I%26#039;m a small woman, 5%26#039;1, 98 lbs. I have a older EX500 ninja and unless I have a parking spot on a slant I have to get off my bike to push it out of the parking lot which is kind of annoying, I never can push it backwards with my feet, I can touch the ground but I can%26#039;t put both feet on the ground flat footed. I know the 250 is lighter so do you think this will make a difference? I haven%26#039;t rode my bike much, I%26#039;m a new rider, but people say the 250cc is to slow.|||I like gutter girl%26#039;s answer. She sounds like she is in a similar situation to yours and thus can speak from experience.
I ride cruisers, not sport bikes, and in general they sit lower. Seat height is more of a manufacturer%26#039;s design thing then an engine size thing. I have a Hyosung 250 cruiser that sits just as high as my V-Star 1100. Actually, I should say that the other way around... my 1100 sits as low as my 250. At 5%26#039;9%26quot;, I have no trouble reaching the floor on either. At 170lbs, I have no trouble wielding the weight of the 250 but the 1100 taxes me (I know from the one time I dropped it when my foot slipped out from underneath me).
I do not like the idea of lowering kits. The bike was set by the manufacturer to that height for a reason. If you have to resort to lowering it, then you%26#039;re on the wrong bike. There are plenty of different makes and models to choose from. You%26#039;ll find one that fits you perfectly. Just keep searching, and btw... it need not be brand new off the showroom floor. 250s are easy to find on the resale market. A lot of people use them for one year to learn on and then trade up, so deals on used 250%26#039;s can always be found.
But it sounds like the crux of your problem is with the weight. Now THAT IS an engine size thing. The bigger the engine the more the bike will weigh. So for this reason I think you would be well served to move to a 250cc.
BTW, the Johnny Pag chopper suggestion is a good one. It would be a neat bike for you to check out, if that%26#039;s your style.|||i ride a honda rebel 250 .. i%26#039;m 5%26#039; 1/2%26quot; and over 50 yrs... this is my first year and i%26#039;m finding it a great bike to mauver... i have no problem going 90 km per hour. eventhough i find 80 just fine LOL... Report Abuse
|||I%26#039;ve been a mechanic for 15years and I don%26#039;t think I have ever come across something that I couldn%26#039;t take care of myself. If you are having problems touching the ground why don%26#039;t you just buy a lowering kit for your bike and you won%26#039;t have to spend 8 grand on it either|||The 250 is the best bike for you, no question.|||Maybe you should get a Johnny Pag Spyder 300. The seat is 23 inches tall and you should be able to have both feet firmly on the ground, and it weighs 360 pounds. I have one and I love it. It is 300 cc and it is not that expensive. It cost me $4,560 dollars. If you can find the 250 cc model it will probably be a lot cheaper.
Check it out at ( http://www.johnnypag.com/ ).|||I would probably stick with the bike you have. I%26#039;m taller than you by an inch and heavier too, and I couldn%26#039;t push the ninja 250 backwards with my feet.
You might be stronger than me, though. Maybe you could go to a dealer and test ride one? That way you%26#039;d know for sure.|||keep the 500 and buy a lowering kit. if u need to pick up the bike: turn you%26#039;re body so your back is facing the seat
bend down
one hand on handlebars
one hand on the back
lift with your legs
it doesn%26#039;t matter what weight u r, as an adult, to do this procedure.|||I%26#039;m 5%26#039;7%26quot; and I love my EX250 Ninja. It doesn%26#039;t have a ton of power, but just like you, I only ride it to and from school and around town, so it definitely does the trick. I have no problem backing it up or handling the weight. I think that if you are still trying to get the hang of it, get a used 250 and learn how to handle the bike. Then in a year or whenever, move up in cc%26#039;s if you want to or you%26#039;re more experienced. That%26#039;s what I plan to do. Or the 250 might just be right for you and you can keep it as long as you want. I%26#039;de try to find someone who has one so you can try it out and see if it is all that different from the 500. If it is, go get one and enjoy!|||if you want the EX250 it will do anything you can legally do on a public access road. (to include freeway riding)
they are a little smaller, and is the only %26quot;sporty-standard%26quot; sold in the US. the nighthawk250 is a standard bike, but it doesn%26#039;t have the benifits the EX250 has.
not to mention... I have yet to find a bike that has such a loyal following, or has this much support ( http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Main_Page )
the EX250 is a %26quot;high-rev%26quot; bike, but it shouldn%26#039;t take too long to get used to it. it red-lines at 14,000 (new ones, old ones are higher) and for the most part the engine seems happiest at about 9,000 RPM. with a 0-60 in 5.1 sec (kawasaki brochure and ninja250.com). so the little bike has grunt, but few people get use to the fact that it is a rev-happy engine, unlike its much bigger cousins.
you can pick up a used one for about $2500 in most cases, a new one is a hair above $3,000
keep the shiny up.|||No. Previously enjoyed EX-500R with worn in springs equals a seat height of 29.8 inches. New EX-250R equals 29.3 inch seat height plus $4,000. Too much money for one half of an inch. I would look into taking out a half inch of seat cushion or cutting a half inch of springs before pricing a new bike. There must be a DIY shorty kit made available for just your size.
