find an aluminum colored bolt that drains your oil. the amount of oil that your owner's manual recommends actually over fills the bike . although you can change the oil on the side stand , I use the side stand and a cinder block underneath the bike to keep it level . If you have a two to one exhaust . I don't have a center stand either , I think some sort of Jack stands would be a good investment at this point . Learn how to do your own oil changes . my local Kawasaki dealer charges $68.00 per hour for labor. this is a ripoff . Heck I don't even think that my psychiatrist makes 68 bucks an hour, but then again I'm screwed up.

Is that underneath the lower fairing? And, about the amount of oil - shouldn't oil be in between the top and bottom of window? Why would the manual suggest more than that? Just want to make sure. Thanks for the help!

[DrunkenMonkey]

Originally Posted by cpslaughter

Thanks for the info . These things seem awfully expensive. Would it be a lot cheaper just to have a local machine shop whip up a pair?

And just last night I saw this probably Not Safe For Work ad in the back of Motorcyclist.

No Lime Green, though.

[-SpyderPiLot~]

im 15 turning 16 and i was wondering should i start with a 250 get bored with it then upgrade to a 500 or should i just start with the 5. Ive had some experience with my friends dirtbikes and such also. My dad used to race and said he would teach me how to handle the 5 but id like some more advice. thanks

[ervins]

Originally Posted by -SpyderPiLot~

im 15 turning 16 and i was wondering should i start with a 250 get bored with it then upgrade to a 500 or should i just start with the 5. Ive had some experience with my friends dirtbikes and such also. My dad used to race and said he would teach me how to handle the 5 but id like some more advice. thanks

Get the 500 or 650. There is a great review in Sport Rider this month and it mentions how great a starter bike the Ninja 650 is. It also mentions why it beat all the other bikes in its class. There will be others to chime in on this but you might want to post this in the sportbike section under a new topic. Knowing you will get bored on a 250 is nothing to really be excited about would it? I got my first taste in riding a motorcycle on an old dirtbike...16 years later I got my very first bike...My 636. Year and half later I am still smiling.

[nwujames]

Originally Posted by ervins

Get the 500 or 650. There is a great review in Sport Rider this month and it mentions how great a starter bike the Ninja 650 is. It also mentions why it beat all the other bikes in its class. There will be others to chime in on this but you might want to post this in the sportbike section under a new topic. Knowing you will get bored on a 250 is nothing to really be excited about would it? I got my first taste in riding a motorcycle on an old dirtbike...16 years later I got my very first bike...My 636. Year and half later I am still smiling.

IMO I'd recommed getting a used 250 for cheap, racking up 500 miles or so, and then selling it for an upgrade. If you're patient on finding one for a good price, you can turn around and sell it for a profit like I did. Then get a 500 or 650 (I got an EX500). Just my .02.

[Bancho]

I've got two opinions on this:

1. You're 16 (not a bad thing at all really). You probably have limited experience with driving in traffic to begin with. I could be wrong, but odds are you'll have that extra bit of potential to make a mistake so perhaps the used 250 to start on for a bit till you're good with moving in traffic in everyday situations is a good idea.

2. I just got a Ninja 650R as my first bike and I have to say that the engine is fantastic. Very smooth and no big hit of power anywhere to surprise you. I realize that being my first bike there is always the possibility of dropping it due to a newbie mistake but *that* is the only thing I can think of for starting on a 250 or 500. The bike itself is amazingly friendly, maneuverable and fun.

Whatever you do, please try to take the MSF course as soon as possible. It's a load of fun and you learn a bunch too.

edit - the argument to get a used 250 cheaply is a very good one *but* since that advice is pretty standard, the odds of finding that elusive 250 for a price less than brand new are slim in many cases. They usually sell extremely quick unless people are asking more than new for their used bikes (sellers on craigslist baffle me sometimes...).