IDK what you were expecting. But 60 horsepower from a 500 was best of its class back then. 0-60 as low as 3.8 seconds depending on the rider. 12.8-13.0 quarter mile. at 99-102mph. You just gotta rev her out more instead of shifting 6-8k
I got an 09 500 for my son to learn on grow with for a while while learning to do basic wrenching. I have had a lot of good bikes in 50 yrs of riding and this one is fun, easy to ride like its on railroad track solid, chugs along in first and you cant kill it yet it red lines at 11,000! It rolls right along on the hwy after 7-8 grand. Brakes are old school and not great stoppers but adequate if kept up. like all carb era bikes, each one has its own little gremlins and starting routines. There is no gas gauge or gear indicator but who needs those really? Fill the tank once a month usually, its that great on gas! My son is 6'5" yet this bike is not a bad fit since it is so upright in seating, which when you are a large individual finding a bike to fit w/o it being a hyper bike is hard to find. This one always starts, runs, a great one to learn on and I have a ball riding it! It is so responsive. It was brought to MD by the orig owner from CA where he raced it so it has all the track set up/single seat fairing/loud cans ( I put the baffles in it so it just purrs now. Really great around town and can really go good for a 500 yet still mellow at lower rpms. If you are starting or want a seriously economical bike that looks good-dont look past these bikes!!
My father did the same thing for me. Stuck me on a ninja 500 for four seasons before I upgraded to something else. Fantastic little bike. The looks are a little dated though. This bike really helped me develop very confident riding skills. I eventually moved onto an FJR1300, a VFR1200, and will be moving back to another FJR1300. Great start to a long love of motorcycles. Having this bike also showed me how to wrench on my own stuff. I eventually got to the point where I could tear the bike down to the carbs in 2 hours.
I have a 2002 with pod filters and a Delkevic 2-1 with an 8" mini "muffler" but, let's be real, it's straight piped. Pops, bangs and burbles, the pods give it a throaty acceleration and yeah, people definitely DON'T want to be around it but, I LOVE IT.
I had one of these, it was a drunk eBay buy, £250 and it went on for ages. Still alive somewhere I think. If you want the power, you need to hit at least 8k rpm.
Cruise at 65? I had this bike up to 110 and was cruising just fine bro.....and if I wanted to push it harder I could’ve done it easily.....with no issues. I got a 2005 500r with 10k miles and coffmans exhaust tips and that’s it and this bike is all good on every level for me. I used to have a ex250, and a 650 and I like the 500r better then both
loud means low back pressure. low back presure means lower torque. fix her up and shell go fast. mine (1989) runs all day at 90+ and a flick of the wrist and its 110+ easy.
I have this bike. Maxed 127mph. Torquier than I thought it was gonna be. Not a liter bike whatsoever. Still lots of fun. About 150 miles before fill up. Will whoop a lotta cars but will lose to pretty much any tuners and sports cars obv. Enjoy!
Thanks for the video, just purchased a 07 Ninja500r w on 1500 miles yes 1500 miles paid in full patiently waiting for my plates. I just want to ride before weather is bad. Covid delayed my plates. But thanks for the vid of riding it (also my first street bike, driven dirt bikes all my life but yea)
they don't make power under 7k.......... 7 to redline is their fun zone those exhausts need to go. I rate this bike as the best daily you can own and have a super bike for weekends
You cant drive the bike like a scooter cause the sound of the aftermarket exhaust scares you, and then say the whole bike is a piece of shit.... Its clear this is the first time youve ever been on a motorcycle...The ninja 500r is a damn good reliable bike that is faster than all of those cars from 0-100, and it tops out at 120 mph, wtf are you talking about?....
LMAO 10/10 commentary, im considering picking one of these up for $2800 next week. My first bike was a 2004 250R, this is twice the motor and I already loved my 250 for what it was.
As an old biker (since 1964) I have seen many times where someone has fitted after market silencers (mufflers) and absolutely destroy the bikes running! One chap had a 650 BSA and fitted different silencers and instead of 110mph he could hardly get to 90mph, As soon as the originals were re fitted back to normal so maybe these loud annoying pipes are killing the performance? The 500 is usually good for 110 without to mush problem.
