Ninja 250 Mods, parts, and accessories

Kawasaki Ninja 250R

MODIFICATIONS...
Exhaust: Yoshimura TRC Slip-On
Exhaust Hanger: AreaP
Jet Kit: Dynojet Stage 2
Air Filter: K&N High Flow
Front Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (110/70ZR-17)
Rear Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (140/70ZR-17)
Swingarm Spool Sliders: Shogun Motorsports
Tank Protector: Pro Grip Tank Pad (Carbon, Mini Size)
Rear Fender Eliminator: Targa

ACCESSORIES...
Camera: GoPro® HD Motorsports HERO™
Stand: Vortex Rear Stand
Luggage: Cortech Sport Tailbag

MY STEET RIDING GEAR...
Helmet: Shoei RF-1100
Jacket: Shift Avenger
Pants: Shift Redline
Boots: Sidi Vertigo
Chest/Back Protector: Knox Gilet Air Vest
Gloves: Alpinestars SP-2 Gloves
Other Armor: Knox Armored Multi Short
Undersuit: PsycleSkins

Yoshimura TRC Slip-On for the Kawasaki Ninja 250R

Click the video clip above to hear how the Yoshimura TRC Slip-On sounds on my 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

Here are the modifications I've done to the engine...
Exhaust: Yoshimura TRC Slip-On
Exhaust Hanger: AreaP
Jet Kit: Dynojet Stage 2
Air Filter: K&N High Flow

Ninja 250R Dyno Run

My 2009 Ninja 250R currently has the following engine modifications...

• Yoshimura TRC Slip-On Exhaust
• Dynojet Stage 2 Jet Kit
• K&N High Flow Air Filter

I had these parts installed by my local dealer, who does not have a dyno, so they jetted the carb to get the bike running properly, but were unable to tune it for any type of performance. A few months after having the parts installed, I decided I wanted to have the bike dyno'd and then tuned appropriately, so I took it to MPHOhio where it was tuned on their Dynojet Dyno.

Stock 2009 Ninja 250R Dyno Chart - click to enlarge

Shown above is a stock Ninja 250R dyno chart. This chart is not for my personal bike, but another 2009 Ninja 250R that the shop had just done a base dyno run on a few weeks prior to working on my bike. As you can see, the stock bike has a peak horsepower of around 25 (at around 10,000 rpm) and a peak torque of around 13.50 (at around 8500 rpm).

My 2009 Ninja 250R Dyno Chart - click to enlarge

Shown above is the dyno chart for my 2009 Ninja 250R with the Yoshimura TRC Slip-On, K&N High Flow Air Filter, and Dynojet Stage 2 Jet Kit mods. MPHOhio did a base run on the bike with the silencer/baffle I had installed in my Yoshimura TRC slip-on. I then had them remove the silencer/baffle before tuning the bike. They made a few carb changes and the bike ended up with a peak horsepower of 28.44 (at around 10,500 rpm) and peak torque of 15.02 (at around 7000 rpm). The bike runs great and seems to pull better down low than it did before. The powerband seems to be a little smother as well. I really like the end result. Overall, the modifications I had done to the bike added about 3.44 hp and just under 2 lb-ft of torque (compared to a stock Ninja 250R).

What I learned from this is how important it is to have your bike properly tuned on a dyno once you do any type of engine modifications like adding an exhaust, hi flow filter, and jetting your carb. I've read about many riders trying to do this stuff themselves and they end up with bikes that are not tuned to take advantage of the new modifications, and in some cases their bikes don't run as well as they did prior to the modifications. Without a doubt, the best way to do it is to have the bike dyno tuned by a qualified shop.

Targa Rear Fender Eliminator Kit installed

 
I had been wanting to install the Targa Rear Fender Eliminator Kit for quite some time and yesterday I finally got some time to do it. Installation was relatively straight forward, but I'm no wiring expert so wiring the license plate light took me some time. I highly recommend referencing this thread if you want photos of the installation process... it helped me quite a bit. The instructions you get with the kit are adequate, but seeing all those photos really helps.

Overall I'm pleased with the look and how it cleaned up the rear end of the bike. I would highly recommend this if you want to get rid of that huge factory rear fender. I bought mine at Motorcycle-Superstore.com.

