The Ninjette Journal for 2005

 

Monthly Journal Entries

September, 2005 -- The 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.  The last two weeks of September were spent breaking the new bike in. A detailed log of my break-in procedure is on my Maintenance Log Site.

October, 2005 -- Ride Report: October 3rd-4th -- I took the 250 on a trip to Austin, Texas for a meeting of the Texas K-12 CTO Council. I selected a route that would be a maximum of farm to market roads with just a few state highway mile along the way. The entire trip contained 630 miles of everything from twisty country roads to Interstates. Unfortunately, Texas was on the wrong end of a low pressure region during the trip as a big topical depression had hit Mexico. I was punching holes in a 20 MPH to 30 MPH head wind the whole way down to Austin. Most (about 75%) of travel was 55 to 60 MPH roads while the rest was 65 to 70 MPH. The average was roughly 72.x MPG for the trip to Austin. Going back the next day I was thinking "hot dog, a tail wind for the return trip!". Wrong. A strong Easterly wind was what I got. About half of the return route was 65 to 70 MPH as the return route was somewhat different than the route used to go to Austin, however, little or no head wind. The return leg was 75.x MPG.

Added 2" adhesive convex spot mirrors to the stock rearview mirrors.

As a returning motorcyclist I cannot over emphasize the importance of safety, training, and defensive riding. I elected to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Advanced Rider Course in early October. The course was well worth the time and money and covered quick swerving/avoidance techniques, counter steering, traction control, and emergency braking for curves . If you are a beginning rider the MSF Basic Rider Course is a must.

Removed Ninja stickers from the lower fairing.

Added additional brake and tail lights in the empty rear corner sockets. Installed inline fuel filter.

Ride Report: October 28th-30th -- Nathaniel (my 9 year old) and I rode the Ninjette to eastern Oklahoma to ride with other members of the Ninja 250 Riders Club. Brad Swindall, his son Randy, and Randy's girl friend Alicia met Nathaniel and I Friday afternoon at our home in Commerce. From Commerce, Brad rode his Yamaha V-Star 650, Nathaniel and I rode the Ninjette, and Randy and Alicia drove the Nissan pickup (support vehicle) and trailered their yellow Ninja 250 to Lake Wister State Park. At the state park, we rendezvoused with Jennifer and Allan Bennett on their Kawasaki Concours.

We rode the Talimena Scenic Drive and traveled other scenic roads in the Ouachita Mountains on the border of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Talihina, Oklahoma was having its Fall Foliage Festival this weekend and the motorcycles were thick. It was wonderful as bikers out numbered cagers 2 to 1 in some locations and, on the drive itself it was likely that motorcycles outnumbered cars 3 to 1 or more.

Everyone had a good time visiting and riding. Nathaniel and I had to leave Saturday afternoon due to church obligations Sunday. Nathaniel enjoyed the trip back to Texas and is up for another road trip any time.

Fuel mileage per fill-up for the trip was as follows 67 MPG, 61 MPG, 71 MPG, and 65 MPG

Panorama Vista on the Talimena Scenic Drive

Left to right: Allen, Jennifer, Evan, Nathaniel, Brad, Alicia, and Randy

 

November, 2005 -- Ride Report: November 5, 2005 -- Glen Goldsmith, Nathaniel (my 9 year old), and I met at Lone Star Pizza Works (yes, they serve real breakfast not cold pizza) in Commerce, Texas at 8:00AM, for breakfast, coffee, introductions, visiting, and checking out each other’s rides. As it turned out Glen is the student assistant to a friend of ours, Dr. Keith West, and has had classes with one of our long term tenants. It is truly a small world (The Lord just works things out). We then went for an 83 mile ride on quiet farm roads in Hunt and Fannin counties with a few state highway sections to travel between farm roads. The fall foliage was at its peak and the route consisted of several of the highest points in the two counties so the scenery was very nice. The South wind was quite strong but over all the ride was a success.

November 7th through 11th -- Ninjette Fuel Mileage Test. Please see note 3 in the Statistics Fuel Consumption section below for details.

Thanksgiving weekend -- The following cosmetic and safety modifications and additions were made: Installed a Galaxy Silver belly pan (lower fairing) for which I traded my stock black one with a young lady in Maryland. Modified and installed a Competition Werkes Rear Fender Elimination Kit. Installed a set of Lockhart Phillips Short Stalk II Rear Turn Signals, a Signal Dynamics Corporation LED License Plate Frame, a Signal Dynamics Corporation Back Off XP Brake Light Module, Asian Signals (Keith in Asia) Flush Front Turn Signals in Galaxy Silver, and Asian Signals (Keith in Asia) DRL Circuit. I began work on designing a front fender mud flap.

December, 2005 -- Ride Report: December 3, 2005 -- The Hunt County chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, The King's Kruizers, met at the Chevron gas station on I-35 and FM 1903. Leaving with the group at about 9:00 AM, Victoria (my 13 year old daughter) and I participated in the 8th Annual Ken Ward Memorial Toy Run benefiting the Mesquite Santa Cop Program. We had a very stiff head wind out of the Southwest so the ride to Mesquite, Texas with Victoria at 70 MPH was just about all it could do. At the Santa Cop Toy Run roughly 400 to 500 motorcycles rode through Mesquite, Texas taking $10 or a new unwrapped toy to a drop-off site. It was fun to wave at the people standing on the street watching, I enjoyed looking down the road to see bikes as far as the eye could see. Over all it was fun but the Ninjette and I would have been happier cruising down some farm road at 60 MPH than winding through town at 20 MPH. Parades are where cruisers shine not little sport bikes as evidenced by the fact that there were less than 10 sport bikes in attendance at the entire event. Virtually everything was bigger than the Ninjette but it came through just fine.

Replaced worn stock Dunlop rear tire with a Metzeler ME 880 Marathon 130/90HB16 and added a reflecting agent to the Lockhart Phillips Short Stalk II Rear Turn Signals. Added an extension flap to the chain guard to prevent "lube sling" on the underside of the tail. Installed a Signal Dynamics Corporation Diamond Star Headlight Modulator.

Ride Report: December 23, 2005 - December 24, 2005 -- Successfully completed an Iron Butt Association SaddleSore 1000. Details of the ride are on the Ninjette Christmas Break SaddleSore 1000 Site.

Performed 6000 mile service: set intake valve clearance, synchronized the carburetors, changed oil and filter, cleaned, inspected, and lubed cables, linkages, and drive chain. Details may be found at the Ninja 250 Maintenance Log Site.

Installed switch to make emergency rear flasher circuit active. 

 

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The Yeager's 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250

 

 

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