The 2008 Kawasaki 250R Ninja is out and has been redesigned to the point it is a totally different motorcycle when compared with past Ninja 250R's. The baby Ninja is Kawasaki's top selling street motorcycle and is a great bike for novice riders to cut their teeth on. All it takes is one look at the new Ninja 250R to see this is not a toy motorcycle. It is basically a scaled down version of the larger Ninja Sport bikes with a new full-fairing, a single up-swept muffler, UNI-TRAK rear suspension, high-performance petal disc brakes and a comfortable dual seat.

Power for the baby Ninja motorcycle is supplied by the proven DOHC 249cc parallel twin-cylinder liquid cooled engine. The motor has improved cam shafts for 2008 and pulls smoothly from idle to top end and to keep the motorcycle really moving you will be in the upper rpm range. But this is good because the sound is great. Also new is the 2 into 1 exhaust system. The 6-speed transmission on the 250R Ninja is silky smooth with good gear spacing for most any riding condition. The bike also gets great mileage.

The motorcycle has a totally new fairing and windshield that look just like the larger Ninja's. The lightweight Ninja sport bike is rider friendly with new features like an easy to read instrument panel and a positive neutral finder. Nice touch. The motorcycle responds to rider inputs fast and smooth due to the bike's low weight, crisp throttle response and an improved suspension up front. When you need to stop Kawasaki  did not leave the Ninja lacking as the front disc is larger and both front and rear calipers are dual-piston for fast, responsive stops. The riding position is comfortable for a day in the saddle and the seat has ample room for a passenger.

All in all, Kawasaki has revamped this popular selling sport motorcycle and the result is a very good entry level sport bike. For the price and performance this is one great motorcycle. Remember to always wear a quality motorcycle helmet and riding gear.