2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250 Adventure Bike Build
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- Wes picked up this 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250 for $270 to take on our $1000 Motorcycles vs 1,000 ADV Miles ride series. We all know that the Ninja 250 was never designed to be taken off-road, but there are a few parts and modifications that could be made to make the dirt a slightly more enjoyable ride. Take a closer look at what it took to get this street bike ready to tackle 1,000 adventure miles as Wes gives a rundown on his 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250 adventure bike build!
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Probably the coolest 250 ninja I've ever seen. That's not saying much lol. Jk cool bike
Ha ha this is GOOD.CHEAP.FUN. All motorcycles need love - Wes
Never thought I would like a ninja 250. But that’s the sweetest one I’ve ever seen 👍
I mean... they are so common and so cheap, and actually pretty fun to ring out. Thanks for watching - Wes
I actually come back and watch this video every month or so. This bike is so sick I want to build my own. Big love from Australia
We appreciate it! Hopefully you get to do your own build soon.
I don’t know why I thought this adv bike was so cool but I really liked it. The colors and mods made all look great on it and it’s cool to see something working well in conditions it was never meant to be in. Great job 👍🏻
Thanks CumminsDriver635. It was a super fun bike to build and take on this crazy ride. - Wes
It just looks good. The guy has a good eye and got the proportions and spacing of everything right.
ever since i saw the original video series I've been looking for a 250 ninja to do the same with. still a little confused on the bar mount but will figure it out when the time comes. thanks again guys. badass!!!
We use stock triple. They have holes already for the clip ons. Drill the bottom holes a little bigger and mount your risers. No need for longer cables and hoses either.
That's awesome that you guys are going a bit more in depth on the work you had to do! A much welcomed video addition.
My buddy just bought this exact bike and road it into work and it looks so freaking sweet haha
Wes’ buddies: “Wanna go ride?”
Wes: “Let’s bounce”
TRUTH 😂- Wes
I used the same shock in the rear and it does give you a little extra ground clearance. I'm going to at a few of your mods to my existing offroad ninja 250. They're perfect play bikes
Sweet! What year is your off-road ninja? I'd love to see pictures. How long have you had it? 👍🏼- Wes
Put a vid up of it
It goes to show you , any bike can go anywhere, Love these type of video's, thanks.
I'm gonna use that! "Any bike can go anywhere" - Double X. Thanks for watching! - Wes
A Ninja 250 to be proud of! Great build!
This was the most impressive bike for me out of all, I like it alot
I really enjoy these $1000 motorcycle build videos
It would be pretty sweet to swap a modern dirt bike suspension on the front and modify the linkage or put a rear rezzy shock and build a set of spoked tubeless wheels and modify a set of dirt bike pegs to fit. Hell you could even put on the fasst company pegs and flexx bars if you went that route and have anti-vibe and even a stabilizer. Hell if you could find a cheap z400 that would be even cooler. I getting it, that doesn’t fit the budget for this series but you guys put all kinds of cool ideas in my head. Hell yeah dude
Never ceases to amaze me
Looks excellent for the money, well done. I look forward to seeing the ride I really enjoyed the last one.
I love this bike a lot. I'm going to build one.
Love seeing street bikes rebuilt for offroad
Creativity has no limits... Love this minimalism built..
Thanks Febi. You know I had to go minimalist with the minimalist budget 😂 - Wes
Hands down my favorite build from that trip. Really enjoying the videos as im writing this.
Gorgeous bike!
I like this one, that under tank neon lights though, top kek!
Definitely my next project, these ninjas come up cheap all the time. Build it like an old honda scrambler with knobby tires and dual upswept side exhaust!
My fav challenge bike so far
I had one of these as my first bike 6 years ago, this makes me want to buy another and make it into an ADV project.
Do it up!👍🏼 - Wes
Yess !...i have a gpz 500 , an i was looking for some motivation to do a conversion for it ...thx for de video !! :D
Love the build it inspired me to do a very similar build but with a heidenau k41 3.25x16 front tire(took me a long time to find a suitable front tire I liked) hopefully I have as good a time and maybe a little better ride if my rear shock holds up
I saw this in your challenge and it looked so sick glad you made a video on it
My favorite ninja 250, ever.
Nice job Wes!!
Great job, congratulation 👍👍👍
If I ever end up getting a ninja 250 this is what I envisioned doing to it. Nice build
Thanks Nate! It was a lot of fun. - Wes
That 250 Ninja would have been my pick of the litter. Great Job on the makeover. You've got a real one-of-a-kind motorcycle there.
Thanks DuneXapa. It's been a super fun bike. Still jumping curbs and tearing it up on that thing. ✊🏻 - Wes
The apocalypse brings out creativity!
