Kawasaki Ninja 500 Review

If you want a motorcycle that has proven itself time and time again, look no further than the Kawasaki Ninja 500R. The 500R is the older brother to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, and boasts a beefier engine coming in at nearly 500cc's. The basic design of the 500R has changed little since it was introduced in the late 80's, but over time the engineers over at Kawasaki have added bits and pieces to bring this classic into the modern era.

Back in my day...

When I first started riding there weren't very many choices when it came to a great starter motorcycle. You had the Kawasaki Ninja 250, the Suzuki GS500, Yamaha Virago, Honda Rebel, and then the Kawasaki Ninja 500. The Ninja 500 was more modern looking at the time, but now compared to today's new CBR 500's or even the Ninja 300, this bike is showing it's age a bit. Does that mean it's a bad bike? Absolutely not!

Vroom!

The ninja 500R is equipped with a 498cc Liquid Cooled, In line 4 stroke twin engine that can hit a top speed of around 120mph, and runs the quarter mile in 12.98 seconds. This is more than enough power for the street, and can leave you grinning ear to ear on the track. The bike has quite a bit of mid-range power but really comes through once you wind it up a bit,that's where the fun really begins.

The Bike weighs in at a trim 388 pounds dry, and 437 when fully fueled which helps if you are ever doing slow speed maneuvers and you need to stop the bike from tipping over. The ninja really comes into its own when used in a sprawling urban landscape. Its slim design makes it a breeze to lane split between California traffic, and the engine has enough grunt to speed off from danger with the twist of a wrist.

City Riding

One thing you may want to do when doing a lot of city riding is replace the stock mirrors as they tend to be a little to small and misplaced for my taste, and I have a feeling I'm not the only one who thinks so. In my opinion this motorcycle is one of the best bikes for your buck. It gets nearly 50 miles per gallon when riding normally, and because the looks aren't as modern as some of the other bikes, you could grab one used for pretty cheap. You can even pick up a used Ninja for around $2500-3500 by shopping around a little and trying to spot good deals (see my article on buying new VS buying Used).

Couple that with the cheaper insurance rates you will get for a bike less than 600cc's and you will save quite a bundle! So if you are a new rider that is looking for a little more power than the Kawasaki Ninja 250R can provide, then take a look at this motorcycle. You definitely will not be disappointed!

Solid platform

The main thing that you have to get over in my opinion is the looks of this bike. It's not bad by any means, it just is not nearly as modern looking as some of the other bikes in it's class. With that being said, this bike is completely solid and reliable. You can easily take it on the freeway and longer touring trips, and it also is great fun in the twisty mountain roads.