[TrueFaith]

Nice. I was so ticked off when Honda offered the REPSOL livery after I bought my Asteroid Black Metallic.

 

[TrueFaith]

I was completely swayed by the specs and reviews the CBR250R was getting and traded in my 2008 Ninja 250R for a 2011 CBR250R the first year they became available. Sight unseen, never even sat on one and had to wait 6 months for them to start shipping. I took delivery of one of the very first CBR250Rs that came off the truck at the dealership. Lots of people say never buy a new bike or car in it's first model year, but hey it's a HONDA. It's been 100% reliable and has never once failed to start in over 10 years. I have fairly low mileage compared to many of the folks here since I only use it for recreational riding and the riding season is so short here in the northeast US.
After over 10 years of ownership it's in perfect shape and runs like a top. People often ask me if it's a new bike and are more than surprised when I tell them it's a 2011.

 

[TrueFaith]

That is amazing, I literally also had a 2008 Ninja 250 which I loved to bits. Traded it for an R6 which I drove a year and then sold when realizing the danger does not justify the fun.
And then got the cbr250 recently as fuel cost in my country is through the roof.
Comparing the ninja to the CBR, I'd say the ninja was more "Aggressive" whereas the CBR is tame but very very capable.

I'm also getting a lot of shocked eyes when I tell people it's a 2013 model!

My Ninja 250R was a good bike, but there were a few things about it that I really didn't like. Primarily the way the seat sloped downward into the gas tank. It made for uncomfortable long rides. Even replacing the saddle with a Corbin didn't help very much. I was toying with the idea of trading up to a Ninja 400 recently, until I actually sat on one at the dealership. That sloping, uncomfortable saddle seems to be standard for all of Kawasaki's bikes and it's a real deal-breaker for me. I also didn't like having to drain the carb bowls every fall to put it in storage for the winter.
The Ninja had a good engine, but it's lack of torque in lower gears made for sloppy starts and lots of false neutrals and to get the most of that engine you really had to wring it out and stay in the high RPMs. The CBR's power delivery just seems much more polished and civilized compared to the Ninja. Torque is abundant in lower gears, making for much smoother acceleration, but you can still ride like a hooligan by keeping the revs up above 7000-8000 RPMs if you feel like it. My 6'1" frame always felt really cramped on the Ninja and I was amazed how much more comfortable the ergonomics of the CBR were by comparison.
Kudos to you for recognizing that the raw power of a Yamaha R-bike is not for everyone. I've owned bigger bikes in my 40+ years of motorcycling, but few have been as capable, reliable or FORGIVING as my "little" CBR250R.