Fantastic job
Thank you very much! - Wes
Super impressive effort mate. That headlight rocks. I'm guessing there is a little too much spread for it to be used on a regular street bike. Thanks for sharing.
You guys crack me up. But back in high school 1987...i bought my first bike. 1986 ninja 600R. Took it for a camping trip....doesnt sound so bad....the catch is it had my buddy, 200lbs, two tents, a shot gun, a compound bow, two sleeping bags and food for 2 days....rode the bike completely bottomed out into the wilderness. Turned out ok, now of coarse I have a 2011 DRZ that is past the 42,000 miles mark.
Wow! Congratulations 👏🏻 It sounds like you needed a trailer for that first trip lol... Next time tell your "buddy" that he needs his own bike. 👍🏼Nice work on the DR-Z. Keep stacking those miles - Wes
That was the coolest looking bike on the ride
Now we just need to convince Justin and Chancelor of that 😂 - Wes
@@rmatvmc Not going to happen Wes....
Wes has had the coolest bikes for all these challenges
Someone's gotta do it! ha ha ha thank you!🤘🏻 - Wes
No way! The DT175 and KZ440 were way cooler!! - Justin
Amazing
Nice costum bike.👏🏼
Hello , am from UGANDA , the bike looks so nice , wish i had one here
Such a great build! Quite a light motorcycle, just over 300lbs dry (so they say!) 36hp is pretty good for highway, you can really see the lightness (and rider skill of course!) on the trail, although not the most ground clearance and suspension travel, that lightness makes up for a lot I bet, seems more attractive in a KLR in my opinion and twin cylinder, hmmmmm, have to keep my eye open for one, great paint job too, sexy beast!
Thanks @Kingsoupturbo It's been an awesome bike. The relatively low weight of the bike was an advantage compared to a few of the other bikes on the trail lol. 😉 The ground clearance and lack of protection stock was definitely an issue to overcome, but those little bikes are solid. I'm still zipping around on it! - Wes
@@rmatvmc Glad to hear it! thanks for getting back to me! I just got back a month ago from a 6000km road trip to Arizona, I didn't realize you guys were in Salt lake city right off the highway! I wanted to stop in and see if the bike was there! I stopped in at Bill's boneyard on the way back too, wow that place is pretty, ahem, crowded? Better organized then Bob's used parts in Phoenix, that place had 10 Billion of everything and nothing was organized! you guys should check it out sometime and pull some bikes out, I saw a Ninja 250 just like yours there, was tempted to see if it would fit in the Trunk of the focus for the drive back to Alberta! Glad you're still enjoying it, I must have one myself some day, look forward to more of your videos, you do a great job! :)
brilliant
where did you get the handle bar mounts? I just tossed knobbies on my ninja, ended up going with a kenda 120/90/17 front, and a 130 in the rear. Got any leads on fork tubes that are not bent or dont leak? Mine were super rusty when i got it, I jb welded all the pitted holes in the fork tubes and it held up for about 10k miles but the seals are starting to leak again.
What mirrors are those?
Can’t find any I like as much as those!
Very cool. Do you know the current specs on it? Weight, 0-60, mpg?
Looks very "mad Max" lol is awesome
I finally did it! I built the same bike! Minus the panniers and the skid plate, mine is a red 2007, you should see the bar setup, the tripple clamp connection is a bit different but I figured out how to do a basic plug and play without the welding and it's hecka solid. I live 5 minutes from you guys too. (Santaquin) :)
Nice! I want to see it 👍🏼 Did you do knobby tires as well? Stock shock? We should get together and ride sometime. We do taco wednesday lunch every week. Let me know if you can make it! lol - Wes
@@rmatvmc Yep, knobby tires and stock shock. After that the rest was inevitable lol. I'll have to drop by the shop when I get a chance. :)
Could you list the exact model and size tire(s) you used? Looks like Bridgestone Battlax ax41 maybe? Were they both 120/90-16???? (I couldn't quite hear what he said)
Were both tires exactly the same size and fit on OEM front and rear wheels?
Did you have fitment issues like chain rubbing ,etc?
Thank you very much!! I just bought a 2004 and I'm super excited to get started on something very similar!!
@@doerfer08yahoocom Yeah it was the 16in battle axes, both front and back are rear tires, and the chain has plenty of space, it actually rides better in my opinion because it has more weight to the tires.
@@protogenius Thanks man! I appreciate the help!
