Kawasaki Ninja 250 - a beginner's bike?

The question is often asked whether the Kawasaki Ninja 250 is a beginner's bike. The answer is yes and no.

Yes, the Ninja 250 makes a good beginner's bike, but No, it's not just a beginner's bike

It's certainly an easier bike for a beginner to handle than any of the larger, heavier, more powerful bikes. If you make a mistake like dropping the clutch with the engine reved up high on ZX-14 supersport bike, it may be the last mistake you make. On a Ninja 250 the consequences of such a mistake will be less severe. Though you may still have an accident, you'll hit the wall at 25mpg rather than 75mph.

Bigger and heavier bikes are also more difficult to handle. If you go into a corner a little hot on a Ninja 250 it's easier to control than a 700lb cruiser.

So the relative low power of the Ninja 250 combined with it's light weight mean that it's harder to get into trouble than with larger bikes. You can still get into trouble of course, but you have to try harder. There are other lower powered bikes that you could buy, such as a Honda Rebel, but non are as much fun as the Ninja 250 and none have the same potential in the hands of a good rider.

It's not just by chance that the Ninja 250 is a very popular bike choice with amateur motorcycle racers. Though it's not incredibly fast, it's still fast enough to hit over 100 mph on a straight and it can corner with larger bikes (though a few suspension mods may be required).

The Ninja 250 also makes a pretty good touring bike provided you don't have too much luggage to carry. The 4.8 gallon tank gives it a safe range of over 250 miles and it will cruise all day at highway legal speeds (and faster if that's your choice).

The smallest Ninja is also relatively inexpensive, which is something to consider in a first bike. If you wreck it it will hurt your wallet less than if you wreck a more expensive bike.