| Author | Message | ||
     Sarodude |
Speaking of Real World Blast Usage, what kind of mileage / range / fuel capacity (before reserve) are you observing on YOUR Blast? I pretty much get mileage in the low 60's. Last night the bike went 140 (city / hwy / LA traffic) miles before I switched to reserve and immediately topped up with 2.29 gallons - lifting the rubber flap and filling pretty high up. (still) Stock jetting, Bub's pipe. Gotta get my Dial-A-Jet on the damned carb soon... -Saro | ||
| M2cyclone00 |
Bikelessinomaha, I've ridden both & I would definitely pick the Blast! The 250 is probably a bit faster top end. But the Blast! is way more fun to ride. With it's torque & broader powerband, it's a lot easier to ride quickly & more pleasureable pulling away from a stop. The Ninja just didn't seem to have any power unless you wound it all the way out. A friend's wife has the Ninja & after riding a Blast! wants to trade hers. Dave Dave | ||
| Xgecko |
Blake  you took my comment out of Context. 0-40 the blast is better 35-65 they are about equal over 65 the Ninja is better no question about it. As for roll on from 65 up the ninja power is at the top end it just has more HP and better gearing for going "FAST" She quit at 110 whether she could have gone faster I don't know...she doesn't let me ride her bike  As for being twitchy they have the same wheelbase but the blast has a 2 degree steeper head angle  . In stock for the Ninja has better clearance and it can be leaned over a bit more. The whole thing comes down to what you want. There isn't a whole lot of customization that can be done to the Ninja (jetkit, pipe, suspension, intake, forkbrace are about it). The Blast on the other hand is great for messing with and looks to have even more toys...err ah accessories being made for it. I like both...they are very similar and yet get to that point is vastly different ways | ||
| Prudemonkey |
My first bike, back in 1992, was a ninja 250 - i loved the little bike, i had no problems with it at all, but i only had it about 2 years. When I decided to start riding again (older and wiser), I choose the blast, and hands down, i love the blast. The 250 suited me when i was in high school, but i think the blast is a better bike all around. Just my penny's worth chris  | ||
| Dust_Storm |
XG, there's a lot you can do to a Kawak250R, but you have to spend an arm and a leg for it. The list is huge, but most of them are race only components ( rearsets, wider forks, better shock, different body work, new swingarm for a 17" wheels, etc..) Most of the Nin250R racers I know swap most of they parts out with the bigger brother; the Ex500R, giving them most of the performance back. Top end on the Nin250R is better, but to get the darn thing to pull anywhere you need to be at least 8000Rpm on yourway up. The one I rode had a very small powerband. Fun on the track, but like my friends ZX-11, I just didn't like it in town. I own both the P3 and a Nin600R(R, addin the extra R cuz it doesn't see the street, only a track..) The Blast is wayyyyyyyy more fun, and a heck of a lot easier to work on (Ask XG how many times he's hopped up and down screaming about the fairing not fitting "just" right.. Mine's awful to put on...) I'm still thinking of making ways to make mine (Blast) stupid fast . Blake: 110Mph on the Ninja is easy! (If yer wife weighs all of .95$ soaking wet, going downhill with the wind at her back... Tony, quit messin around and get yer foot off the back brake, you'll go nowhere like that, son!) If your serious about a Nin250R though, my suggestion is to try and find a Jap Spec 1992 Nin ZX-2R, They are soooooooooooooooooo much better looking (a scaled down ZX-7RR, with more power than the US Nin250R, and a cute, near "toy"like quality.. Very rare, very expensive, very fun!) [Ds] | ||
| Mapes |
Bikelessinomaha, I'm not expert on this as I too, am a newbie. I just completed the MSF this past Sunday and was able to ride a Ninja 250 for the class. I have been trying to decide between the 2 bikes myself. I don't know how tall you are but before the class I sat on a Ninja 250 at the dealer and loved the feel of it. I am 5'7" and like a more "standard" riding position. The Ninja does not have as aggressive riding position as some of the other sportbikes, but you do lean over the front a bit and the footpegs appear to be right under you. After riding it all weekend during the MSF, I have decided that the Ninja 250 is not for me. I had trouble getting my feet up on the pegs in several instances as the footpegs are straight below. I actually had the bike go into neutral from second a couple of times because of my foot position. Once I realized what was happening, I changed my position in the seat and was able to correct it, but it wasn't as comfortable. I also was a bit unnerved at the sound of the bike. You have to keep it revving a little higher than you do with the Blast. Other than that the Ninja was fun to ride and easy to maneuver for the class. I can't speak about top speed or lean angle as we never got over 20 MPH. I don't think you can go wrong with either one. The Blast just fits my body better. The pricing is better on the Ninja, but you can find some good deals on the Blast also. I'm hoping to buy one on Friday. The insurance rates are pretty much the same also...at least where I live. Good luck with whatever you decide. Check with your MSF instructor and maybe they will have the Ninja for your class also. The course I took is going to be changing curriculum and they are going to be using the Blast in the future. | ||
| Blake |
