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Brand new rider: first bike - CBR250R or Ninja 250R?

25K views 36 replies 21 participants last post by  etiainen 
#1 ·
Hey CBR250.net :D

I am a potentially brand new rider; never ridden a motorcyle and looking into possibly riding. I live in Pittsburgh, where the roads arent so great and the weather is really only suited for riding about 6 months/year so I am looking at affordable entry level bikes.

I am not afraid of popping the front wheels up, but as a beginner I would greatly prefer to have less HP so I am looking at 250s. Honda, as MotoGP world champion constructor really appeals to me because of their motorpsorts heritage. Also, because I am looking at a 250, I have to choose basically between a Ninja and a CBR. The question is - what are the pro's and cons of the CBR?

I like that the CBR is fuel injected, has optional ABS (especially for rain riding, which can crop up around here for sure) and is lighter/gets better MPG. However, even though its got a punchy torquey engine, its lower on power and higher on vibration than the Ninja.

The Ninja on the other hand is outdated carburetor, but has more power and is easier to ride, but heavier. I read some reviews that showed the Ninja was alot more planted and stable under braking than the CBR, possibly due to the weight - but the Ninja has been tried and true and still ranks to be the best of the 250's.

Basically, I just want to see if anyone who has bought a CBR250 has really wished they got a Ninja, and vice versa. Happy owners, content owners, and perhaps some malcontent owners, chime in!

also, if anyone has the optional ABS, what do you think of it? Too invasive? Just right?
 
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#2 ·
Love my CBR and, as I just found out, it handles pretty good in the rain. **** rain.
 
#4 ·
I don't know of ANY CBR owners that went to a Ninja...
I *do* know of a few Ninja owners that have switched to the CBR...

... Right Frank?

My riding buddy and I:

Then:



___________________________________________________________________

And, Now:




(Yeah, ok, the Ninja got squashed by a semi... but look what he replaced it with...)
 
#5 ·
I am a big fan of the ABS. Great safety feature, not invasive at all. If you get the Honda and can at all afford it, get it.

I would highly recommend the Honda. It is the ultimate commuter, easy to ride, much fun.

My younger brother had a 2010 Ninja 250. He hated the carbs. My last bike was a 1999 BMW F650 with carbs. After moving to the Honda, I would never consider buying another bike without EFI.
 
#6 ·
My vote went to the Honda as I wanted a new bike (touchy subject here, but it's what I wanted myself), and didn't want a carbed bike plus ABS seemed like a good idea.

Although I've seen some of the points you made mentioned before, I've also read that the Ninja vibrates/buzzes a LOT more than the CBR250R. As for power, maybe it is down a bit, but at least riding my bike I don't think it would make a huge difference between the two -- as neither are really built for speed.

Anyhow, just my 2 cents (and not regretting my CBR250R at all)
 
#8 ·
Where did you see that the ninja is easier to ride and ranks best of the 250's???? I'd like to know because through my month of researching them almost everyday before I made my decision it was always the opposite. Pretty much every magazine review or online review I saw always had the CBR250 coming out on top and one of the main reasons was almost always because it was easier to ride. The CBR has a lot better low end power which makes it much easier to ride in town and for beginners. Plus the fuel injection is fool proof and very nice along with the ABS as you mentioned. I never rode either bike before I bought but I sat on each and read every review that google could find me and ended up with the CBR and I LOVE the bike and it has been a GREAT beginner bike. Plus around here the idiot kawi dealer wanted more for a 2011 ninja before anything thing else added on than I got my CBR out the door for! Also to me the looks are a tie because they're both beautiful bikes but the ninjas dash is HORRIBLE and looks straight out of the early 80's.
 
#9 ·
I would ask, what is your ultimate goal in motorcycling? Are you into sportbikes, or are you a commuter? Do you intend to do your own work, or does having a factory warranty appeal to you?

If you're planning on commuting year-round, want ABS, want FI so you don't have to wait while it warms up... the cbr might be a good choice. For pretty much every other scenario, you'd be better served grabbing something used and super cheap (Ninja 250, Honda CB/CM/Nighthawk in the 400 range, KLR650, GS500), putting 10,000 miles or so on that and then trading up, getting back a lot of what you paid. By then, the extra power of a new bike will be an advantage instead of a worry.

