Kawasaki ninja 250 vs ninja 500?

i am 5'7" and i am looking for a bike i can commute with, and $$ IS and issue...

i heard the 250 is a good commuter but it doesnt have a gas gauge (wtf?!) and it is a "toy"

then again, the 500 has more hp which means more $$ for insurance, and its heavier which mean more $$ for gas....

i am really split between the two... i have read so many reviews its not even funny... they reason being is that i dont want to get a bike that i wont like after spending like $2000-$4000 on it....

if anyone can please tell me the PROS and the CONS of these bikes, that would be greatly appreciated...

oh and if anyone could tell me which year is the best (besides the 2008 model... too expensive even though the 2008 ninja 250 has a gas gauge)

First don't worry about you being 5'7". I am 5'7" and Ride a 06 CBR 600RR. You will be fine on anything 1000 or below. Next, Fuel gage.... most bikes do not have one. This is not a bad issue. There is a dummy light on them that lets you know when you have a gal left. You can get 30 to 70 miles on one gal if not more depending on the type of motorcyle and speed ie. not to far if you are going 170 MPH. If I were you and money was an issue, I woud get the 250. It would be cheaper and better fuel milage. as for having fun... I can do an stoppie or a wheelie on a moped. so you will have all the power you need. But if you are wanting to have fun on it and cruse too i would get a 600. The thing with bikes is they are like tatto's. You have to keep upgrading. Insurance is not that bad. just make sure you lie and tell them you only ride it for fun. Less milage less money to pay. Last but noty least try to get a last years model after the year. Like buy a 2006 when the 2008 come out. Everything drops like insurance (not much). Bikes don't come down to much because they are NEW! when I mean new they have 0 miles on them. NO oil has ever been in it. They don't get test drove. So it takes an act of god to get a dealer to drop the MSRP (manufactur saling retail price). I hope this helps you make a choice. For comute and price wise - 250, for for fun, cursing and enjoy better - 500+ look at an F4i 600 by Honda. great power lower then a CBR 600RR. Sorry for the spelling.

As motorcycling goes, your first bike is seldom your last. Keep that in mind.

If you want something that is going to be user friendly for learning and still fun in the long term, go for the 500.

As for the fuel gauge, it really isn't a big deal. If used properly a fuel petcock with "On," "Reserve" and "Off" is more than enough indication of remaining fuel. If you run out, flip it to reserve and you KNOW you need to get gas ASAP. Just take note of what kind of MPG your bike averages and pay attention to your trip meter.

I own a 2000 250 R and i love it.It depends what your looking for.The 250's got plenty of power for around town cruising.But the best part is that I get close to 70 mpg regularly.For the money the 250 can't be beat period!!Good luck!

The gas gauge is not a deal-breaker. Many bikes don't have gas gauges. Gas gauges on the bikes that have them frequently can't be trusted. Early on I got in the habit of reseting the trip odo at each refill. Get to know your bike's range and keep an eye open for the reserve light.

If I were you I'd go for the 500. Neither the 250 nor the 500 is too much for a beginner's street bike. Both are reliable and get great mileage, but you'll quickly get tired of the 250's buzziness. Also, the higher rev's of the 250 at any given speed will mean an earlier engine rebuild.