The Ride: 2008 Ninja 250
MSRP: $3499
FREIGHT: $190.00
SET UP & PREP: $65.00
TAX: $262.78
TITLE FEE: $25
TOTAL OTD PRICE: $4041.78
Sound fair but you maybe able to haggle them down.Check some other dealerships in the area.
i had another dealership quote me at $3999 without tax and title.
For God's sake, if not for mine, don't take this as an insult. If this were 1968 and it was a Suzuki 250 X-6 Hustler......and it was $750 brand new, I'd say go for it. I don't know how old you are, but I see that you've been on this forum for awhile. There is no comparison between a GS500 and a 250 Ninja. None. AND.......in my opinion none with a 500 Ninja either. They are cheap looking pieces of green plastic with things that break frequently. Search EX 500 as well. Save your money and don't do it. And whatEVER you do..........don't even give a Buell Blast a whisp of a second thought. If you have "ants in your pants", stop, relax, and "think" about it. That is a lot of money for something a little bit bigger than a pocket rocket that you have to "wring the shaZam! out of" constantly to "get around". And once again........please don't take this the wrong way...............
oh don't worry, i take every one's comments in stride. :thumb: i wouldn't have asked for opinions if i didn't want to hear em. :icon_mrgreen:
revere, im an hd autorised tech, and nothing wrong with buell blasts, well, i take that back, theyre a thumper, ( single cyl) but for the money, hell id get a gs, even a slightly used one, well, for teh OTD price on htat ninjette, a bit more than the blast, but comparable to a gs, ( aka not far off), id honestly go for the gs ( simplicity, hell if it werent a thumper , id go for teh blast :laugh:, im just not a fan of their power delivery, but they are ( no pun intended) a blast to ride
OMG Yama............I was Mr. Believer in H-D from 1965-1972. I still believe that H-D is as American as John Wayne, Mom, and Apple Pie along with Winchester lever rifles. Please don't tell me about the Blast. So many believers have had their hearts and pocketbooks broken aside from pitiful service from the dealerships. The "Sprints" broke my heart and pocketbook and left me on the side of the road many times. I am a NOT a mechanic. If I needed to ride from New Orleans to Memphis and had the choice between all that we've mentioned.........it would HAVE to BE the GS500..........or to Juneau Alaska for that matter. The Buell Blast is not getting a "bum rap". It is getting a truthful rap. It is a piece of junk. "They" need to do something about it AND they need to make intermediate bikes that the common citizenry can afford. You know I love you anyway. :)
I have yet to hear of a legitimate, consistent problem concerning the Buell Blast. I've ridden many, I've seen many ridden, and, outside of their obvious intention as a beginner's motorcycle, they have always been, as a whole, stupendous motorcycles. Sure I wouldn't want to ride one from Juneau Alaska...but considering doing it is like throwing mustard on chocolate cake. Not made for it, thus it won't work well. Same with the Ninja 250.
I also have a lot of experience with the EX line and, I hate to break this to you, but the EX500 has the GS beat in every category and has been doing it for 20 years...and there's paper and fandome alike to back that up.
i read a review from 2004 that pitted the GS500F against the EX500. at that time the GS was only best in 2 categories. i believe styling was one. i can't remember the other. as far as the 250 goes i've read in numerous places that it is kawaski's number one selling bike. i'm not sure on the authenticity of that claim but take it for what it's worth. my origianl posting in this thread was not a question of should i get this bike. i'm sure many of you remember when i first came to this forum. i aksed the age old GS vs. EX500 question. i've done my research on beginning bikes. i'm not getting a bike that is gonna be over my head. i didn't pick the kawi 250 on a whim. i've done my research. i've looked around at various bikes. i've talked to alot of people in the bike community. both on this board and on other forums as well. my original post in this thread has to do with the price i was quoted. i don't have much experiece in the area of mc sales. i've never bought one. hell, i've never bought a "new" car either but i'd have a better idea if i was getting scammed at a car dealership than a mc dealer. just wondering what you guys thought. :thumb:
I'd tell them...in as many words...that they can shove the freight up their ass. There's no reason they wouldn't take $3750 OTD. They want to make the sale more than you want to buy the bike.
indeed, and im not dissin the ex either. im talkin about things like simplicity and repair costs where i favour the gs :thumb:
I've ridden a few Ninja 250s; as long as you don't outweigh the thing, it is a pretty damn good motorcycle. They have a faithful, dedicated following with a good forum, just as GSTwin owners do:
http://forums.ninja250.org
Your money; your choice. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. Since $3499 is MSRP, and they're asking $4000+, I'd take mak's advice and split the difference. If they won't sell it for $3750, WALK AWAY. It is YOUR money, which means YOU are in control. You WANT the Ninja, but they NEED to sell it, so don't listen to any bullshit; if they won't sell you an '08 Ninja for $3750, they don't DESERVE your business. Find another dealership, and get an offer for $3750 IN WRITING. If the local guys won't MATCH it, you know what to do...
