[Curt]

Hello to the community!

Here's my Ninja EX250. I posted more and bigger pics on my web page.

Any comments?

Curt

 

[triplesecman]

Nice bike. I went to your site and I liked the pic with who I'm assuming is your son. He gonna ride when he grows up? Also this quote "I ALWAYS wear a helmet, but I kind of like the idea that motorcyclists are not required to wear helmets, because that way we can eliminate some of the lower IQ's from the gene pool. Nice.... :lol:

 

[Curt]

Yep, that's my boy. He already goes on slow, short rides in the neighborhood. His mother has a cow, but he loves it.

 

[triplesecman]

Ha, of course she does. She's a concerned mother. How old is he?

 

[Curt]

The boy is 5. Before I let him ride I asked about laws about children and motorcycles. The police told me that if his feet reach the pegs, he's good to go. So he gets to ride. But I still don't take him more than a mile, and I stay on the residential streets in our neighborhood. And he wears a real motorcycle jacket and a real motorcycle helmet.

He thinks he is the coolest kid in the neighborhood, and I think so, too.
Curt

 

[triplesecman]

I'm sure he is the coolest kid in the neighborhood. That's good you made sure of the laws and that you give him real gear to wear. Glad to hear he enjoys it.

 

[KUNG FUsion]

Great another 250 rider!

Hey Curt,

Looks like we have alot in common. I'm turning 48 this spring so I guess I'm going through the same thing. I got a 2004 250 last November. It's been about 20 years since I've road a street bike and I can't wait until spring. I'm just planning on doing some casual riding, not into that crazy stuff the kids do (wisdom comes with age I guess) besides I could'nt justify spending the big bucks for a super sport bike let alone paying for the insurance. Anyway I love the sport bike look and you can't beat the price of these bikes. From what I've read these bikes will do all I want to do.

So far I've done the rear fender removal and put the rear signal lights in the unused tailight pods. I just got the clear lens for the front signal lights but I haven't had a chance to get them on yet. I thought about doing flush mounts on the front but so far I have'nt see any that look like they belong on the bike. I've put some stickers on it also. I have to say it looks pretty good for a 250. When you say chrome the wheels do you mean strip the paint off the wheels? I think that's what most of the guys are doing, only on the outer rim flange though. That's what I plan to do this spring. I to am interested in an intercom. I think the Chatter Box HJC-50 Standard Tandem Pro is what I want, it goes for about $70 plus headsets. Let me know what you come up with on the gauges, that sounds like a good idea. I'd like to have chrome or stainless mufflers but I hate to pay $180 just for that look. I'm working on a idea to make some stainless steel covers, we'll see how that comes out.

Sorry to raddle on but I think you're the first guy I've ran across that has such similar interest. Keep me posted!

Later, Steve

 

[Curt]

Dead on, Steve!

Way cool bike. I had to do a doubletake before I realized it's a Ninja 250. The stickers really do a lot for it.

You said "these bikes will do all I want to do." I couldn't agree more. Mine goes fast enough to get a ticket. How much faster than that do I need to go? Last night I came across this video of a guy doing 300km/hr. That's 180mph!
http://www.zweirad-motorentechnik.de/Kawasaki_Ninja_300km_h_.mpeg

Clear lenses don't do anything for me. They're interesting, just not for me. I think it's because my bike is red. But on your blue/white/silver bike the clear lenses would look great.

I've seen some flush mounted front lights that I think look pretty good. They're just truck clearance lights mounted onto the Ninja. Everyone has their own taste, but I think that would be good enough for me.

I didn't know my wheels were painted. If so, stripping would be a lot cheaper than chroming, because I could do it myself. It won't be quite as shiny as chrome, but it lets me go on to other projects. I would assume that the wheels are not steel, so I shouldn't have to worry about rust.

My son and I will be riding together more as he gets older, so I really want to get some kind of intercom. Intercoms installed in the helmets would be the best. I might end up with something like the ChatterBox, since noise reduction is pretty important, and it's out of my field to design something like that.