Here’s the funniest thing you’ll hear all year. I was watching a SRK cycles review of this bike and somebody in the comments swore up and down that his would go 165 mph to 175 mph. This guy was serious. I’m still laughing
I've been listening to EX500 reviews and all you young whipper snappers call it a standard seating position, which it most certainly is not. Standard position is what a UJM, or universal Japanese motorcycle had. For example: the original Honda CB750K or CB450, For a Triumph Bonneville original or from the '90s and 2000s, or just sit at your dining room table on a dining room chair and put your forearms on the table with your back slightly leaning forward or nearly straight up. Motorcycle riders can agree on a sport riding position with clip-ons and rear set foot pegs. But they can't bring themselves to add the in-between seating position which I call a sporty seating position: Like on the SV650, the Bandit 600 and 1200, the Honda Hornet 600 and 919, and yes the Ninja 250 and 500! These all have lean forward but not on clip-ons, and slightly rear set foot pegs, I said slightly. The Ninja 500 doesn't even have regular handlebars, it has the equivalent of raised clip-on bars. I would even go along with calling this a sport riding position before I would call it a standard position. And then you could call the sport bikes what they actually are: track bikes. Today's sport bikes have way more in common with modern race bikes. And I'm also old enough to remember what it meant to go into town on cruise night. You would never ever say that someone going highway speeds was cruising. So no, going 65 mph on a sport/sporty bike on a highway, is not cruising!
No power because of exhaust/ lack of backpressure and incorrect jetting . Mine had factory pipes/ jetting and went like a jet above 7,000 rpm . May THE LORD Keep you safe and give you revelation of His SON JESUS / YESHUAH
The exhaust was definitely horrifying, there were a LOT of bad exhausts back in the early 2000's. But man, this is FAR from a "girls" bike, whatever that means. I wonder if you rode bikes when this video was shot? Because you definitely did not know how to ride an older Ninja.
The exhaust looks and sounds terrible. Sounds like the air/fuel ratio is way to lean. Someone probably messed with the intake just like they did the exhaust.
i know this video is old but try the fog mod, those 500 were fucked by epa regulations and they made it run too lean on the high end and vice versa on the low end. the mod consists of making a 1 inch hole in the air box cover to allow more air into it and it completely gets rid of that flat spot on the rpm, really recommend if you have one
It definitely does not sound like it’s running right more than likely due to the exhaust. I don’t know why people do that to their bikes. Guaranteed it would run and perform a lot better with the factory exhaust. With a factory exhaust and if you actually get it into its power band through its lower gears you would have no problem cruising at 80/90 or even 100 mph. You can tell that thing is not running right. It sounds like it’s missing really bad
It’s a great beginners bike! May I suggest an R6 or ZX6R if you want to get a bigger sport bike? (Or a gsxr 600 or cbr 600 but ya know those aren’t as cool)
Armature rider. Never stretches the gears out. Shifts too soon then complains no power. The power is at the top of the RPM's. You never use the last 3k RPM's.... Terrible review by an armature rider.
