Ninja 250/500 threat to xj 650s?

Jerk at where I work said that a newer 250/500 twin ninja will blow the side covers off an 650 maxim in the 1/4 mile, what do you think?

 

Who cares? Unless your out on the drag strip, your not racing anyways.
It basically boils down to power-to-weight ratio. If it's a lighter bike (which I'm sure it is) it doesn't need to have alot of power to over come these old relics. Things have advanced over the years, so they can deliver alot of power out of a small engine now. It even reflects in some of the cars out onthe road today.
My old '88 Honda Accord has less than 100 HP and it will blow the pants off of a Chevy full size pickup with a 300 hp engine in it. I weigh about less than half, so I don't need much power.

 

Make Model
Kawasaki Ninja 500R (EX500R)

Year
2006-

Engine


Liquid cooled, four stroke, parallel twin cylinder. DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.

Capacity
498
Bore x Stroke 74 x 58 mm
Compression Ratio 10.8:1

Induction
2x Keihin CVK34

Ignition / Starting


TCBI with digital advance / electric

Max Power
60 hp 43.7 kW @ 9800 rpm (rear tyre 54.2 hp @ 9500 rpm )

Max Torque
46 Nm @ 8500 rpm

Transmission / Drive
6 Speed / chain
Frame High-tensile steel, perimeter design

Front Suspension
36 mm Kayaba telescopic fork, 160mm wheel travel.

Rear Suspension
Single Kayaba damper, Uni-Trak with adjustable for spring preload, 100mm wheel travel.

Front Brakes
2x 280mm discs 2 piston calipers

Rear Brakes
Single disc

Front Tyre
110/70-17

Rear Tyre
130/70-17

Dry-Weight
176 kg

Fuel Capacity
18 Litres

Consumption average
18.2 km/lit

Braking 60 - 0 / 100 - 0
14.6 m / 39.9 n

Standing ¼ Mile
12.5 sec / 164.8 km/h

Top Speed
197.9 km/h
___________________________________________________________
Make Model
Yamaha XJ 650 Maxim

Year
1981

Engine
Air-cooled four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder,

Capacity
653
Bore x Stroke 63 Ñ… 52.4 mm
Compression Ratio 9.2:1

Induction
4x 32mm Hitachi carbs

Ignition / Starting
Transistorized

Max Power
71 hp 51.8 KW @ 9400 rpm

Max Torque
5.5 kg-m @ 7500 rpm

Transmission / Drive
5 Speed / Shaft drive

Front Suspension
26mm Air assisted telescopic forks, 147mm wheel travel

Rear Suspension
5-way adjustable spring preload, 97mm wheel travel

Front Brakes
Single 300mm disc

Rear Brakes
Drum

Front Tyre
3.25 H19

Rear Tyre
130/90 H16

Dry-Weight
203 kg

Fuel Capacity
13 Litres

Consumption average
47 mp/g

Standing ¼ Mile
12.6 sec / 107 mp/h

Top Speed
120 mp/h


it has a six speed trans as opposed to the five speed in the 650
and it is still only 0.1 seconds faster in the quarter mile i would hardly call that blowing anything away

its going almost 60 miles an hour faster when it crosses the line but only0.1 sec difference that means that the maxim is way faster off the line but then gets passed at the end


when it comes to it a brand new ex500r ninja costs about 6000 and a 650 maxim costs between 500 and 1400 depending on where you are so this guy at work is paying between 4600 and 5500 to beat a thirty year old yamaha by 0.1 second

on the other hand my 500 dollar 82 seca 750 beats his 500 by 0.2 seconds (12.3 seconds in quarter mile)


not to mention your bike has a superior driveshaft final drive which is smoother and recuires much less maintenance than his chain drive
the 250 and 500 ninjas are also throw away bikes

a vtwin is no match for a good in line

 

Brent, read your specs carefully, the Maxim is in MPH and the Kawi in KPH, it's only running 102.4MPH at the end of the quarter so the Maxim would be faster. The Kawasaki's 197.9KPH top end converts to 122.9MPH so ok, it's 2MPH faster after 1/2 a mile. The rest of your point though, is well taken. One last thing. They're not "V" twins, they're parallel twins like the old BSAs, Triumphs and Nortons. Or even more like the "XJ" 400, the YICS twin.

 

Ok guys, i have first hand experience with the ninja 500 in a drag race, but im not one to compare since i have to skip second gear, but i pull ahead until i relind in first, but i lose cuz i have to shift 2-3 times depending on whether i hit neutral or not, so i have to look down and so on, and i have a 700, but i think the 700 would win by a little bit.

 

Get this: According to Cycle World's road test (NOT "PUBLISHED" specs) of the 550 Seca it will run 13.16 at 99.44MPH with a 50hp motor in a 407 pound chain drive bike. Ssoooo... lets see, 1981 2-valves per cylinder 528cc four VS 2006 4-valves per cylinder 498cc twin with 10 more HP and the new bike is only 0.6 second and 3 miles an hour faster? EXCUUUUSE ME! NOW we can talk about price tags... And I WONDER: Do you have to pull the camshafts to adjust the valve clearances on that 8-valve motor like on earlier Kawasakis? Well, do ya, punk? <XJ facism rant done>