XG: I must practicing for a career as a liberal journalist.  I'm curious, and the cowasocky site wasn't working... what is the claimed peak BHP/RPM of the 250 ninja? Motorcycle Online has a review of the little kawi. They even have dyno test results...   Redline is at 14,000 rpm. Anyone have one for the P3? I think a stock Blast puts out near 30 RWHP, same as the 250 ninja, but at around 6500 rpm instead of 10,000 rpm. Torque tells the story; the P3 grinds out near 30 FT-LB of torque compared to the little ninja's 14 FT-LB (168 IN-LB). You can see why I'm saying that aerodynamics (a racing style fairing/windscreen) is playing the major part in the 250's high speed performance advantage. The 250's engine performance just isn't any better. You've got to spin it over 7,000 rpm to get above 20 RWHP! The price is right though. | ||
| Xgecko |
Humm...I'm transfering to Japan at the end of the year. I'll have to be on the lookout for one of those | ||
| Blake |
Found it! Aaron's Blast tune-up dyno runs...  | ||
| Aaron |
Stock Blasts make about 27 at the rear wheel. Top speed is constrained by the gearing & rev limit, not the power. I'm sure you're right on the aero comment as well. | ||
| Jasonl |
So, gear the Blast higher and you'll end up being Aero limited? Is that the gist of your that last post? | ||
| Xgecko |
Well I have to agree with Aaron on the Blast's gear/rev limit, though I have never hit the revlimiter in 5th, or 4th for that matter just 3rd at about 70 I think. As for aerodynamics I am running a cafe fairing, not a lot od wind break I know but it is quieter behing that than the the flyscreen. Aaron did you ever get above 100/105 with the stock ignition module and the nallin kit? or did that come off before you did any Dyno runs | ||
| Blastin |
I have hit the rev limiter in 4th gear several times.(It happens when you try to keep up with the twins  ) Usually the rev limiter kicks in at about 80 to 85 mph. Between wind noise and other noises(like a bunch of twins) I had a hard time telling the first time I hit the limiter in 4th. I also have never hit the rev limiter in 5th(~97 mph tucked into the tank)) I have since become more aquainted with the bike and know when the rev limiter will kick in and can shift before it. Although after not riding this winter, I'm going to be out of practice.. Jerry | ||
| Mikej |
Jerry, Think "tach", then wonder how and where to mount one. (ps, side note, got the catalog from Zee Medical, pricey stuff, I'll try to remember to bring the catalog to the next meeting, unless I forget) | ||
| Aaron |
A stock pre-recall '00s get into the limiter right about at 100 in top gear. To go faster, you could remove the limiter, I suspect it'd pull a few more mph but I don't know exactly how much. Probably not a lot. '01s and later are geared shorter, and this gearing got applied to the '00s by the recall. I'm not certain when they'll hit the limiter in top gear but I suspect you'll be there by 95, probably less. You can't really change gearing on the things, outside of these two sets, without adding axle adjusters and a chain, neither of which I've done. | ||
| Blastin |
A tach would be nice. I suggested that to Mr. Miller, the Buell guy at the pizza party in February. He just kind of smiled. I take that to be a good thing. As far as mounting one, I think a combined speedo with a tach would fit nicely right in place. I have the sneaking feeling that one is in the works. Jerry | ||
| Bikelessinomaha |
Wow, ask and you shall recieve! I wasn't expecting so many comments after just one day. Thank you for all the feedback ! I think I'll wait and see what kind of bikes they are using at the MSF course, it never occured to me that they might be using Ninja 250s, I had assumed they all used little 125cc bikes. If it turns out to be a Ninja 250, great! That will give me some first-hand experience but otherwise I think I'll try to raise some extra cash and get a Blast if I can. Just have to wait and see what developes. Thanks again! Bikeless In Omaha | ||
| Blake |
HD/Buell offer the safety class in the form of "Rider's Edge" and it is conducted using a fleet of Blasts. Check with your local dealer(s) and/or the Buell web site for more info. | ||
| Dust_Storm |
XG- Yeah, if you see one, check it out, they're really cute. Last price I saw stateside for one in CA was around $6300 (and that's used with umpteen thousand miles on it, from '91). To any Engineers lurking (or posting!) - I've got bunches of drawings for frame designs I'd love to input into the computer, but I don't know which software to use. I'm trying to find one that will calculate the stress on the joints, etc and give a good idea of what will happen in the "real" world before I send it off to a welder/try and muck it up myself. (and it will be mucked  ) I'm not worried about pricing, I just don't know what software is availible to do this kinda thing. I've used Autocad (rel 12-14) before, and all of the KTX products since it was owned by Autodesk, but none of them chart the stress points in a object/drawing. (I know Eric did it in his head, but darnit, I just ain't that smart... I let the 1.6 Athlon think fer me..) If one of them works(reasonably in my opinion), I'll be posting it everywhere!  [Ds] | ||
| Mikej |
Dusty, SDRC I-DEAS( now owned by EDS) has a finite element analysis package. And for a good book on the subject, co-authored by one of Buell's engineers, see Building Better Products With Finite Element Analysis. I wrote down the software that Buell uses during the tour in August, but don't know if they want me posting it on-line. If you want something less expensive than SDRC then try SolidWorks. But be very aware that the analysis software is very computer intensive, so have a fast computer with tons of memory, and have lots of patience to go with it. Hope this helps in some way. Knowing how to use and apply the software, and how to interpret the results is most important in this situation. | ||