Plenty quick and fast for street and more bike than 90% of street riders. Most do not possess the skill to reach this bikes limits. Be honest most 600 fours and bigger are wasted on 90% of street riders. Doubt it take your 600 or 750 or 1000 to a track and try and kerp up with ninja 500 or newer 40p 0 twin with racer, you will realize a real good rider on track is faster on half the bike than 90% of bigger bike riders who are street riders. Skill is wzy more about speed than hp
![$1000 Ninja 500r Gift (Part 2) [valves adjustment and oil pressure!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UdNOjvam9KE/mqdefault.jpg)
IDK what you were expecting. But 60 horsepower from a 500 was best of its class back then. 0-60 as low as 3.8 seconds depending on the rider. 12.8-13.0 quarter mile. at 99-102mph. You just gotta rev her out more instead of shifting 6-8k
This guy doesn't know how to ride he says maybe it'll do a hundred, it'll do 120
130 actually, with correct position
@elkakas5415 I mean, did the quarter mile at about 100mph. Top speed was 118-125 gps. Maybe 130 on the speedometer
I got an 09 500 for my son to learn on grow with for a while while learning to do basic wrenching. I have had a lot of good bikes in 50 yrs of riding and this one is fun, easy to ride like its on railroad track solid, chugs along in first and you cant kill it yet it red lines at 11,000! It rolls right along on the hwy after 7-8 grand. Brakes are old school and not great stoppers but adequate if kept up. like all carb era bikes, each one has its own little gremlins and starting routines. There is no gas gauge or gear indicator but who needs those really? Fill the tank once a month usually, its that great on gas! My son is 6'5" yet this bike is not a bad fit since it is so upright in seating, which when you are a large individual finding a bike to fit w/o it being a hyper bike is hard to find. This one always starts, runs, a great one to learn on and I have a ball riding it! It is so responsive. It was brought to MD by the orig owner from CA where he raced it so it has all the track set up/single seat fairing/loud cans ( I put the baffles in it so it just purrs now.
Really great around town and can really go good for a 500 yet still mellow at lower rpms. If you are starting or want a seriously economical bike that looks good-dont look past these bikes!!
My father did the same thing for me. Stuck me on a ninja 500 for four seasons before I upgraded to something else. Fantastic little bike. The looks are a little dated though. This bike really helped me develop very confident riding skills. I eventually moved onto an FJR1300, a VFR1200, and will be moving back to another FJR1300. Great start to a long love of motorcycles. Having this bike also showed me how to wrench on my own stuff. I eventually got to the point where I could tear the bike down to the carbs in 2 hours.
I have a 2002 with pod filters and a Delkevic 2-1 with an 8" mini "muffler" but, let's be real, it's straight piped. Pops, bangs and burbles, the pods give it a throaty acceleration and yeah, people definitely DON'T want to be around it but, I LOVE IT.
I had this bike from 95 to 98. Boy I miss it. I rode it all year and any weather.
I had one of these, it was a drunk eBay buy, £250 and it went on for ages. Still alive somewhere I think. If you want the power, you need to hit at least 8k rpm.
lol a drunk eBay buy!
@@MotoTaco yes, I did the same with a 1979 Landrover
You’re wild 😂
@@MotoTaco we’re here for a good time, not a long time 👍🏻
2:20 Never seen that kind of Ninja before, damn.
its that 2025 ZX10RRR. Top secret
I have this exact ninja colar and all
The 2009 model had a bottom front fairing too. I guess he removed it and preferred the look.
Cruise at 65? I had this bike up to 110 and was cruising just fine bro.....and if I wanted to push it harder I could’ve done it easily.....with no issues. I got a 2005 500r with 10k miles and coffmans exhaust tips and that’s it and this bike is all good on every level for me. I used to have a ex250, and a 650 and I like the 500r better then both
I got an 07 500r with Coffmans exhaust I had mine to 125
That deep sound it made was fucking great. I’m on my 2012 650 an I still miss my 500
Just got an '09 last year with only 4k miles. Shes brand new, babyyyyyyyy.
loud means low back pressure. low back presure means lower torque. fix her up and shell go fast. mine (1989) runs all day at 90+ and a flick of the wrist and its 110+ easy.
nah fr i have a 2005 EX500R and it rips
I have this bike. Maxed 127mph. Torquier than I thought it was gonna be. Not a liter bike whatsoever. Still lots of fun. About 150 miles before fill up. Will whoop a lotta cars but will lose to pretty much any tuners and sports cars obv.
Enjoy!
A 250 will whoop a lot of cars off the line, for like 60 feet, but ya it’s fun for a bit
Mine was incredibly fun. I learned how to ride well on this bike.
Your shifting at only 6k rpm and you wonder why there's no power. They don't have a lot of power but it has more than what your giving it.
Sorry my ears were bleeding and the bike was falling apart.
Thanks for the video, just purchased a 07 Ninja500r w on 1500 miles yes 1500 miles paid in full patiently waiting for my plates. I just want to ride before weather is bad. Covid delayed my plates. But thanks for the vid of riding it (also my first street bike, driven dirt bikes all my life but yea)
oh you're gonna have a blast on it!