My alternator went out on my car, and my idiot light didn't warn me in time. I replaced the alternator, but I want an ammeter or voltmeter gauge in the car so I can get a little warning next time. All my life I have had cars with idiot lights instead of gauges and I really, really want an ammeter gauge. In this age of digital electronics I could make a digital gauge that is 50 times as precise as the old analog gauges. I worked up a design for the car, and I'm thinking about doing the same thing for the Ninja. I might make it a volt/amp meter, or I might make one meter for each so I can see them both without switching. I'm also planning to install a mechanical analog oil pressure gauge on the Ninja. I can put it in a 1.5" hole that I cut in the fairing beside the other gauges. I think it will look great. A digital gauge would be even better, but more work to design.

I think stainless covers on the mufflers is a great idea. I had thought of painting them with high-temperature paint, but stainless is even better. I'm just looking for ways to make my bike more of an eye-grabber. Changing the black parts to chrome (or similar) will make a lot of difference. Getting chrome visors for the helmets is part of that, too.

 

[KUNG FUsion]

Polishing Wheels

Curt,

Here's a couple of pictures I found of the wheels polished, maybe you can tell what I'm talking about. There's a smooth area along the rim, when the paint is removed it can be shinned up and almost looks like chrome.

First you mast it off.

Next apply stripper, let work then remove paint

It can then be polished.

 

[Curt]

Wow!

Holy, moley, that looks good!

But wouldn't it look even better if I did the spokes, too?

I can do masking and stripping. I was imagining sandblasting the paint off, but I like your idea to use stripper. The only difficulty I see is removing and remounting the tire. I've changed plenty of bicycle tires, but I suspect the motorcycle tire is more difficult -- like a car -- so I think I'd have to take the wheel to a shop for removal, then remounting and balancing. Or can a regular Joe like me change a motorcycle tire?

Maybe I should wait until my tires need replacing, then strip the rims.

Or, I just realized I could strip them with the tires on. I'd just have to be VERY careful to make sure none of the stripper can touch the rubber. Maybe I'll do that. Then I won't have to rebalance the tires. Any suggestions?

Curt

 

[KUNG FUsion]

Wheel polishing

Curt,

Don't mess with the spokes, they are trextured and it's too difficult to remove the paint. I don't think they're shinny like the smoother rim flange area. For sure don't sandblast the rims, that would distroy the finnish. Most people do this with the tires mounted, they just mast them off. I have'nt done this yet so I'm only telling you what I've found on the net. But it seems to be at the top of the mod list, right after the rear fender elimination and signal intergration. By the way, what part off the country are you in? I'm in south-eastern Ohio. Looks like it'll be a while before I can get my bike out.

Later, Steve

 

[cjiom]

Er, won't you need to put some kind of lacquer on them??

I know the EX500D wheels are some kind of alloy and I'm pretty sure mine corrode where the paint is missing.

Just a thought ;-)

I don't think Kawasaki sells the 250 in the UK market (any more??) (correct me if I'm wrong). Seems like a sensible bike. Have to say the 500 is seen as much more of a commuter than a sports bike in the UK but that doesn't affect the size of my grin.

 

[Curt]

Thanks for the tips, guys!

I really ought to know this already, but I thought only steel wheels would rust. I thought alloy wheels were immune to corrosion. I sounds like I'm wrong on that. But laquer would make it easier to get a glossier finish anyway.

I live in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the summers are great — especially if they happen to occur on a weekend.

Curt

 

[KUNG FUsion]

You're right cjiom, a clear coat would help protect the finish. From what I've read some guys do and some don't, I agree with you it should be clear coated. The guys that don’t have to polish them occasionally.

Curt, alloy will corrode. If you’ve ever seen an old bike that hasn’t been taken care of most all of the Aluminum and alloy is dull and oxidized.

 

[michiganarft11]

Try checking a local painter's supply store or body shop to see what they recommend using to keep the shine, but keep corrosion out.