you are going to be disappointed when moto3 comes up with 250cc of single cylinder sports category
160kmph on the track may not be "too" sporty but sporty it is
You always have to start small and work your way upwards on the track and hence even 125cc and 150cc have their own tournaments and circuit racing programms going on.

Aint gonna say Ninja250R > CBR250R or vice versa. For I havent ridden one of the above and untill then If I am to say anything then I would be speaking, like you, out of personal liking and partiality
Till then...the fact that one is a single pot and the other is a twin pot and that one produces 7HPs lesser than the other, is information good enough to know what is to be expected of the two bikes.

No offence meant and i hope i aint being rude either.

Please do ride on the track and you'll see how sporty it can get even at 60mph. Its not about straight line speeds... any noob can catapult to 2 ton's in a straight line.

Riding hard on the track even at 60mph / 100 kmph does require oodles of skill. It's lap times that matter on the track.

One real life example... one of the track days in chennai, during the bike sessions, a group C RX was creaming the bigger bikes like R1's and Honda's on the track (on the turns) but on the straights it was the liter bikes that ruled. At one point, the Group C yammie was lapping the liter class bikes (was leading by more than a lap.. almost). and the rider was throwing the bike around which needed tons of skill. On the other hand, the sbk's were ridden by equally skilled folks but their bikes aren't as nimble as the grp C bike.

P.S. Even on the highways, 100mph / 160kmph is nerve racking for me.. off late at least... thanks to so many suicidal people and animals.

+1
The comparison is very vague at this point of time especially(when the official figures are not yet announced). We cant make the two bikes stand next to each other in the same class/category. Ninja is powered by 2 cylinder, 8 valves and the other powered by a single cylinder, 4 valve CBR 250.

+1

Nice one Adi.

Ooohh, looks like I have stepped on someone's toes here. Lets get things into perspective please! We are still talking about the Ninja 250R and CBR 250R aren't we?

Regarding moto3, its all good, I have seen the even the underbones taking part in races and I believe even that can be fun but too noisy)! Lets not talk about moto.. is the Ninja going there?

That makes this whole thread useless, doesn't it? No one who has replied here or has given any opinion is partial then . I have no liking to any brand, as I said price Ninja 30k more than the CBR I'll still go for it :P

And for the 7hp more, also look at the torque by the CBR250R approximately 20% more than the Ninja 250. Does it feel like a leveler? So far the comparison is all on paper (and the comparative power/torque charts available).

Ninja is good, but at its price its doing nothing what it could have. CBR250R and the newer ones that would come into the market will define this segment.

Next point!...
Trying not to sir
If you are asking me to ride on the track, I have. May be not too often. But I know how much fun it can be having ridden my humble zma, and a race prepped apache and r15. Not just a noob, a monkey strapped on to a bike can do it in a straight line. But that's exactly my point. Its not about just the top speed.

Nothing much to disagree here skill is what matters.

Why a group C bike, I remember giggling inside my helmet taking a litre bike on the inside curve on the MMSC track. The rider was probably new, but that is the point. Skill matters more on the track.

To clarify and snap back things to perspective again:
1. Neither the Ninja 250R or the CBR 250R are made for track. Yes, you could take either out for a spin on the track for fun or practice. But is the buyer in India really bothered about any of this?
2. We are talking about Ninja 250 and CBR 250 only here... nothing else. If you wanted a more potent 250 have you ridden the older Ninja ZX2r, hell a lot more fun than the 250R. Take a step back further and the much more powerful 2 strokes were ruling the roads.
3. Manufacturers might call them what they want to, but these are no true sport bikes. By Indian standard of bikes, yeah quite a handful! Nothing more I feel.
4. Ninja 250 owners, a sincere request, please do not take this personally! I'm not judging your choice! I was hoping to buy one myself till I saw it priced at about 3.1L in Bangalore. Not that I can't afford it, I don't thinks its worth so much. My point of view only.
5. Anyone feels this is going the way of Pulsar Vs. ZMA thread. I guess I too am a culprit in fueling the fire! Again requesting all to maintain sanity and see things the way they are only. True match up can be done only when we have both of these on roads together. Hey, wasn't this about sales and not performance.. forget it :P

Edit: Hehe.. just noticed that my signature still has the link for the Ninja ride from a year ago! Exactly 364 days ago

My next Motorcycle should be significantly faster than my current one and not just in small increments which no 250cc Motorcycle in regular production today can. A jump from a R15 to 250R's (both) can't be called an up-grade, (a small increment, might) not for me at-least.