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Well since you already shaved the seat, scratch that idea. I do not have much experience with this lowering kit myself, but it appears to relocate the shocks for a shorter ride height, hopefully it comes with directions. Having it a couple inches lower to the ground may not only make it feel more balanced but you will have your feet in firm place to control it better from dropping. However, if you feel that weight is the main issue then you can shed 90 pounds with the EX-250R.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...
*/End of Line.|||Get the 250.|||If you are willing to spend all the money in taxes, tags, etc. just to trade down why not just buy lowering links for the 500? They are fairly easy to install, just need a small car jack, a friend or a bike stand, and the proper tools to deal with the bolt. I%26#039;ve done it to my 600 email me if you go this route I can tell you how.|||Before you spend any money on another bike, go to bike shops...different ones with different makes of bikes. Sit on every bike that is remotely close to what you want, see if you can flat foot the ground and move the bike while sitting on it. Be patient, eventually, you will find the right one! That is how I ended up with my Honda Shadow, I love it!!
Also, I am not sure if you are already doing this...but, get some leg strengthening exercises in daily. Build up your leg muscles, that will help!|||My wife and I just recently purchased two Kawasaki%26#039;s. Ninja 250 and a Vulcan 500. I am 5%26#039;2%26quot;, 110 - 115 lbs, and I am the one with the Vulcan 500. My wife is the one with the Ninja 250, and she is about 5%26#039;5%26quot; (she won%26#039;t tell me her current weight - teeheehee). She doesn%26#039;t have any problems with either bike. I think that you should go sit on a 250 at the dealership and see where your feet lie. I am not so sure that your reach will improve a whole lot especially since the difference in seat height is only 1.2 inch (30.5 in - 500, 29.3 in - 250), but you never know. Additionally, the 500 is 84lbs heavier than the 250, so that could assist in your ability to control the bike in difficult situations. I personally don%26#039;t like the %26#039;crotch rockets%26#039;, but I have ridden on hers a couple times and found that I could move it, but there was still a degree of difficulty when sitting on an angle and if there are small loose rocks present due to my height of 5%26#039;2%26quot;. My Vulcan 500 has the seat lower than the Ninja (28.1 in), so that helps me maneuver it a little easier even though the Vulcan is 135 lbs heavier. Considering that you%26#039;re not worrying about getting on the highway or anything like that, I would say that as long as you go sit on one and are comfortable with it, it sounds like it would be a safer and wise choice for you to %26#039;downgrade%26#039;. The only issue I foresee is that you MAY decide the 250 is too small for you. This is the issue my wife is currently having. We purchased these bikes only a month and a half ago, and are already looking into %26#039;upgrading%26#039;. Keep in mind that she%26#039;s 4 inches taller than you, and just needed to get back ON a bike after being off of them since teenage to low twenties (15+ years), but she did have experience, and as the saying goes, %26quot;It%26#039;s just like riding a bike%26quot;. Once you become a more experienced rider, that extra power MAY be something you desire. Another thing you will find is that, as your experience increases, your comfort level increases, and your desires of what you want and need in a bike CAN change. Prior to making any change, do all the research you can on the bikes you may or may not be interested in. You may find that a bike you never would have looked at, or the one you were considering getting rid of, is suddenly, exactly what you want. Hope this helps.|||well yeah in general the 250 is to slow but since your just riding around campus it%26#039;ll probably do just fine. As long as you don%26#039;t need to go over 50 mph the 250 should be ok and will also be lighter and smaller and therefore easier to flatfoot and push around.|||Another vote for the 250. Definitely enough bike for you then|||you will be dissapointed with the power of the 250.
how big of a deal is it really to get off the bike to back it up.
not much. IMO, and its probably safer too.
keep the 500
I let a friend ride my bike, and he was backing up with his feet and backed off the driveway onto wet grass and his foot slipped and he dropped my bike. argh!
I usually get off mine to back it up, and I%26#039;m 6%26#039;|||I would just keep what you have, it wont be long to you adjust to it... You%26#039;ll be happier in the long run
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