Great build! I want to convert to a similar handlebar on a clip on setup. Welding directly on the upper triple looks ballsy. Is it durable? If the bike takes a fall on the handlebar, what is likely to happen? This looks the quickest option to convert from clipons to bars. Looking forward to your response. Cheers
Hello Dr. I didn't weld to the triple clamp. I built a base plate out of 1/4" steel and then built my mount from that. The base plate bolted to the top triple clamp via the large steering stem bolt as well as the 4 bolts that secured the stock clips in place. It is super tough the way I put it together. 👍🏼 Every bike is going to be different. Whatever you end up doing definitely make sure that it is durable and safe! - Wes
*This is cool.*
I wondered why only a 250, but I have a 250 dirt bike and it's a lot of weight and power. A 500 dirt bike is crazy, but a 500 Ninja dirt bike would be lethal.
I have a 230cc quad, and the way things are built now, it only runs 4 gears and maxes out around 45-50mph, but it could eat 2 more gears easily; *too many novice riders would make them lethal.*
This bike is so cool, it looks like bike from the zombie apocalypse films
Breaking the norms of commercial adventure!
Chancelor, Justin , and I all tried to break the mold. Eric kept it boring ha ha ha - Wes
@@rmatvmc Besides the SP 500, you're bike was very interesting. An odd ninja with a jumpy attitude riding roads it was not supposed to. Besides the charm that the old bikes have, I guess the breakdowns and issues add a huge x factor to the series. I was kinda looking forward to the breakdowns to see how you guys deal with it. Much like the rest of us folks tinkering with "good ole days" bikes.
@@idselseno2306 I am almost disappointed that didn't have more bike drama. The thought of creating drama wasn't even in our minds ha ha. We all thought that there would be no shortage of break down's and fixing on the trail. These bikes were all just too SOLID! - Wes
Did the same thing myself 1 year ago. Easy bike to work on with cheap parts
Nice, I'd love to see some pictures! DM our Instagram with some pics 👍🏼- Wes
Props on your welding. If not for that rear shock and maybe 17 in front you could've had the best build. But yes, the rear on the front does look bad@$$.
versys 300 owner here, loving the bush ninja.
Thank you much! What kind of riding do you mostly do on your Versys? Maybe we need a Versys VS Bush Ninja? It was a blast to put together and ride. Also, I think that I'll steal that name. 🤘🏻 - Wes
@@rmatvmc during the week commuting, weekends or off days ill go for long highway runs to slow dirt and gravel roads. id definitely watch that episode, my versys definitely benefited from a pair of 800 series shinkos.
I would love to know more about your fork upgrades, specifically the air valves in the caps!
I ride a 2005 ninja ex500 as my daily and on trips. Im also a very big man (300 + pounds). My factory seals are weeping and I get a lot of sag and diving during aggressive riding. Watching your front suspension perform knowing how easily mine will bottom out was impressive, and I need to make some similar adjustments when I rebuild mine.
Sure thing! So, I ordered a pair of schrader valves off the internet and then drilled and tapped the fork caps to receive those. That allows you to add a little bit of pressure to the forks to stiffen things up and help prevent bottoming. Also, going to a heavier oil will also help to slow things down and make it feel stiffer. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the cheap and simple upgrades on the forks for my Ninja. - Wes
@@rmatvmc Thank you so much Wes! I'm loving these budget build challenge series, I hope this type of content can continue!
You can also order stiffer springs on ebay that really help they are easier to install than fork seals and you already have to take them out since you need fork seals
This is awesome. I could buy a cheap run down 250 for the cabin. My current Ninja 400 doesn't handle the gravel backroads to owell!
Your fairings are too expensive to be chipping up with rocks and off-road riding. Yeah, start looking for an older ninja, throw some fresh knobbies on it and let the fun begin. - Wes
yknow ninja 250 arent that expensive this might be a fun thing for me to try
For next to nothing you can make a Ninja 250 a little cooler than what comes stock 😉#notalotofmoney - Wes
Do this ninja250 have same front & rear hub with versysX, I hear they have same hub parts, cool if you change this ninja with spoke hubs from versysX
That is something I never took the time to look into.... and I really didn't have the budget for this ride. That is interesting if it actually works. It would definitely be appealing to a guy like me - Wes
A Trailtech Speedo/tach or computer would have worked better than the original gauges. Works on mine.
anyone have a link to the valve stems they put in the fork caps? I am doing the same thing and this is way better than having to change the forks
Hi Marshall, I just ordered a pair of 1/8" NPT Schrader Tank Valves online. Cheap and effective. 👍🏼- Wes
@@rmatvmc I didnt realize just a set of normal schrader valves would do the trick. I guess 20 psi or so isnt really enought to blow one out. thanks!
What's the main reason you don't recommend putting a rear tire on the front?
Not exactly a Ducati Scrambler, but a worthy build. Nice one!
Can we at least call it a "Desert Sled"? lol - Wes
@@rmatvmc I can accept "Desert Scooter"
@@GeorgeLoch I guess I'll take it...👍🏼 - Wes
Why is that you didn't installed a really raid petrol tank?