| Sarodude |
Although this is off topic, check out CADRE. It's relatively inexpensive and gives you a VERY useable demo. I've modeled kart chassis with this before. -Saro | ||
| Dust_Storm |
Thanks Saro! Looks very comprehensive for a shareware program. Something to mess around with tonight when i get back from work... [Ds] | ||
| Blake |
The software is the EASY part. Tell me how you are going to model, constrain, and load your frame model. How many critical design load cases will you need to run? Will you need fine mesh models of each joint? One thing in engineering design that is TOTALLY unappreciated, even by most design engineers, is the expertise and effort required to properly analyze safety critical structures. Just coming up with acceptable design loads is an exercise most engineers would rather avoid. Pretty contour plots and animated deformed shapes look impressive, but if the loads are wrong or the constraints are bogus they don't mean a thing. Sheesh! All the pent up stress ANALyst pontificator in me apparently just had its say.  The best thing to do is compare your frame design to those you know are good. Use full penetration welds and design connection elements (welds, bolts, screws) to be stronger than the components they are joining. | ||
| Sarodude |
DS- Blake has some fantastic points. There are guys out there whos specialty is FEA type work. The program doesn't really hold your hand and walk you through anything. Sure - you can get a structure modeled. You can set up some scenarios. You will get data. This is, however, the classic case of garbage in, garbage out. For example, Cadre can't load / constrain against a sold surface. Translation: there is no ground. Man, getting a 4 wheeled, unsuspended chassis working was very interesting and time-consuming. The idea I was monkeying with proved out at least... If you've never used an FEA package before, you'll know what Blake is talking about as soon as you're done building the model of your frame. Don't take this as discouraging. This is just cautionary. Besides, it's FUN... -Saro | ||
| Blake |
If you do decide to tackle computer finite element analysis of your frame, I'd suggest starting REAL simply. Use a stick model (one dimensional elements) in lieu of plate elements. | ||
| Dust_Storm |
Darnit, why did you guys go and make it all complicated? And here I though it was going to be hard... Don't worry about the patience factor, when I was in highschool, I remember setting a 486/66 with 32Mb of RAM to render a 450 frame animations in 3D Studio Rel 3.0, phong shading, 2 light sources, no transparent textures, and waiting DAYS for it to decide whether or not the computer would work or just crash out. For some reason, it always would crash on a 451 frame animation, but 450 would work.. barely...  I'm going to try and use mostly tubesteel in the construction (triangle based, hopefully no curves. Curves on long straights = bad.. all joints must be reinforced..), so i think a stick model will probably be close to accurate.. If nothing else, I'll have my dreams shattered in a matter of minutes. [Ds] | ||
| Dust_Storm |
And they were shattered quite nicely... After careful measuring, looking, weighing the multiple options present, I've come to a startling conclusion: Buell made the main frame of the Blast about as light and stiff as you can with the least amount of material. Drat... darn Buell engineers... However, there still leaves room for improvement! The rear has got to go, most of it is just for looks anyway, and that swingarm has also got to go.. the hard part though is going to be designing a pivot point that fits on the stock mount and will take a 17" rim with chain. Looks like all I'll be doing is just touching up the areas I feel should be fixed. How do i get the measurements of things like the head diameter on the triple clamp? I have the service manual, but there are no part measurements anywhere (just tork values). I'm interested to see if there's a compatible frontend off one of the big 4's older sportbikes that will get me a wider fork (and hopefully twin brakes, 17"rims with brace, etc.) For instance: Nin500Ex front can swap to a Suzuki GXR600R.. Now that the idea is smaller, it may just work better..  [Ds] | ||
| Xgecko |
I found this ebay joke??? BUY Now  Along with this one, check out the engine size | ||
| Mapes |
I just got back from picking up my new 2002 yellow Blast. I got a great deal and had a great experience with the delearship. If anyone out there is looking for a new bike, Gainesville HD & Buell in Gainesville, FL is selling 2002 Blasts for $3495.00 and has several low mileage used Blasts for $2995.00. I was out the door today for $3818.40 (price may differ due to tax and title for your location.)plus 10% off on all accessories. Everyone there was an absolute pleasure to deal with. I am new to motorcycling and female. I asked lots of questions and they were very patient and took a lot of time making sure I was comfortable with everything. They talked to me and not to my boyfriend. They took me around personally to meet the service, parts, and clothing people. I really felt good about all aspects of the experience. If you go, ask for Gary, Jim, or Paul. They all helped me. They had 6 2002's instock when I left and 5-6 used ones. | ||
| Xgecko |
Mapes, Let me be the first to welcome to the Blastard Club |