It will eat into sales but if I got to pick one (amongst the two) it will be the green one.

I thought CBR250R had 23 Nm torque.
I know the Ninja250R to have 22Nm torque.
CBR doesnt have 20% more torque if the above figure is right. But I am not sure if its right. Can someone confirm ?

SkSy_biker, where did you get the "20%" figure ? Cause that puts the CBR250R at 26.4Nm ! I Dont think it has got 26.4 Nm torque to go with 26HP.

We talk about track performance where as 90% buyers will be city performers and it happens for every bike whether that is Hero Honda CD100 or R1.
At extreme end we talk abt the hard core internals of a engine but a college student or a executive who normally look for CC, 0-60, PS and looks of a bike will definitely go for CBR250 to satisfy his passion at much lower price.

From here:


there is a 14% tq advantage of the CBR.
Figures as at rear wheel.

speaking of torque and power, guys, isn't that where the Dyno graphs and real world things come into picture other than the on paper specs?

Pls don't forget that the numbers published are peak torque and peak power. They are at a specific RPM - obviously at higher RPM's. In our day to day usage we would not be able to ride a motor near its peak torque RPM. What matters is the torque delivery across the daily useable RPM range. How strong it is and how linear it is.

IMO CBR is going to create a different market of its own partially affecting the sales of NINJA and may be a serious contender against MOJO...lets see...

Ninja 250r is twin cylinder...
Honda CBR 250 is single cylinder....

I love my Ninja's power

From a performance point of view, the CBR will never be able to hold a candle to the Ninja. The reason i said it will compete more with the likes of the 220 & ZMA/R is because the price point is hardly 70-80 K more, so people would not mind buying the CBR 250R. Also the initial ride reports suggest its more tuned towards a commuter & a tourer rather than having sporty overtures. Sales yes it would dent the NInja, but people looking for a performance oriented 250 would still go for the NInja.

From the review of Moto USA for CBR250R, Steve Atlas says the top speed of CBR is around 87 m/hr i.e. 140km/hr. On the other hand Ninja touches to 93 to 95 m/hr with extra 2500rpm. So off course funwise Ninja rocks.
In my opinion, CBR will obviously kill Ninja but purely based on the price in India for sure. However abroad in US / UK, Ninja will still be the king for enthusiasts where both these bikes are having same MRP.

If this is the case, 60kmph sportiness, corners etc.then R15 will cream the Ninja in your own words&the rider will come out smiling too!
Coming back to the CBR vs.Ninja comparo, both will cruise comfortably at 120-130kmph.

The words in bold are the essence of why the CBR will take the Ninja in terms of sales.
You are right. I had a ride on the Ninja on Saturday&frankly speaking after the R15, 250 will not feel like a substantial upgrade.
Oh btw, I was disappointed with the Ninja-will not write it here as Ninja owners will take it personally.

This is what I was saying to you just after riding the Ninja.
Real world usage for a bike is on the streets&touring.
The CBR will shine its way through in these situations&the price point will appeal to all.
Why would the average Indian customer want a bike that needs to be revved very hard/drop a few gears every time he wants to overtake (be it on the streets or touring), worried about scraping the bottom on speedbreakers in the city or potholes on highways, can't park anywhere due to fear of damaged parts&outrageously expensive spares which need to be imported&cost as much as a locally manufactured 150cc bike cost?
Does the Ninja really give something that compels the buyer to buy it, beyond all this?
Is there even one thing that this bike do very well? Other than posing of course.
Honda is coming to answer that question in style!