The Yeager's 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250ST

 

 

Introduction

Gas pricing got the best of me and after over 20 years not owning a motorcycle and I finally purchased another one. I had actually looked at several larger bikes including the Suzuki GS500F, the Suzuki SV650S, the Yamaha YZF600R, the Triumph Sprint ST, and the Kawasaki Concours. In the end the decision was based on the ultimate goal of having an extremely fuel efficient, easy to maintain, reliable commuter that I could do most of the maintenance and repair work on. Towards that end I decided that it should be liquid cooled and faired. Bang for the buck was then considered. Light, maneuverable, and fun to ride would be a nice bonus. Suddenly there was only one motorcycle to choose from: the Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

During my research I found an online community of sometimes rabid devotees: the Ninja 250 Riders Club. There was a wealth of information and tips and plenty of folks that would help if asked. I had only seen that kind of support related to touring bikes (Concours, Gold Wing, BMW, etc.) and Harleys. Understand I did not purchase the bike because of the website, it was a confirmation of the quality and viability of the vehicle however. Therefore, armed with ample knowledge I ordered a new 2005 Ninjette from Greenville Powersports, my local Kawasaki dealer in September 2005.

From the begining the 2005 Ninja 250 had a custom final drive ratio of 15:41 replacing the stock ratio of 14:45. The decision to alter the final drive was based on:

  • 1) the Ninja 250 Riders Club Site fuel FAQs,
  • 2) the 100,000 mile Ninja 250 posts on the Ninja 250 Riders Club,
  • 3) the number of impulses per mile as compared to most 4 cylinder motorcycles/cars,
  • 4) the RPM of the theoretical piston/cylinder wall critical velocity (9247 RPM for the 250),
  • 5) the rather flat roads on my commute,
  • 6) the power to weight ratio of me on the Ninjette as compared to the power to weight ratio of a typical economy car, and
  • 7) the horsepower and torque curve of the Ninja 250 engine.

I felt I would be getting pretty close to optimal with the 15:41 final drive (JT Sprockets; JTF 516.15T and JTR 486.41T respectively) which provides for a 2.73 gear ratio).

I ordered a Lockhart Phillips tank bra, a Zero Gravity Double Bubble windscreen, and riding gear so I had those on hand before the Ninja 250 was in hand. Additionally, I ordered two motorcycle covers so the 250 can be covered at work and covered/garaged at home without having to haul a cover about.

The new Ninja 250 was trailered from the dealer to the house so it could be properly broken in. I installed the Lockhart Phillips tank bra and the Zero Gravity double bubble windscreen as soon as the bike rolled off the trailer and in to the garage.

 

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The Yeager's Kawasaki Ninja 250 Site

 

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