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Posts: 83
Casino Cash: $250
Sportbike: 2007 Pearl White CBR 600RR
newbie questions
i've had my bike (2006 ninja 250) since monday morning and today is the first time i actually finished work early enough to take it on the road with moving cars. it was kind of scary at first but then i started to get the hang of it.
my question is, how to you keep the rpms below 4,000? it says that for the first 500 miles i have to keep it under 4,000. the first day i actually rode it i only went up and down my street a couple of times and i didn't have a problem keeping it under 4,000. but when i took it out today, the fastest i could go was around 40 without having the rpms go over 4,000. it seems like i'm so preoccupied with looking at my tach, that i can't concentrate on what i learned in class.
i also have another question about that foam-like back protector thing in my a* tstunt jacket. when i sat on my bike it came up and hit the back of my helmet. is it ok to take it out or should i put it back in?
i have many more questions, but i'll start off with those. thanks in advance for the help.
If you are in top gear and it won't stay under 4k, then I guess you can't go any faster right now if you want to follow the break-in rules. I've never ridden a Ninja 250, so I can't say if it's possible to stay under 4k going at highway speeds. I'm kind of thinking not, but I could be wrong.
BB, can you say?
Honestly, you really shouldn't be focusing so much attention on your tach if you are learning to ride while in faster traffic. Maybe you can stay on less populated roads with lower speed limits for now, at least until the break-in period is over and you get more comfortable riding in traffic.
How much is your back protecter getting in the way of your helmet? Does it prevent you from moving your head around? If not, don't worry about it. If so, maybe the jacket is too big?
You might be able to find a smaller back protector to replace the foam one with, which would also offer more protection than the foam one can. Or, I wonder if you could cut the top of the foam one down a bit?
The back protector that came with my mesh jacket hits the back of helmet sometimes too. But you get used to it after a while.
The back protector I wear under my leathers for track days is a real pain in the neck (literally) and the top of it jams into the back of helmet so I have a hard time holding my head up. I need to get a smaller one.
Posts: 83
Casino Cash: $250
Sportbike: 2007 Pearl White CBR 600RR
thanks acalliste.
i took the bike out again on saturday and didn't pay so much attention to the rpms. keeping it under 5,000 was a lot easier to keep up with traffic. it was way more fun my second day on the road and i can't wait until saturday when i can go riding again. after the break in period, what is the normal shift point? i'm used to shifting at 3,000 - 4,000 in my car but since the redline is way higher on my bike i'm guessing maybe i should shift way higher.
as for the jacket, i think i solved that problem by ordering a new jacket with a smaller looking back protector. i didn't realize wearing overpants, jacket, helmet, and gloves would be so hot...especially having to put that on after playing 2 softball games. i was sweating so much, my shorts were soaked when i got home but i still had fun while i was moving.
Since I have no experience with your bike, I can't really say much about shift points. But I always kind of shift by what I hear and how fast I want to go. If I'm trying to get going faster, I'll shift later. If I'm just putting along I shift whenever. I don't think you want to shift at redline, unless you really want to get going in a hurry... drag racing maybe?
Riding in hot weather in full gear can suck, but it's better than going down without it. Just make sure you drink lots of water. It's amazing how much dehydration can slow your mind down. And that can be dangerous.
Good job on your progress. Sounds like you are having fun!
Breaking in a new bike...there are many debates on this topic. Some say go ahead and ride it like you stole it, others do not. I broke in my R6 by following the OEM recommendations. But on my race bike I do not. I give it a few heat cycles and then we are good to go.
The whole idea behind the break-in period is to seat the rings properly. One thing that I have heard that is consistant across the board is to vary the rpm of the motor. You do not want to have the motor running at the same level all the time. If it were me (but this is just me. Do what you feel comfy with), I would take it up to 55/60 mph here and there. I would run up and down the gears to keep varying the rpm. So lets say I am in town and the speed limit is 25 mph. The bike may run comfortably in third gear. I would shift into fourth....ride for a bit.....down shift to third.....ride for a bit....repeat. I am by no means a mechinic or an expert I can only tell you what has worked for me.
Keeping the ninja 250 under 4k rpm seems pretty ridiculous. That bike is made to rev high and to get anything out of it means you have to have the motor screaming at all times. I know there would be no possible way I would be able to keep it under 4k rpm for the first 500 miles. What I will say though, is make sure you get that first oil change per the recommendations....I believe my R6 was 600 miles. I also know that if you take it above 4k here and there....you will NOT break it. Many racers I know gave me grief for babying my R6 during break in. In fact they recommended that I take to 10-12k here and there. It didn't hurt my bike.
