OMGSPROKETSLOLZ, does this sound like a good idea?

A friend of mine recently bought a 03 Ninja 250 and it really re-ignited the I-want-a-bike fire in me. As it was his first bike he's dropped it a few times, nothing real bad it just looks like it's been dropped. Fairings are scuffed a little, one of the clipons (handle bar things, my terminology may be a bit off) is tweaked, and one of the pipes is pretty scratched up. I've ridden it and it runs and rides great. Only has 6k miles on it.

So now that's he's got a few months of riding under his belt he wants to fix the cosmetic issues. He found a 06 Ninja 250 with a blown engine on craigslist he intends to buy. This bike is cosmetically and mechanically perfect aside from the engine. I told him I'd swap the engine from his current ugly bike into the newer pretty one if I could keep the old bike and the blown engine. Am I stupid? It looks like the swap should be pretty straight forward and I'd get a sort of free bike out of the deal. I've swapped engines in cars before so I bike should be really easy, right?

1. Swap engines on bikes
2. Get yelled at by wife when broken motorcycle doesn't leave with friend
3. Drink beer
4. Rebuild/replace broken engine
5. Drink beer
6. Drink beer
7. put engine back in ugly bike
8. Buy/fix bodywork and stuff
9. Play with bike till I get tired of 30hp rocket
10. Sell for profit, buy more beer and dinner for angry wife

Am I stupid?

/I'd really like a beer right now but I'm far to lazy to go to the store...

Oh yeah, I know this isn't the most cost-effective route to fix the bodywork on his bike but telling him to buy fairings doesn't get me a free(ish) bike.

Why not just swap the cosmetic parts from the '06 (Fairings, pipes, bars/levers) over to the known good running '03. That would seem to be a lot more foolproof than pulling a good running engine out of a perfectly good chassis. Unless he is dead set on his registration saying '06, this would be a quicker, easier route to what he presumably wants (a mechanically and cosmetically good bike). Since both are pre-redesign, the value won't be much different between an '03 or an '06 bike, and I personally would be more wary of an '06 bike with an '03 engine than an '03 bike with '06 fairings as a buyer.

your procces does not include enough beer

Well, switching the fairings does make more sense but nets me less free bike, unless he's willing to give me the 06 just for switching the bodywork out.

So step one should be "take all the pretty stuff of the new bike and swap with ugly stuff"?

Oh, some of the beer steps were omitted for the sake of me not looking like a drunk.

how about you take off the fairings and go naked?

pre-step #1

It's very, very important!

Buy Beer!!! lots...

then you can blame your decision of keeping the old bike on it.

Anyway you go, you really can't go wrong with the Ninja 250, though the less you weigh the better.

I had one as my first real motorcycle. Easy to work on and to get parts for with lots of well documented support online.

You want a Ninja 250 and you have to ASK if you are stupid? Come on dude, get a 600 at least. Its fun to keep up with traffic!

That being said, switch the plastics. Its easier, cheaper, faster, and the end result is better with less chance of hackery or problems.

Otherwise for bodywork take a look at Airtech. www.airtech-streamlining.com Its good stuff.

1. Swap plastics to '03.
2. Keep '06
3. Rebuild engine, run the '06 naked.
4. ?????
5. Profit

DILYSI Dave wrote: 1. Swap plastics to '03. 2. Keep '06 3. Rebuild engine, run the '06 naked. 4. Drink Beer 5. Profit

I fixed it...but there might need to be another ???? Step in there somewhere.

Also...don't forget the half steps...most of them are beer...though some could be other alcoholic beverages of choice...

Clem

HOOLIGAN BIKE !!!

It's a sport bike with no plastic and taller, sit up bars. Get the bike sans plastic and rebuild the engine OR do some homework and find what other engine may fit in that cradle. Perhaps a 450 Ninja Hooligan is in your future.

Dan

A Ninja 250 can keep up with traffic just fine, with a 0-60 time under 6 seconds. (What traffic are you trying to keep up with, Formula 1?)

Skruffy, that's a good starter bike, and I'm going to break with the mold and say that swapping the '03 motor into the '06 shouldn't pose any trouble for you. Detach the chain, a dozen or so wires, a handful of bolts, and it should come right out.

Definitely make your friend buy a service manual.. or buy one yourself and keep it.

Either way you do it, here's some inspiration: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/I_want_to_make_my_bike_into_a_streetfighter.

Whats the 100-160 time on a Ninja 250?

ClemSparks wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: 1. Swap plastics to '03. 2. Keep '06 3. Rebuild engine, run the '06 naked. 4. Drink Beer 5. Profit

I fixed it...but there might need to be another ???? Step in there somewhere. Also...don't forget the half steps...most of them are beer...though some could be other alcoholic beverages of choice... Clem

wait .. more steps drink beer.. swap wife Ride into the sunset!

Ok, so you must be trying to keep up with some pretty extreme traffic...

It sounds like a good plan, just as long as you allow enough time between the beer drinking and the riding.

93gsxturbo wrote: Whats the 100-160 time on a Ninja 250?

Um, same as most other bikes. Eternity. In one of these:

93gsxturbo wrote: Whats the 100-160 time on a Ninja 250?

Same as a Ninja 500: never. Top speed of a 500 is about 118 - 135mph. The Ninja 250 will do about 100mph. (Plus, as Josh brought up, going 100-160 on public roads on a motorcycle is about the dumbest thing a human being can do...)

Uhmmm yeah....I had my ex500 at 105.....

that was stupid. empty clean highway. but no....

What kind of gas mileage do they get?

My brother has a Ninja 250 - it gets somewhere around 75 mpg.

93gsxturbo wrote: Whats the 100-160 time on a Ninja 250?

The Ninja 250 accelerates at the same rate of a Hayabusa (when you drive it off of a cliff).

MitchellC wrote:

93gsxturbo wrote: Whats the 100-160 time on a Ninja 250?

The Ninja 250 accelerates at the same rate of a Hayabusa (when you drive it off of a cliff).

Which is only marginally more dangerous than running the 'Busa wide open on a public road :)

No, you're not stupid. I'd take the body work off of both and double check the wiring harni to ensure that there were no changes (though I don't know of any). Then, it won't be too may bolts, and wires. Have fun, and I'd recommend turning your Ninja 250 into a streetfighter. Much less expensive than body work.