the ninja is quite practicle for the city,upshifting at 4000rpm is just enough for the city, need not revv it too much, the nature of the engine is almost similar to the R15, Peaky.
@TS: the Ninja is almost worth the money spent, everything about it has been taken care of minutely, the quality, fit and finish everything.
the CBR is more practical has better mileage and parts are cheaper.
If you can spend 3L+ for a 250, go blindly for the Ninja, if you have some second thoughts, stand near both the bikes for about 1/2 an hour,this will help you make up your mind as to which bike to go for.
P.S. : once you rev the Ninja past 6000rpm all the way to the redline, the feel/sound of the bike is pure pleasure, at that time there will be a grin on your face and you will think my money was well spent.

thats pretty re-affirming hellbreaker, thanks on that.

and i see you are from bangalore, been to bangalore 2 times in the last few months, the traffic is just O MY ! That itself is assuring.

I don't mind the tag as long as the product is of good quality.

Heart says Ninja but pocket says CBR and use the rest of the monies saved on fuel and other driving gear - but still worried about the A.S.S of honda and the quality of the product.

All CBR owner's: Do you hear a khaarrr sound when you brake your bike? Think I need to check the bike with some other dealer too now.

By the way one question is still unanswered - Is there a test drive available for Ninja ?

I don't think so.

Ninja pure performance because its a twin i can say even pure adrenaline,but cbr 250r is a practical bike with power n commuting in mind...

no sound whatsoever! i had to let you know that the brakes of CBR (atleast ABS,as i own it) are simply awesome! much more better than several other bikes.the stopping power,the response is perfect.several xbhpians have been amazed to see how quickly and efficiently i can stop my bike from triple digit speeds, during rides.
ASS of honda sucks.the service centre guys have no idea how to take care of the bike or in other words 'how to NOT damage the bike when given for servicing'.


cheers.

Nopes no sound while braking and dude believe me CBR braking is very good (Mine is Non ABS).
Dont listen to what others say, do what your heart (pocket :P) says.
CBR is affordable and economical in every possible way, fun to ride, easy to handle in bumper-2-bumper traffic and comparatively good mileage.

Bro, I know it is silly to ask but what fuel average are you getting and how doyou use the machine(sane or insane riding)?

I am getting 39 kmpl on highways wn riding at 100 kmph and 32 to 35 in city of Lucknow.. CBR250r a tourers delight ...

The only issue im facing with my cbr is lack of spares(which is hopefully being addressed to, since ive been getting calls form HMSI thrice since last week for followups), every other thing is pure bliss.

Decide on the requirement and marry one of the 250s. Each one of the bikes have their own advantage.

ps. at the sound someone was mentioning while braking, it seems like the brakepads might have worn out. get it checked.

The Kwack or the Hon(k)?

Perhaps the thought process that I underwent may help...

I have had a Pulsar 150 for the past 7-8 years (the very first batch of the Pulsar Classic). Lovely bike, no issues at all.

I was posted to Rajkot in May this year and had to have a bike for the daily commute to the office and more importantly for going to Pune once in a while on leave to meet my wife and kids.

The Pulsar 220 was nice but I wanted something different from the same looks. I don't like Bullets so did not give a thought to them. What was left was the Ninja 250. Just about that time, the CBR was launched.

I checked out both bikes. Very frankly, very truthfully and from a completely non-parochial and unbiased point of view, the quality of the Ninja was superlative. Every single nut, bolt, washer, the build, assembly, every thing screamed QUALITY.

The CBR was, again with the same disclaimer, quite a few notches below. With both bikes parked next to each other and to an exacting eye like mine, there was simply no choice but the Ninja. I will pen down one, just one observation. The Ninja's seat is superbly crafted, the padding is even, the cover is of the best quality, the creasing is the way it should be. The CBR? It is a dirt cheap rexine cover STAPLED, yes STAPLED to the underseat plastic!!!. There is hardly any padding to speak off, the creasing is shoddy - the whole seat shouts out poor craftsmanship. Thankfully, other parts are not as bad but definitely not in the same league as the Ninja.

The punch in the solar plexus was just the one single factor - $$$, nothing else. I was simply not willing to pay the extra almost 2 lacs for the CBU Ninja 'cause I did not have that kind of money to spend on a tiny 250 when the same amount should have got me at least a 400 if not a 650. BTW, I am 42 year old with a wife and one teenage son and a small daughter so managing the 1.6 L (non-ABS) was in itself a Herculean task.

I am happy with the CBR. She runs well, sips less juice and is hassle free. Also, I have not had a single one of the problems which some owners have flooded threads on this forum with. I ride as per my age, no stunts, no revving till the redline and service the bike as per the user manual. 6 months and 2500 kms later, she is absolutely okay.

So, if you can spare the money and are willing to fork out the premium for the CBU import, go blindfolded for the Ninja. Do keep in mind the cascading cost of spares and rotables too.

If you want an upgrade from a 150 but cannot splurge on a CBU import yet want a bridge to bigger bikes, the CBR is just made for you. It has reasonable performance but then you pay a reasonable amount too, don't you?

@ian2012: Which bike did you have before?
If you had one of the premium bikes like R15/220/ZMA, the CBR will not be much of an upgrade. Ninja will thrill you.
If you had a normal 150cc, it (CBR) will feel great-you can go for it, be happy with it but never ever ride the Ninja afterwards!

Well said!

Ninja is just out of question!
Considering the CBR, its just not at all bad right?
No hard revving and stunts for me.
For touring, its appropriate right?

In touring, If you are looking for performance its the ninja.
for comfort its the cbr.
also how much money you got in your bank account.

I haven't ridden it on an open highway to comment on that, but from what I hear, it is a good tourer-can maintain 120 all day long.
It will be easier to ride in traffic too, as it has good torque at its disposal.
However, a person who is used to riding a high revving bike like R15/RTR will easily be able to extract performance from the Ninja no matter where-city traffic/open highways.
All in all, you gotta ride a bike the way its meant to be ridden to enjoy it.
Even more important question I feel everyone who starts a What Bike thread should ask themselves is-what am I gonna use the bike for&what do I expect from it?