You didn't get a temp?
How much did you get it for
He has no idea what he's talking about!
I totally agree
I had one just like that.....I loved that bike.
they don't make power under 7k.......... 7 to redline is their fun zone those exhausts need to go.
I rate this bike as the best daily you can own and have a super bike for weekends
No, daily the liter bike instead
@@bricklayerlzdp9825 no commuter bike for commuting and fuel guzzler for weekends
No, daily the liter bike
@@MotoTaco no daily the commuter bike unless you are volunteering to pay for the extra petrol and higher registration fees?
@@razzorbladz gas is still cheap around me and registration is based off how much you purchase it for.
You cant drive the bike like a scooter cause the sound of the aftermarket exhaust scares you, and then say the whole bike is a piece of shit.... Its clear this is the first time youve ever been on a motorcycle...The ninja 500r is a damn good reliable bike that is faster than all of those cars from 0-100, and it tops out at 120 mph, wtf are you talking about?....
Yes first bike. Quit motorcycles after this. Loud noise scary.
@@MotoTaco go shave your legs and work in an office and make coffee riding is not for you. Put ear plugs in your ears if the bike is too loud
LMAO 10/10 commentary, im considering picking one of these up for $2800 next week. My first bike was a 2004 250R, this is twice the motor and I already loved my 250 for what it was.
LOVE the video bro, good work
As an old biker (since 1964) I have seen many times where someone has fitted after market silencers (mufflers) and absolutely destroy the bikes running! One chap had a 650 BSA and fitted different silencers and instead of 110mph he could hardly get to 90mph, As soon as the originals were re fitted back to normal so maybe these loud annoying pipes are killing the performance? The 500 is usually good for 110 without to mush problem.
My bone stock was "capable" of 125. It doesn't get there fast, but it will get there.
Here’s the funniest thing you’ll hear all year. I was watching a SRK cycles review of this bike and somebody in the comments swore up and down that his would go 165 mph to 175 mph. This guy was serious. I’m still laughing
Where's the power? Gotta get those RPMs up
fr right ?😂
I've been listening to EX500 reviews and all you young whipper snappers call it a standard seating position, which it most certainly is not. Standard position is what a UJM, or universal Japanese motorcycle had. For example: the original Honda CB750K or CB450, For a Triumph Bonneville original or from the '90s and 2000s, or just sit at your dining room table on a dining room chair and put your forearms on the table with your back slightly leaning forward or nearly straight up. Motorcycle riders can agree on a sport riding position with clip-ons and rear set foot pegs. But they can't bring themselves to add the in-between seating position which I call a sporty seating position: Like on the SV650, the Bandit 600 and 1200, the Honda Hornet 600 and 919, and yes the Ninja 250 and 500! These all have lean forward but not on clip-ons, and slightly rear set foot pegs, I said slightly. The Ninja 500 doesn't even have regular handlebars, it has the equivalent of raised clip-on bars. I would even go along with calling this a sport riding position before I would call it a standard position. And then you could call the sport bikes what they actually are: track bikes. Today's sport bikes have way more in common with modern race bikes.
And I'm also old enough to remember what it meant to go into town on cruise night. You would never ever say that someone going highway speeds was cruising. So no, going 65 mph on a sport/sporty bike on a highway, is not cruising!
Young people are so clueless these days.
This guy would shit his pants if he drove my 1983 GPZ550 racing bike. (First crotch rockets ever made)
Sounds like my old 1986 yamaha moto 225 I had as a kid
No power because of exhaust/ lack of backpressure and incorrect jetting . Mine had factory pipes/ jetting and went like a jet above 7,000 rpm . May THE LORD Keep you safe and give you revelation of His SON JESUS / YESHUAH
The exhaust was definitely horrifying, there were a LOT of bad exhausts back in the early 2000's. But man, this is FAR from a "girls" bike, whatever that means. I wonder if you rode bikes when this video was shot? Because you definitely did not know how to ride an older Ninja.
My brother just got a 08 500r with 4000 miles. I love the bike.