If you ever sell this let me know
Any update on this build? It's rpetty sweet
Still riding it! Well... any day that it doesn't snow ❄️ - Wes
@@rmatvmc I love it
could you please make a seat detail for this ninja
To be honest is wasn't my best work ha ha. I sources whatever foam I could. I found a used seat foam from a different bike and then shaped it as good as I could using packing foam scraps. When I had it all shaped I found an ATV seat cover that was big enough to cover all of it lol 👍🏼 - Wes
How cheap you guys got this bikes over there? Feeling jealous🤑
I'm building a dirt/adv bike. What would be the best thing to do first if I start from scratch?
Well it depends on the bike you are working on. Do you already have your bike? - Wes
@@rmatvmc I have a 150cc engine. What would be the best tire set-up for it because I see a lot of opinion like going 1.60x21 front and 1.85x18 rear. Some say that it would be cool if I have a 1.85x21 front and 2.5x18 rear.
@@hwjucal9365 Unless you are trying to run a gnarly wide front tire you have a lot of tire options with the 1.60 front wheel. Also, a lighter setup would be better for the smaller engine. I'd be sticking with a lightweight theme wherever possible. - Wes
@@rmatvmc thank you so much. Will definitely take your advice.
What pannier rack it is ? Please
I used a set of the Tusk Pannier Hoops from our fab shop and built my own custom mounting for this set of racks. It covers that process here in the video czcams.com/video/l2pPnM4g4Kc/video.html 👍🏼 - Wes
Finding the fairings for that generation of ninja 250 seems to be hard
Just make it a bush ninja and then you won't have to worry about finding fairings 😂👍🏼 - Wes
So ive got an 03 ninja 250 i want to do this too. Is it the same as the 05?
Please tell me the tire size you got
Wes ran a 120/90-16 on this bike!
I'm building one as well and went with the same rear tire as Wes but a heidenau k41 3.25x16 front tire as it's an actual front tire and might even fit under the front fender and will definitely wash out less
What skid plate was used?
Full custom skid plate and mounts using a T7 Skid Plate as the donor. 👍🏼 - Wes
Why don't you guys make more videos like the adventure series/cheap bike challenges and stuff
We would love to and are planning for more ADV and bike challenge videos. The hard part and what many don't understand is how much time and work it takes to makes those videos. But don't worry, we've got more coming!
I❤
Don't knock the EX250, I took mine to the track. It was mad fun.
Nice!!!!!
Like the woman at the gas station told you (or maybe she said it to one of the other guys.) That bike is SEXY ! 😜😆😜
Now we just need to convince Justin lol - Wes
proper scrambler?
It would be better to have higher clearing
Ninja 500 also possible?! 🤔😎
Now, that would be a capable bike! The 250 engine is awesome up until you start comparing it to larger CC'd bikes. Then you are left wanting more... 😔 - Wes
@@rmatvmc awesome video btw. As usual! 👍👍
You did all that for $1000, or under?
Yes sir! well, everyone got new tires for their bikes that weren't factored into the budget, but aside from that, these bikes were under 1K total. Some serious fab work was done using spare raw materials too haha.
@@rmatvmc hell yea! Ya gotta do what ya gotta. Bike ended up awesome.
This is my hang up too. I would have liked a cost breakdown of what the bike cost, what was purchased for how much, what the tire grant was worth, and what was “scrounged” with an estimated value. Some of these bikes looked like honest $1000 bikes and some looked a bit more like $2000 bikes. Cool either way but I think it could be better still if there was a segment with a BS meter on how close the bike was to being a $1000 bike.
I need a parts list🥲
Is that even the same engine?
same engine as what? That is the stock ninja engine.
front tire mud guard sir.
mud guards are for little girls
Are you a little girl?
@@haywoodyoudome
front radiator will not last long. debris and small rock will grind that soft alloy.
and if adult like you cannot more smart than girl then what are you? goat?
I feel stupid for buying a brand new Enduro 250 🤦 I could have had this. Marginally more highway legs. For like a quarter price 😭🤦🤦
Whats with the meth sticker lol?
Gotta thank my sponsors ... Meth-Heads Racing - Wes
I couldn't help myself... Wes is too much fun to pick on!!!
First
is there a "meth" sticker on the righthand side of the engine?
Its probably good on gas, being a 250.
Oh for sure! We're talking like 60 MPG's and the smiles per gallon are even higher! ✊🏻 - Wes
Gas, and also cheap
easy maintenance. It's also lightweight, unlike adv bikes over 600cc.
I have an 04 Ninja250. My front wheel is more narrow than the back. Will the same 16” Battlax AX41 tire fit both wheels? 🛞 🛞 Thanks so much!!