No harm in haggling, but don't be surprised if they don't want to budge.
Since the bike was just redesigned, and it actually looks good, they might be expecting to sell a lot of them
Quote from: jserio on March 30, 2008, 10:38:16 AM
The Ride: 2008 Ninja 250
MSRP: $3499
FREIGHT: $190.00
SET UP & PREP: $65.00
TAX: $262.78
TITLE FEE: $25
TOTAL OTD PRICE: $4041.78
why pay 4 grand for a 250 ? the plastics ? it's a great look, I'll agree, but $4000 ?
hell you can pick up a used TWO 250's on criaglist for a TOTAL of $1500-3000 all day long, and the plastics are intact !
i'll second the comments about paying for shipping, etc, tell them to stuff it. they're in the biz to sell, not make good deals.
are you only buying because of the '08 improvements ?
maybe i should just try to contact the manufacture directly with good ole american cash. or do people refuse that nowadays? i read on another board that a member walked into a dealership with cash, $3500 and the dealership told him, no, can't let it go for less than $4200. it wouldn't be so bad if folks would actually grow some balls and tell the dealers to blow themselves. when the dealers can't sell em, they'd have to be more reasonable with the prices. i was under the impression that msrp covered all expenses save tax, title and liscence fees. anything else is just dealer profit. :dunno_white: i've not got a problem with a business wanting to make a living but damn. maybe i just need to find a dealer that's a bit more reasonable. :icon_mrgreen:
clicky (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-2008-KAWASAKI-NINJA-250-EX250-EX-250-WILL-SHIP_W0QQitemZ150232843713QQihZ005QQcategoryZ50019QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
If you were closer to it that'd be the best route. If I were closer to it I'd ride it to you haha.
unless you are in a large city and will keep the speed under 50 miles an hour a 250 is useless. you will outgrow it fast. also the things said about the 250 and 500 ninja, in my experience, are true. they are old slapped together, over priced and prone to problems.
well, i'm sure this will really piss you guys off. this is what i really am lusting after. :icon_mrgreen: :thumb:
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc104/kserio/1200Low2008.jpg)
Quote from: frankieG on April 05, 2008, 01:35:52 PM
unless you are in a large city and will keep the speed under 50 miles an hour a 250 is useless. you will outgrow it fast. also the things said about the 250 and 500 ninja, in my experience, are true. they are old slapped together, over priced and prone to problems.
Uh huh tell that to this guy would ya...
http://www.tulsasportbikeriders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16452
http://www.tulsasportbikeriders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=16923
On his previous 250's he has several Iron Butt awards.
Uses them for track days and has done several group rides with the big boys and no one has to wait on him.
He has nothing but praise for the new 250 so far.
Yea but thats one guy.
250s are city bikes or are taken and used on the track in the 250cc class. They are also bike for the very young which promice decent performance and low insurence and good consumption whilst still having abit of big boy ness about them.
I think it must just be the market over there but i wouldn't ever consider getting one - at least look for a 400 or the GS or bandit 650 - all are good bikes and proper sized with other capabilities. You won't be able to to take your wifey for a trip over 10 miles on the 250 without getting fed up by been left at traffic lights by cars, theres no room to take luggage and the freeway would be a nightmare. Get a bandit - you have better power but not hooligan power, you have another solid tried and tester motor but you can take your wifey accross state with all sorts of gear if you liked and you could ride up and down the freeway all day. Also consider the er6 nothing but totally glowing reviews from all the mags. Fazer (altho performance is abit staggering for inexperienced) mmmmm. the SV simply due to its rideability - if it didnt have the smoothest power curve it would be unsuitable i think but since its powerdelivery is spot on it can make a good first bike. Also got stuff like the ZZR600. Theres loads of bikes out there but i really think you shouldn't limit yourself by thinking you can't go for a 600 because of performance. 250s are slow, 500s are slow, 600s you can get slow ones - not hooligan ones which have usable power - plenty of power to take you and all your gear around with good consumption without been considered a squid for choosing one streight off.
Here's a second guy with nothing but praise for the 250 (and 500). I spent a season on a 250 and anyone who can tell me you'll actually outgrow the 250 "fast" is absolutely nuts. It took years of experience to put myself in a position to be able to outride the ninjette. The only thing you outgrow in short order is the 120mph~ish top speed.