Yoshimura TRC Slip-on Exhaust, K&N Filter, and Dynojet Stage 2 Jet Kit Installed

 
Last week I had the following items installed at my local dealer...

• Yoshimura TRC Slip-On Exhaust
• Dynojet Stage 2 Jet Kit
• K&N High Flow Air Filter
• Area P Exhaust Hanger Bracket

I've put about 400 miles on the bike since I got it back and couldn't be more pleased. The dealer did a great job tuning the bike and it seems to run great. With this combination of mods, I've noticed an improved throttle response and just an overall more enjoyable powerband. We're not talking a lot of power increase here... after all, the bike is a 250, but it just seems more fun to ride now.

Sound: The sound of the exhaust is quite a bit louder than stock and does take some getting used to, but it sounds great. The bike finally sounds like a sport bike and not a lawn mower, which is part of the reason I wanted to do this mod. Yoshimura included a silencer with the exhaust, and I might try that out to see if I like it a bit quieter.

Weight: The factory exhaust I removed was just over 11 lbs and the passenger footpeg mounts and footpegs were just over 3 lbs. The new Yoshi exhaust was around 5 lbs and the Area P mounting bracket weighs practically nothing, so I dropped about 9-10 lbs total, which on a small bike like this is actually pretty substantial.

Looks: As far as looks go, the Yoshi pipe looks great, and the Area P exhaust hanger allowed me to remove the passenger foot pegs and it really cleans up the rear of the bike.

NOTE: When jetting the carb, I had the dealer make a note of what they ended up with...
Main Jet: DJ098
Needle and Clip Position: #3
Mixture Screw Setting: 3 turns

Pro Grip tank pad installed

I had noticed some small scratches on my gas tank from my jacket, so I ordered up one of these Pro Grip tank pads in the carbon fiber finish. I went with the "mini" size instead of standard and it fits my 250R perfectly. It looks cool as hell and will definitely protect my tank from scratches. Two thumbs up.

Bridgestone BT-003 Racing Street Tires are now scrubbed in

 
I got out for a nice ride yesterday and I've now got about 200 miles on the new tires. They are scrubbing in nicely. So far I really like them, but admittedly I haven't really pushed them that much yet. In addition to the added grip these tires should provide, the wider rear tire is much nicer looking than the skinny stock tire, so that is an added bonus.

Front Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (110/70ZR-17)
Rear Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (140/70ZR-17)

New Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street Tires for my Ninja 250R

I just had my 250R in for it's 600 miles service and thought it was the perfect time to replace the crappy IRC tires that came on the bike. Not only is the stock rear tire a 130/70-17, which is not a very common size and hard to find good replacement for, but the tires just don't offer very good grip. I decided to go with the stock size of 110/70-17 in the front and a wider 140/70-17 in the rear. Here's what I got...

Front Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (110/70ZR-17)
Rear Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (140/70ZR-17)

The BT-003 Racing Street Tires are specially street-tuned sport tires derived from Bridgestones latest racing tire, the BT-003. These tires incorporate technology derived from their MotoGP racing program and will provide riders with confident grip on both the street and dry-condition circuits.

I've read lots of good reviews on this tire and they seem to be very popular for riders that take their bikes to the track occasionally, and also want high levels of grip on the street. I don't use my bike to commute to work or anything, so I'm willing to sacrifice a little bit of long term wear if I can get something that really grips the pavement.

I'm only have about 80 miles on the tires so far, but once I get them scrubbed in I will post a review...

Ninja 250R swingarm and chain guard clearance with wider 140/70-17 rear tire

 
As shown in the photos above, even though the rear tire is wider than the stock size, it still has plenty of swingarm and chain guard clearance. Here are the tires and sizes I went with...

Front Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (110/70ZR-17)
Rear Tire: Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Racing Street (140/70ZR-17)

Got my Yoshimura TRC Slip-on Exhaust, K&N Filter, and Dynojet Stage 2 Jet Kit

Here's what showed up today...

• Yoshimura TRC Slip-On Exhaust
• Dynojet Stage 2 Jet Kit
• K&N High Flow Air Filter

I've got an appointment late next week at the local dealer to get these installed and the bike tuned. Stay tuned for a full report...