Torrance, California, August 3, 2000
-- I recently graduated from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Program
and the EX 250 was the first bike I ever had the opportunity to ride on the
street under real circumstances. During the MSF course, we rode 125cc bikes
that had considerably less power. Fortunately, the bikes were very
forgiving -- as they should be.
I quickly found familiarity with the EX 250 that allowed
me to connect the experience to the bikes I rode in the MSF class. The
location of the lights, brakes, gear shifter and the clutch all had the
same feel as the MSF bikes, which is to say, they're easy to use.
From the beginning, I was very confident on the bike. The
change from a 125cc bike to a 250cc machine was easy and not at all scary
like I had thought it might be. I thought the added power would be hard to
control and I would be thrown off the bike once I hit second gear. On the
contrary, I found that the extra power gave me more stability when I was on
the road. And as for flipping the bike, that fear quickly dissolved.
Standard bungee-hooks, centerstand and excellent mileage
add value to an already great deal. My largest concern when riding this
bike was the front brake lever. I found the front brake was much more
sensitive on the EX 250 than on the bikes I learned with in the MSF course.
The increase in sensitivity gave me trouble the first few times I used the
brakes, and I realized that I had to change my braking technique.
The MSF course teaches you to use all four fingers to
actuate the front brake. However, using that technique caused me to
inadvertently lock the front brakes. Using just two of my fingers gave me
more sensitivity on the brakes, and adjusting to the new lever feel was
easy. Other than that minor personal adjustment, the EX was worry-free.
The EX carries a narrow profile in traffic, on the road
and when parking. In fact, the EX carries a narrow profile everywhere. On a
shallow level, here's the low-down on colors: Kawasaki will do whatever it
takes to keep the Kawasaki brand unique, but let me tell you that I would
not be caught dead buying this awful looking bike. The performance is there
and there might not be a better bike to learn on, but if you're looking for
something that will make you and your gear look good, look elsewhere!
This lime-green-mixed-with-purple body work and purple
rims harkens back to the big, bad hair '80s. Oh, but wait, Kawasaki makes
this bike in a Firecracker Red version. Thankfully, this color scheme is
much more appealing to the eye.
The EX 250 is a great bike for anyone that's just
starting out. And at my height, 5'6" the seat height is perfect: One of the
problems with the selection of bikes on the market is the height of the
seat. I found myself to be too short for most of my favorite bikes, such as
the Yamaha R6 and Honda Blackbird.
The fact that those bikes are way too much for me right
now is besides the point, of course. However with a seat height of only
29.3 inches, I was able to straddle the EX 250 easily. Here's an idea; if
more motorcycles were made with a lower seat height, they would be able to
attract more females and height-challenged riders. Not everybody is 6 feet
tall.
The number one question that most of my female friends
ask me about bikes is: "Aren't they heavy?" The EX 250 weighs a claimed 304
pounds, dry (that means it has no gas, oil or battery). But I found that
weight was never an issue. The bike is light enough for me to maneuver very
easily. I weigh about 125 pounds and am not very muscular, so if I can
handle this bike without breaking a sweat, you'll do fine, too. Dual disk
brakes and full-fairing hint at high performance antics.
A broken turn-signal lens and bent clutch lever. All
products of a sidestand that wasn't fully rider-deployed before releasing
the bike. A robust design ensures rideability after such minor learning
mishaps. Out on the open road, this Kawasaki is a great handling bike for
the beginning rider.
The power is a little weak, but this chassis will give
the beginning rider a great place to start building up their riding skills.
There isn't so much power that you'll start popping wheelies but there's
still enough so that you can pass cars pretty easily.
If you're looking for the sleek look of a race bike with
an awesome balance of color and design, this bike may not be for you. You
might end up like I did, saying, "this bike won't match anything in my
wardrobe!" But this motorcycle was never meant to compliment a rider's
wardrobe as much as it was designed to help a rider grow their skills. And
for that, this EX250 is hard to beat.
When we were done with the Openbikes, we traded the ZX-9R
for the EX 250. A fair trade I might add. The 250 handles remarkably well
for something that's been relatively unchanged for over 13 years. Its 248cc
dual-overhead cam engine revs so high that it seems to be on the verge of
exploding when riding it with the flow of traffic, but you quickly get used
to it. In fact, the bike makes doing simple things like U-turns and
moderate-speed residential riding seem to feel like a miniature race! You
can't help but feel like a hero when piloting it in the twisties.
Equipped with Kawasaki's UNI-TRAK rear suspension system,
the EX 250 was extremely stable when it came to pushing the envelope.
However, we found the non-adjustable rear shock to be too soft for
two-upping or serious corner-carving. The non-adjustable front forks were
compliant and we really didn't have any complaints about it until we had to
panic brake. Not only do the forks dive, you can actually bottom the front
fork out while braking hard! Not exactly a comfortable feeling, as then you
can begin to feel the tire flexing before an eminent lock-up.
Nevertheless, considering how little it costs, and how
long it has been in service, it's a strong package. Aside from the beginner,
who else can use this bike? It makes a great second bike for people who
want to break into sportbikes without the price-tag, or for those who don't
want to take out their big expensive machine to ride to the store. With an
approximate 190 mile range coming from its spacious 4.8 gallon tank,
commuters and sport riders alike will revel in its long range. All in all,
anybody can benefit from a bike like this.
Source
Motorcycle.com