When it comes to crappy weather and crappy roads, it's tough to do much better than a dualsport. Get you a used KLR or V-Strom, and it'll tackle Pittsburgh no problem. A year later when you're experienced, buy a 600-class sportbike and it will suit you.

I'm looking at a CBR as a long-haul bike, since it gets fantastic fuel economy and has an impressively long maintenance interval. But, like you, the cost of entry is a sticking point.
 
#13 ·
Totalmotorcyle i think Was the site with the review where the ninja came out on top in handling. I just don't want to get on a bike and find I've got chatter up front since I drive in Pittsburgh commuting downtown every day and fast stopping is a must. The bike is a commuter and weekend fun machine. I don't see myself ever getting anything faster than a cbr600 if I find I like riding and enjoy going fast, or want to try it at the track. So for now, a convenient commuter is nice.

I have a local guy with a 2011 asking $3500 Obo for one with no ABS and 12 miles on it. I really want efi otherwise I'd try out a ninja. Cost of entry is a bit high, but i don't look at it as an investment to get money out of, so buying new isn't a concern either. I just don't want th instant regret which might come from buying something I wish had
More power and necessitating a trade in after a year of acclimatizing to riding.

Thanks for the suggestions :). And as regards dual-sports, that's not necessary since I'm always on pavement, it's just sometimes a bit riddled with potholes!
 
#17 ·
Thanks for the suggestions :). And as regards dual-sports, that's not necessary since I'm always on pavement, it's just sometimes a bit riddled with potholes!
Exactly ;)

And the huge wheels and ground clearance are great not only for potholes, but sitting up high you can see over traffic. The small fairing is also helpful in the rain.

You can find one for so little that the savings will more than make up for the fuel economy disadvantage.

I'm not knocking the CBR, I just think that in this situation (and here in Philly too) a DS is a better choice. But by all means, get both :D
 
#16 ·
I'd go with the Honda for the same reasons everyone else is saying. It's easy to get caught up in idealistic and hypothetical concerns on paper, but the reality ("when the rubber hits the road") is that the CBR250R is a very efficient street bike. If you're commuting and doing nearly all of your riding on public roads, it's perfect. I wouldn't trade EFI for carbs, and the low end torque of a single compared to the equivalent parallel twin makes it a breeze in stop and go traffic. The fuel economy is unreal. It's the best I've ever seen without getting into riding scooters.

My disclaimer for my opinion is that my targeted criteria for a motorcycle is how well it's suited as a commuter, i.e. comfort, fuel efficiency, maneuvering in city traffic, etc. The Honda seems to equally prepare a new rider to make a choice at the fork in the road between a street-bike and a track-bike as their next. Some folks here "upgrade" to the CBR-600 while others "upgrade" to 650 class sport-standard bikes (which unfortunately Honda doesn't make at this time).
 
#20 ·
I won't have any experience on the cbr until next week hopefully after I get my msf completed and get my endorsment but based on the reviews and what i've read and heard the bike is a great beginner machine to learn on and is very competent for commuting, sporty riding, or just cruising. The lower power band is going to be more friendly around town and the fuel injection is a great plus. I've never had to deal with motorcycle carburators but i've spent some time having to work on my boat and jet ski carbs and they can be such a headache. I'd prefer to just avoid all that. It was a pretty easy decision for me to make, I wasn't too hyped for the ninja after comparing it to the cbr.
 
#24 ·
Hey CBR250.net :D
I like that the CBR is fuel injected, has optional ABS (especially for rain riding, which can crop up around here for sure) and is lighter/gets better MPG. However, even though its got a punchy torquey engine, its lower on power and higher on vibration than the Ninja.

The Ninja on the other hand is outdated carburetor, but has more power and is easier to ride, but heavier. I read some reviews that showed the Ninja was alot more planted and stable under braking than the CBR, possibly due to the weight - but the Ninja has been tried and true and still ranks to be the best of the 250's.

?
WHOA THERE buddy!
higher on vibration -false. Ninja much more buzzy as you have to keep it revved high to get power. The CBR you can lug right a long. no buzzy at all.