Glad to hear!
What mileage did it run till
This guy has no clue how to ride Im low cluchless shifting at 8k rpm faster then 99% of cars
damn that sounds good were do you get them exhaust tips?
believe he got them off eBay
Anyone knows what is this color code? I would like to make my ex500 same as here
The code is 723 Candy Plasma Blue, we always use www.colorrite.com !
What muffler do you have on it
Thanks for the vid ive the same bike same yr and same color currently in the shop
The exhaust looks and sounds terrible. Sounds like the air/fuel ratio is way to lean. Someone probably messed with the intake just like they did the exhaust.
Thank you internet mechanic
i know this video is old but try the fog mod, those 500 were fucked by epa regulations and they made it run too lean on the high end and vice versa on the low end.
the mod consists of making a 1 inch hole in the air box cover to allow more air into it and it completely gets rid of that flat spot on the rpm, really recommend if you have one
So it runs too lean, and your solution is to give it more air?😂
@@proteg30 my bad i gotvit backwards
Loud is an excellent safety feature. What I can’t stand is no fuel gauge, that seems a thing of the 50’s.
You are young I owned first Guage bike in 85 a 600 ninja rode 15 yrs no Guage is no problem with odometer unless you are dumb😅
It definitely does not sound like it’s running right more than likely due to the exhaust. I don’t know why people do that to their bikes. Guaranteed it would run and perform a lot better with the factory exhaust. With a factory exhaust and if you actually get it into its power band through its lower gears you would have no problem cruising at 80/90 or even 100 mph. You can tell that thing is not running right. It sounds like it’s missing really bad
Looking at a 09 vs an 04 very soon. Would be my first motorcycle.
Excellent choice for a first bike
13000 is low? I got an 09 with 3000 miles lol
You just stare at it?
I got one with 8k it was my beginners bike. I’ve had it for a bit over a year but think I’m selling it soon
It’s a great beginners bike! May I suggest an R6 or ZX6R if you want to get a bigger sport bike? (Or a gsxr 600 or cbr 600 but ya know those aren’t as cool)
I know how to get power from this bike 0 to 100 very quick with me I own a 2007
What did you do
great bike ❤
This looks exactly like my 95 it's wild
Ya, I wasn't aware in 2009, it was so much like the 1991 500 I had. Little changed.
Aside from different graphics and color variations I don't think they ever changed anything about this bike from '87 to 2009
Learn how to ride a bike before giving your take squid
No 😘
i just bought an 02 ninja 500 with 13k and you said thats low for the year man im getting a steal
General rule of thumb is 3k miles a year for bikes. Compared to like 12k a year for cars. So you scored a super low mileage one!
@@MotoTaco its all black i could send you pics of it but its my first bike any tips
How much did you pay for that?
I bought a 2006 this winter all in good shape and runs great 30k on it. Waiting on the snow to melt. Bet it does sound
Maybe good bike as Doordash?
yes it would, cheap, good on gas, and small if you need to fit through crowded spaces
Mt 90 GSXR750 has 19k miles.
Armature rider. Never stretches the gears out. Shifts too soon then complains no power.
The power is at the top of the RPM's. You never use the last 3k RPM's....
Terrible review by an armature rider.
I felt like he was talking to me ^_^
Plenty quick and fast for street and more bike than 90% of street riders. Most do not possess the skill to reach this bikes limits. Be honest most 600 fours and bigger are wasted on 90% of street riders. Doubt it take your 600 or 750 or 1000 to a track and try and kerp up with ninja 500 or newer 40p
0 twin with racer, you will realize a real good rider on track is faster on half the bike than 90% of bigger bike riders who are street riders. Skill is wzy more about speed than hp
got the same bike 2009 model 11000 miles black runs great clean title wanna sell 1500 if anybody looking for one,in kentucky but can meet up
Just sold my 09 blue 8k miles for 2200
Learn how to ride
My 250 ex seems faster this uh
Red line every gear I go into 6th at about 100MPH and it will take me to 125 no problem
Yeah this guy was shifting at 6k and was complaining there's no power. 8-10k has more not a lot more but more.