Redesigning the Ninja 500

Well, it's certainly nice that Kawasaki finally redesigned the Ninja 250. I'm hoping the sales figures they're seeing from the New Ninja 250 sales will encourage them to redesign the Ninja 500 as well, a bike many hail as one of the most practical starter bikes around, but also one of the ugliest 80's body design hold-overs out there. I think Kawasaki is going to ride the Ninja 250 redesign for at least a few years before they redesign the Ninja 500, so they don't cannibalize sales. When do you think they're going to finally redesign the Ninja 500?

I don't think they will. Also, it's really nice of them to bring the 2009 model in with NO changes except for a $500 increase in MSRP.

I'm pretty sure the Ninja 650 is replacing the 500.

I bought a 2008 250R for my wife as a starter bike, and fell in love with the thing. I would love to pick up a redesigned 500 as a second bike for me, but everyone I've talked too says it is highly unlikely to happen. The 500 Ninja cannot be sold in multiple markets due to emissions levels, and a complete engine redesign is too costly for a bike with such a small following and profit margin. I'd love to see the market for smaller engines pick up, but I think I'll just have to pick up the 650R.

Schneiderman, I think you might be right on the money, especially with wmg1299's comments about manufacturing and emissions standards. I hadn't really thought about it that way, but it certainly makes sense. I guess time will tell.

if you really want the best bag for your buck, i'd go with the aprilia RS125, that is, if you can find one in the U.S. i got my hands on one and i was able to register it as a michigan motorcycle with no problems. it revs high(17000 redline) its quick, looks very good, and get around 70mpg, and can keep up on the highways.

if you really want the best bag for your buck, i'd go with the aprilia RS125, that is, if you can find one in the U.S. i got my hands on one and i was able to register it as a michigan motorcycle with no problems. it revs high(17000 redline) its quick, looks very good, and get around 70mpg, and can keep up on the highways.

Markthehippie, it is a pretty good looking bike. I guess I never looked at it because I've primarily looked at the USA sites. You say the Aprilia RS 125 is the best bang for your buck. If it gets 70mpg and will do highway well, it sure sounds like a good bet. But, assuming I could find one in the US, what would I be looking to pay for it? I know the Ninja 250 is readily available and has an MSRP below $4K and has twice the displacement of the Aprilia RS 125. Also, do you have any idea where I would find one?

How many CC's is the Apilia? Is that really a 125 or is that just part of the name?

Oh yea and I have a newbie question, what exactly did you mean by the 250 has twice the displacement of the Aprilia?

How many CC's is the Apilia? Is that really a 125 or is that just part of the name?

Oh yea and I have a newbie question, what exactly did you mean by the 250 has twice the displacement of the Aprilia?

It's not just part of the name, the Aprilia 125 is a 125cc bike no sold in the U.S. The Kawasaki Ninja is a 250cc bike. Since 250 is twice 125, the 250 has twice the displacement of the 125.

I'm sure there are very complicated technical definitions of engine displacement, but roughly, the number of ccs refers to the total volume of the inside of the cylinders in a vehicle. Cars usually describe displacement in liters because they tend to be bigger, and bikes usually describe using cubic centimeters (cc) since they're smaller. Naturally, the more ccs, the bigger potential there is for a bike to have more power. I say potential because a variety of things influence how much power a bike has, like how many cyliners there are, how a bike is tuned etc. Those things also affect where you get that power. For example, a two cylinder 600cc engine will probably give you more power at lower revs/speeds, while a four cylinder 600cc engine will probably give you more power a higher revs/speeds.

I hope that helps, and anyone who knows more than I is free to correct anything I may have mis-explained.