Ridden: Kawasaki Ninja 250R

IT may be small, but it's big in the US and now it's destined to make an impact over here. America's best-selling Kawasaki is the 250R Ninja which has just been introduced to the UK market and it couldn't have arrived at more apt time.

The credit crunch, rising fuel costs and increasing traffic congestion are enticing more and more new bikers to the fold. But what should you buy when your limited experience and funds won't stretch to a shiny new superbike?

A baby-Ninja

Cue this tidy little quarter-litre Kwak, priced at a reasonable £3,299. Not only that, its 249cc parallel twin engine is a frugal lump and stretching a tank of fuel to over 250 miles isn't beyond the realms of possibilities, nor is 71mpg ... depending of course on how you ride it.

And ride it you will: there's no doubt this neat Ninja will appeal predominantly to newer riders, and that the low seat height and easy handling will encourage women and shorter riders to climb on board. But after I spent a day ragging around the countryside, with a generous motorway stint added for good measure, it was clear that this is a very versatile bike.

Looks

First of all, it doesn't even look like a 250. Back in the days of Afro hair-dos, flares and Fizzies, 250cc bikes were skinny, smelly two-stroke screamers. Fast forward 30-odd years and this 250 is as friendly to the environment as it is to the rider, plus it looks every inch as sporty as the bigger bikes it mimics.

The lack of 250 stickers plastered to the slender bodywork is no accident and only adds to the fun factor. After slicing through a sea of red tail lights, I'd pulled up at a junction beside a blazing orange Z750. The guy looked way too cool for school with his open-faced lid and dark shades, but I could tell he was checking me out, and not in a wanna-go-for-a-drink? way. He was more interested in the bike than me and couldn't take his eyes off it. Not that I could see his beadies behind his Gucci's but I just know he was looking for clues. It's new, it's fast enough, but what exactly is it?

Performance

It wasn't long before I'd found the measure of the bike and it is impressive.

Maximum power is 33bhp, but the delivery is cleaner than a housewife with OCD. There's no racy power band, just a steady, linear progression until the needle's firmly buried in the red zone, which sits at an indicated 13,000rpm but the engine spins until nearer the 14K mark. The acceleration is sufficiently charged to keep you out of trouble, but not sharp enough to steep you in it (generally speaking).

For flat-out top speed, I really needed to forfeit a week's dinners and be a head shorter, but triple figures are achievable and holding a steady, legal limit is a walk in the park. Town riding is just as easy. Not only is the motor smooth, it's also forgivable, so you can scrub down to under 30mph in sixth gear and still pull away without the bike chugging like a tractor.

Pros and cons

The 250R Ninja is hard to fault. The handling is light and neutral with an agility that encourages you to ride, rather than merely travel, and keeping the engine whine consistent as you sweep through bends is addictive. The petal disc brakes are strong without being snatchy, which is ideal for beginners and the turning circle's so good, the handlebars brushed my knees on full lock.

If you're interested in two wheels for the very first time, this is great option because it's not only a capable bike it its own right, it looks the part and it'll give you the tools you need to move up to a bigger machine in a way that riding a big scooter won't, gear changing and clutch control being the most obvious and useful.

Of course it's not really built with my lofty dimensions in mind, and yes, it does feel a bit small but it's also natural, uncramped and hardly uncomfortable. It looks like a sports bike for sure, but the riding position is more sensible. It's aimed at urban riding and ease of use rather than ragging round the streets with dodgy delusions about being a teenage Rossi. It's a grown up 250, for grown up bikers.

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