Top Speed: No argument
Fuel Economy: No argument
Braking: Should go to Ninja, but rider skill matters significantly.
Acceleration: Depends on the riders. The Ninja develops its horsepower at high rpms (very high rpms). You’ve got to come off the line with the engine revving at 8000 to 9000 rpm to have any serious power, modulating the clutch so you don’t wheelie. Scooter rider just twists the throttle and gets max power to the ground with no risk of wheelie. Real life, average riders on the street, the PS250 will usually launch out ahead of the Ninja. The Ninja should pass by at some point, assuming the rider gets it up in its power band and keeps it there with decent shifts.
But there are areas where the scooter leaves the Ninja for dead. 😉
Can you stop at the grocery store, buy two plastic bags of groceries, come out and drop them under the Ninja’s seat? Didn’t think so. Sure, there are tank bags, bungee cords, cargo nets, back packs – but I’m talking quick, convenient, out of sight, lockable, built-in storage. Because with the scooter you can now stop at the Library and walk in to pick up several books – leaving your groceries locked out of sight – and then drop the books under the seat with the groceries.
When the weather turns cold or wet, are your legs mostly protected behind the Ninja’s bodywork? Nope – didn’t think so.
When you get stuck slugging it out in a stop and crawl traffic jam for half an hour would you rather be on the clutch free scooter or the Ninja? Hmm…
Point is this. When you lay down your money for a PS250, you are buying a very practical daily transportation device that is also a lot of fun. When you buy the Ninja, you are buying a recreational toy. Of course you could spend your savings on tank bag, backpack, cargo net, etc – still won’t be as good from a utility perspective.
I’ve done my time on sport bikes (and enjoyed it). I’ve done sport touring bikes, full dress touring bikes, dual sport bikes. Now I’m really enjoying scooters. They all excel in some ways. For what I want these days – scooters simply can’t be beat.
Very informative post. Ninja 150R looks best in terms of design and styling in its segment. It is a true value for money bike in comparison to its rivals. Am planning to buy it soon.
I ride a GTS250 ie and have had little to no problems on the highways. Then again i ride quite early in the am and there aren’t a whole lot of cars around. If you’re a good rider and you can go anywhere you want to on the 250, easily keeping up with traffic and in many cases able to keep ahead of it. I can get up to 85 mph in most cases although it is sposedly listed as able to do 76 mph!
In any event, you WON’T be dissapointed with a Vespa, its combination of style, comfort and reliability will be enough to warrant the slightly higher price tag than most other scooters.
I was wondering something about this comparison.. As you make great arguments for the purchase of the Kymco over the Ninja, I appreciate the info. I am currently thinking about getting the Vespa GTS, Kymco Grandvista 250 or People S250, or a 08 Ninja 250R. The main reason is because I commute to work everyday 31 miles each way. I have to take the highway/freeway (whatever you want to call it), so I was wondering which one I should get. I live in MD and i looked for the law on getting a license for scooters but didn’t see anything. Well, would any of the scooters be alright as vehicles on the highway? Safe? Fast enough? Practical for everyday use on a highway?
I know the Ninja is easy to take on the highway. And it also costs 3499. Plus I would have to get a Motorcycle license for it.
Please help me.
I agree totally. This chick in our company bought a 250 Ninja a few months back, and after pondering a bit after seeing 4 scooters parked in the lot at a company meeting, she finally confessed that she might have screwed up. She thought that she would be laughed at for riding a scooter. Time will tell if she makes the switch.
Have fun,
Bill