Where the CBR is outted on power is above 90 mph. Where it has more power is 0-55. pretty even in between. Look at any dyno of the two bikes and you can see that.

The Cbr brakes suck.. however adding steel braided lines for about 150 bucks will completely change that and will put you way ahead of a stock ninja in stopping power. it was the last mod i did and I wish it had been the first. Major improvement.

Finally the CBR has the easiest operating clutch i have ever used and its handling IMHO is much better than the ninja.
On the track the ninjas pull away on the straights and lose ground in the corners. They dont pull far away. I do think its a bit under powered. Very forgiving though.

Personally i think its tit for tat. they are both great bikes but until the ninjette gets FI in the states i dont see how anyone can consider one unless your just looking fro a good deal on a used one. plenty of them out there for that.
A LOT!
 
#28 ·
I do still tend to avoid those potholes though.(THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO FIX THEM!!!!) It is still much better than my old Ninja 250 on the bumps. I can imagine a DS is fun on those gigantic holes.

I am never off road though on a motorbike(not counting my mountain bike). Usually on foot for those parts.:)(Hikes and such)
 
#29 ·
considering a used lastgen ninja 250 to start. if I feel the need for more power when I get used to the bike, I will probably look elsewhere, BUT! If I like the 23-28hp range of bikes, I will likely just grab a CBR 250 and awwww yeah.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I think that is smart. I say save some extra money and get one that has a few scraps. It can save you big and will blend in with the ones you give it!

I am certainly keeping my options open too. Since for me a motorcycle is a cheaper form of transportation than owner a car (no not a beater car perhaps), with gas, insurance, buy in etc. a new CBR does not seem like my best choice. I do think it is a best in class bike however. For the money or less however I can get a bike that will work for my needs and I won't take a big hit if I go to sell it. In a couple of years the CBR's will start showing up in some numbers on the resale market and I will likely pick one up then.
 
#31 ·
I cant speak for the Ninja but I started off with a new CBR 250 and I love everything about it, the only advantage I can think of for the ninja is that the higher top speed would make for better hywy driving at anything above 75mph... All in all, I am a bit biased but recommend the CBR
 
#32 ·
I was back at the store today and sat on a CBR250R, Ninja 250, Ninja 650 and Versys 650.

Everything that has been said between the CBR and the Ninja 250 is what I come away with also. Seating on the CBR is better. The Ninja 250 seems long on the front compared to the CBR. Your boys do sit on the tank on the Ninja :eek:

The Ninja 650 feels like lead. Very heavy to me. I hated the bend of the bars too. No where near as comfy to me as the CBR and I am 6" 185. The CBR is small but comfy.

Now the Versys is a tall bike. It is very similar to the Ninja 650 otherwise. I really liked how that bike felt. At the same weight as the Ninja it felt much much more nimble to tip and move.

I could ride the CBR or the Versys.
 
#34 ·
I just went through the same process you are; deciding between the cbr and ninja. For me it came down to: weight, styling, and forgiveness for a new a rider. Most of the reviews and videos I watched made it seem like a veteran rider was best at maximizing the full potential of the ninja. Also the extra high end power of the ninja wasnt a must since I dont plan on doing all of interstate riding. (you can do it with the cbr) I am a smaller fellow so the low seat height and lighter weight of the cbr really appealed to me. I picked up my cbr saturday and after the first few rides. I really feel like I made the right choice. I cant wait to take some corners and have that feeling confirmed. From everything I have read the cbr excels in the corners. Just my novice opinion tho.
 
#35 ·
my question is why would you go on a cbr forum asking for an unbiased choice between a cbr and ninja? i mean im not sayin that we're prejudice or anything but we obviously chose to get the ceebee .. they are both great bikes but the cbr is definitely more practical .. i chose the cbr because its different from the norm ninja 250 that most 250 riders have .. i wanted to be a little different .. one group ride i was in with two brand new ninjas and other bigger bikes .. a dude with a decked out cbr600rr got off his bike and ran up to me to give me a hi-five .. he said he was glad to see somebody with a 250 thats not a ninja .. a lot of bigger bike riders have complemented me on the bike and its looks .. asking me whole bunch of questions .. haha i guess its the new kid on the block!!
 
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