Why not a Ninja 250?

[Duc L'Smart]

I'm after technique, not speed

Is that a request from Miss E ?!?!?!?

[UnionJill]

I'm after technique, not speed although speed would be nice I like the cheap factor of the ninja

Don't know much on this subject from the bike perspective, but here is my .02 looking at it from the car world.

If you are truly after technique, be careful of going too cheap.  You could go with the cheap bike with cheap components and learn how to wring absolutly everything you can out of that bike.  But in doing so you might develop some bad habits out of necessity , to work around the limitations, or you get to because of the components (i.e. not learning throttle control because it has no power, or braking control because of poor brakes).

Your technique may have improved some, but you have to un-learn so much when you move up to the next bike.  We see this so much in the car world that a driver can only drive one type of crap box well, you put them in a decent car and they can't do anything...

I think it would be better to go with some of the more rounded, mid-price range bikes that are well known for building technique and not bad habits...

just my opinion.  (and the answer is NO!...You can't use my Triumph as you track bike no matter what 'spoke says... [moto])

[UnionJill]

Is that a request from Miss E ?!?!?!?

[♣ McKraut ♣]

but he can use this one  http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mcy/1678754072.html

[Jester]

UnionJill's post is spot on to a large degree.  As far as SV's go, they aren't exactly all that powerful... a little more than my S2R had and so many people track them and crash them that there is a bevy of parts out there in case you bin it.  The only thing you'll improve ( and you may not ) on the Ninja is corner speed out of pure necessity, but there is no reason you can't gain that same improvement on a more rounded bike that will last you a lot longer.

[webspoke]

but he can use this one  http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mcy/1678754072.html

Small world, that belongs to a buddy of the new owner of my Hyper. 

[Spidey]

I wouldn't get a 250 as a track bike unless your budget doesn't allow anything else.   I raced a 250 for two seasons.  Fun as hell, but not the best learning tool.  

The brakes suck.  The suspension is absolute dogshit.  The clearance is non-existent (exacerbated by the dogshit suspensino).  The ergos are so tight that they prevents you from learning proper body position and from being comfortable.  The frame is crap.  You literally can feel it wobble underneath you in turns, and the people following you will tell you that your bike looks like it is going to break in half. The engine is so gutless that it's actually a bit of a hindrance to learning corner speed and/or trail braking.  You'll also teach yourself to lose throttle control as the bike only operates at WFO.  Pre-'08 bikes have 16" wheels, which means you can't get DOT race rubber.  While the 16" rubber is ok (i.e. you can still crank the bike over), it has absolutely no feel and will hinder how much you learn from the bike.  

Sure, you can cure a lot of that stuff with aftermarket, but even my racebike--rearsets, clip-ons, aftermarket shock, fork internals, 17" weld-up wheels, built motor, full exhaust, rejeted, regeared--makes only a serviceable trackbike.  There's a lot to making a slow bike go fast, but there are better tools out there if you wan to learn.  That said, the bike is really forgiving.  You can make mistakes on the 250 that will cause you to crash on a bigger and better bike.  

If you want something with less power, get something with real suspension and a frame and real rubber.  A two-stroke or an upgraded SV or something like that.

[junior varsity]

why not track your S4R?

[UnionJill]

why not track your S4R?

it's too pretty 

[junior varsity]

pfff. he's got spare motorcycles.

[muskrat]

Small world, that belongs to a buddy of the new owner of my Hyper. 

that is just like Sue's bike.  I might have to do it just to piss her off 

[muskrat]

Is that a request from Miss E ?!?!?!?

You may ride faster but you will never beat me in that department.  
She didn't marry me because of my "sensible" personality hippie boy.

[muskrat]

it's too pretty 

quit hitting on me, you're a married woman.  stop drinking now woman.

[TresGatos]

[

...there is something inside me that wants to have a cheap piece of shit I can just flail away on... 
[/quote]
that's one thing I sure miss about my Suzuk 650 Dualsport.
Drop it on dirt, wind blow it over when parked. Just try
to break it!  Straighten the front wheel so the handlebars
are not too askew and off you go jumpin curbs and
sh1t [moto]
hmmm.....

[muskrat]

the way I see it it's the psychological part first.  lean lean lean lean break break break and most of all timing.  I'm no track whore but I hope to be soon.  Therefore I added up the monies and the Ninja will be perfect to start with because it doesn't pain me to pay 2k for a bike that's worth just that and half the cost was the previous owners pride getting in the way.  I've been on my old Monster and loved it but can't bring myself to spending 6k plus just yet but I will.  I'm starting at the bottom here and the sv's are one of them to two ninjas.  I can crash the ninja and walk away and still have another bike. 

Right now I'm not concerned about anything other than the most basic, the rest will come and then but only then I'll race Marty for pinks.  I felt like it on the Hico run at times.  I did keep up with the first group on one section but after that I withdrew to my normal 90-100 mph style.