People need to keep in mind that it isn't always about power and performance. Sometimes it's just what the person wants and I want one of the new 250's myself. If Kalee wasn't so hung up on Ducatis I'd try and snag a pair of them for us to put around on.
I agree with mak...
As a long-time motorcyclist (rode dirt-only in the '70s; finally got my street endorsement in 1982), I can remember when MANY people rode 250cc motorcycles. The two-strokes were the screamers, while the four-strokes were for people (like me) who didn't know how to replace pistons and rings on a regular basis. The Ninja250 is a modern engine; nothing fancy, but a generation ahead of the GS (liquid cooling, four-valves per cylinder)... Kawasaki has been selling them for a LONG time now, all over the world. The design is proven and damn near bulletproof. If I happened to weigh more than 250 pounds, I'd opt for the GS; my NEXT motorcycle will be a used 250 Ninja a friend has agreed to sell me when he buys his NEW (2008) Ninja250. In the meantime, he just picked up his 2008 Suzuki DR-Z400SM... He also owns a Honda enduro (XL), and a Suzuki Bandit 1200, so he's having fun no matter which one he happens to be riding on any given day.
You don't have to like the Ninja250, but it is an excellent motorcycle, and I wouldn't hesitate to ride one across the US tomorrow.
Quote from: jserio on April 05, 2008, 04:27:30 PM
well, i'm sure this will really piss you guys off. this is what i really am lusting after. :icon_mrgreen: :thumb:
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc104/kserio/1200Low2008.jpg)
not sure if you were just kidding or whatever. those look pretty good for a small framed guy/gal to ride. i tried sitting on one, and it just kind of disappeared. the hd i would like would be a road king. if someone else paid for it. and maintained it.
yes, i was serious about wanting that harley. but the main reason i figured the 250 would be better for me is purely based on price. i know many of you will scream to the heavens i should buy a used bike first. thanks for the input but this is probably the only time i'm gonna go against the advice of this board. :thumb: i want a new bike. i understand there is a great chance i'll drop it. i'm willing to take that chance. at least i'm not completely ubber squidly and saying i'm going to get a nice shiny new busa or zx-14 for my first bike. :laugh:
Well the biggest reason people tell you to start on a used bike IS because we know it'll most likely be dropped...but that's ultimately just a matter of how much money you want to spend. If you're comfortable with the potential cost then by all means, spend it. Money is all about what makes you happy.
don't worrry. when/if i do buy a shiny new bike, i'll be sure to post about it here. and if/when i do drop said shiny new bike, i'll also post that here. and feel free to say i told you so. :laugh: :thumb:
naaah man, we wont rag you, much lol most of us here have dropped our bikes, through moving incidents, or workshop mishaps. ( all count as droping bike btw) im liking that sportie tho. but i got another gs today so im VERY happy :icon_mrgreen: within a few months the john deere bike will emerge :icon_twisted:
:laugh: :thumb: congrats on the ride man!
btw maintenance costs on a harley are very minima, no matter what the haters say lol, i kinda like the ninjette myself, but not sure tho :dunno_white: all i have to do now is find an extra gs tank, plastics, and wheels front and rear. and a seat. tank and plastics are getting painted john deere green, wheels are gettign powder coated jd yellow, seat upholstered by me, jd yellow. and jd decals ( ebay) go on the tank , then i go race a car, after i beat it, i want to ask the driver, " how does it feel to be spanked by a john deere?"
:laugh: i was curious about the maint actually. i talked to a guy at the local HD dealership and he said that the newer bikes are actually built better, longer intervals for major jaint. the FI would be a plus. i'm torn actually. the lil ninjette is much, much cheaper in terms of out the door costs. and would probably use less fuel. hmmm..but you know, since i'm not getting it right away, i've got the time to debate. :laugh: geez. i was all set on the ninjette but i bought a house instead. so now i'm back to the drawing board, debating bikes. what should i set my eyes on? i've learned alot on here about bikes to start with, what to stay away from. i know that no matter what i get, i won't get in over my head. i just want to be happy with my purchase and get the best bang for my buck. i got a friend who owns a harley. he's probably the closest one to me that i'd be riding with when i do get a bike. he loves his bike. it's an 03. says it never gives him any problems. except when the bike is cold. :laugh: i'm a moron, i know. can't decide what i want. well, not really. i know what i want, i just don't know what i want. i got awhile to figure it out though. until then i'll just postwhore it up here and enjoy the company. :thumb: