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.

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