In the end it's your call. Ask 10 people what they recommend and they will give you 10 different answers. Do what seems to make sense to you. And if you do go past that 4k limit, your bike will be ok! Most importantly vary the RPM when riding and make that first oil change on schedule. I hope this helps a bit.
i've had my bike (2006 ninja 250) since monday morning and today is the first time i actually finished work early enough to take it on the road with moving cars. it was kind of scary at first but then i started to get the hang of it.
my question is, how to you keep the rpms below 4,000? it says that for the first 500 miles i have to keep it under 4,000. the first day i actually rode it i only went up and down my street a couple of times and i didn't have a problem keeping it under 4,000. but when i took it out today, the fastest i could go was around 40 without having the rpms go over 4,000. it seems like i'm so preoccupied with looking at my tach, that i can't concentrate on what i learned in class.
i also have another question about that foam-like back protector thing in my a* tstunt jacket. when i sat on my bike it came up and hit the back of my helmet. is it ok to take it out or should i put it back in?
i have many more questions, but i'll start off with those. thanks in advance for the help.
out of curiosity why did you buy a brand new bike as your first bike?
I don't know; with me I shift when I feel the bike hit a certain rpm. Being new at riding it, it'll take a bit to figure it out. Also, checking the tach while trying to navigate the bike thru traffic can be deadly as a new rider, so IMO I'd just take it out on a quieter stretch of road and get used to how it feels, and how it sounds.
__________________ I didn't do it, you didn't see me do it, and you can't prove a thing!
I bought a ninja250 in january and the break in was a great time to get used to the bike but for the first 500 miles I couldn't go over 35mph. It quickly became a pain but I stayed on backroads so I wouldnt get run over.After the first 500 you can go about 55 til you top 1000 miles. Its worth it to follow breakin instructions. Enjoy it
__________________ Ice
Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you're up to
I don't know the break-in schedule for the Ninja 250, but I've been riding my Nephew's here & there, and with it's high-revving engine, at least after break-in, it doesn't seem to make sense to shift below about 7.5-8k RPM. Redline on the bike is 14k or so.
After your break-in period is over I'd shift between 7-9k rpm. Sure seems strange to me after years of riding vintage 2-strokes that shift around that range; this is the first really high-revving 4-stroke I've ever ridden.
They're great bikes!
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The Hell of the Memory is the heaven of pain
RIP Allen Wayne Welch 12-6-61 - 9/11/04
Wear real helmets--& maybe you won't end up like him
Sorry to be the Y chromosome crashing the party here...I was doing a search for tank protectors and stumbled across this thread...
I also just bought a 2006 Ninja 250 as my first bike...I bought it in Rye NH which almost 60 miles from where I live...how do you think I had to get it home? I pissed down 101 from Rye to Merrimack doing about 65-70mph...anything less and I would have been a blue splat on the highway! (First time ever riding in traffic also....pretty nerve wracking) was inbetween 6-8k rpms the whole way
I had some concerns about the break in period also...the tech who road tested my bike said that Kawasaki puts the 4k limit on all their bikes which is pretty unrealistic...he said just don't wind it out over 10K and the bike will be just fine for the first 500-1000 miles...since I have it here in town now I just cruise locally keeping it at about 40-45 in 5th gear...rpms usually about 5K at that speed.....a co-worker who also bought a 250 was told that 6K rpms for the first 500, 8k until 1000.
As was said above ask 5 peeps on break in you may get 5 different answers and let's face it.....by the time any issues pop up that be related to a bad break in(if it even happens) you'll probably have traded the bike in on something bigger.
Why a brand new bike for the first bike? Well like she said, used 250's are very far and few between and for 3 grand you get a brand new bike
Posts: 83
Casino Cash: $250
Sportbike: 2007 Pearl White CBR 600RR
in my second week of ownership i actually just ignored trying to keep it within the break in range and just rode. i was thinking exactly what Goose said and will probably not keep this bike for super long time. hopefully by next year i will develop enough skills to move on to a ninja 650 or gsxr 600 or at least something that doesn't sound so much like a lawn mower.
my next question is, how do you go over speed bumps? not those nice smooth ones, the ones that are like 2 x 4's stuck to the ground. i was going up my parking structure at work and i slowed down to go over a speed bump and i guess i slowed too much so after i made it over i had to put my foot down and i slowly laid down my bike. there wasn't much damage, just scratches to the clutch lever and the end of the handlebar. the only really bad thing that happened was i kept trying to start it and killed the battery and couldn't get it started until the next morning. but now i know to not try to start my bike excessively.
newbie questions
Most importantly vary the RPM when riding and make that first oil change on schedule. I hope this helps a bit.
P O S S E***circa April 2005
Ice 
