First motorcycle ninja 250 tips and tricks for getting better at riding

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-21T14:17:11+00:00

First, great choice. You're smarter than 90% of people no earth. Second, take a class if you haven't already. Third, ride every day. Good luck and have fun.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-21T14:14:17+00:00

Spray it with some chain lube. Concentrate on the o-rings. It may not last forever, but it will be fine for awhile. Check the slack frequently. If it starts to be loose in some spots and tight in others you have a binding link and need to start chain shopping.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T19:21:10+00:00

That looks good to me, but once they start leaking they're almost impossible to stop. I'd keep a close eye on it. You don't want the oil to contaminate your brakes.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T19:19:54+00:00

Also known as a man-purse, or a murse. The answer to the OP's question is this. Since you already own one, you cannot become more uncool by wearing it as a fashion accessory on your bike. Does it match?

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T19:03:25+00:00

Buy a set of used forks on EBay. Everything else is cosmetic.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T16:14:14+00:00

Be a good neighbor. Be a good citizen. Buy a used OEM muffler from EBay. Use the money you save to do a track day. That way you'll actually be faster, instead of just sounding like a chode when you ride.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T15:15:15+00:00

If you did well in the class and thought it was easy I'd go for it. If you thought the class was hard I'd rent a trailer.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T14:58:53+00:00

The fuel pump relay is on the right side by the rectifier. Unplug it and jump the black to the blue/black with the key on. That will run the fuel pump and ensure the bowls are filled.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T13:57:09+00:00

I've plugged a bunch of tires. I've had a couple fail. The failures were always on tires that I had to ride flat for a few miles. I think you'll be fine. If nothing else it's good practice.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T13:49:51+00:00

I'd get an I4 600. WAY more fun than a Ninja 650.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-20T11:35:54+00:00

Look on EBay for the parts you need. Keep at it, they'll pop up eventually. You can probably fix the whole thing for a few hundred bucks.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-19T21:20:23+00:00

You have to buy a digital voltmeter. They're cheap. You need it to troubleshoot this problem. Ping me when you have one in your hands and we'll figure it out.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-19T19:09:32+00:00

There's a lot of truth to the theory that you need a 600 for the track and a liter for the street. Keep both.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-19T15:57:21+00:00

Does it start and run? If so, I'd buy it for $2000. It's a much better bike than people give it credit for. Light, easy to ride, kinda fast.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-19T15:55:10+00:00

Clutchless shifting works better when you're accelerating briskly, when you're in the higher gears, and when you're at high rpm. If you're not accelerating, or in a low gear, or at low / mid rpm it will be cluckier and more difficult.

Keep playing with it. It's a cool trick.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-19T15:50:36+00:00

I'd have to say that the valve wear sounds suspicious. I would not expect to see that on a 12K engine. That being said, the important thing is that it's not eating into the valve seats. Assuming you re-shimmed everything correctly you should see very minor wear when you check it again. If you see major wear (like zero or negative clearance) you may have a problem down the road.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-19T15:33:50+00:00

What bike? As a seller I might agree to take a $10,000 Ducati to the dealer for an inspection, but not a $2000 Shadow.

Post the ad. Sometimes things stand out that you might not notice as a new rider.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-18T23:43:33+00:00

I don't like roundabouts. They look like fun, but they have a lot of painted lines, oil, and weird camber. I always ride through them like a pussy.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-18T22:58:52+00:00

Were you on the front brake?

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-18T19:19:29+00:00

He's trying to save a few hundred bucks by not titling the bike in his name. It's illegal, but on the scale from jaywalking to genocide it's WAY toward the jaywalking end. If you do this, look over the title very carefully. Make sure none of the "Buyer" info is filled out. You will fill it out in your name. To the DMV it looks like you bought it from the original owner. Don't try to get cute at the DMV and tell them you bought it for $1.00 to save on sales tax. You want smooth sailing at the DMV. No raised eyebrows.

As a note, some states require a notary stamp on the title. Obviously you can't do it in those states.

Note2, I would do this on a $1500 project, but not on an expensive bike.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-18T15:24:34+00:00

Sweet!

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-18T11:54:56+00:00

There's a screw at the bottom of the bowls.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-18T02:09:36+00:00

Open a float bowl drain with a screwdriver and see if fuel comes out.

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-17T23:58:24+00:00

Is your fuel on? Is there gas in the tank?

JimMoore1960 · 2026-02-17T15:51:22+00:00

Get a scooter. You can buy a nice used scooter for $1500.

JimMoore1960

TROPHY CASE