Does more cc's mean that it goes faster? I

Welcome. That's a fair question for a newbie.

Just like cars, yes, a bigger engine usually goes faster......and gets there quicker. It also usually means a somewhat bigger and heavier bike.

In the Ninja line there is an exception, however.
The 500 and 650 are 2 cylinder engines and have a more upright, standard riding position. The 600 is a true sport (racing) bike with 4 cylinders and goes VERY fast. The 600 probably should be avoided by a first time rider.

 

250

The more cc's, the more power the bike has. It means they can go faster, and accelerate faster. I have heard the 250 and 500s are usually the best beginner bikes when it comes to sports bikes.​

 

The more cc's, the more power the bike has.

That's not always so. Engine configuration plays a huge role in horsepower. A modern 600 CC inline four can develop nearly twice the horsepower of a 1200 CC V-twin with twice the displacement. This is done through having the ability to develop higher maximum RPMs.

In general, a larger, lower-revving twin will develop more torque, but in terms of horsepower, the higher revving engine has an edge.

 

The smaller bike is a better bike to start on. It is light enough that it will be more forgiving of bad form and wobbly starts and stops. Also the throttle is not SO sensitive that abrupt or accidental movements lead to problems like they would on a larger bike.

 

Yup, the smaller bikes are more forgiving for inexperienced riders. If you are a small to medium sized individual (ie 6 feet or less and 200lbs or less) then I would go with the 250 Ninja. It will be cheaper to purchase (in most cases), to insure, etc. The seat height on the 250R is about an inch lower (varies a little by year), it weighs approximately 60-70lbs less which is a big consideration if you are a smaller individual (the 250 will be much easier to pick up if you drop it while you are learning to ride, and easier to control/move around). Also what do you intend to use the bike for?

 

There are two things that affect "power" of a bike.
Unfortunatly, neither are labeled on motorcycles, and in many times the manufacturer deliberatly fails to let consumers know.

Those two things are horsepower and torque.

Horsepower is what makes you go fast.
Torque is what makes you get to top speed fast.

There are four common types of engine designs.
1. V-twin. These motors have lots of torque, but not much horsepower. They are normally used in cruiser type bikes to launch the overweight pigs off the line in a respectable amount of time. But they dont have much top end. They range in size from 250cc to 2000cc.

2. Single (aka thumpers) and inline twins. These motors have a fairly even mix of both torque and horsepower and are normally used in beginner to intermediate motorcycles where daily commuting is usually the primary goal. They range in size from 50cc to 750cc

3.Inline 4 cylinder. These motors have lots of horsepower, and reasonable amounts of torque. They are normally in bikes called superbikes. These are the most powerful motors available currently. They range in size from 250cc to 2000cc

4.Horizontal twins (aka boxers). These engines have a fairly even mix of torque and horsepower, and are similar to the inline twins. BMW for example utilizes this design in some of their bikes.

Now with this in mind, lets take a look at how horsepower and torque affect the ride.

Bike A has TONS of torque but not a lot of horsepower.
Bike B has TONS of horsepower, but not a lot of torque.

So lets race them against each other.

Bike A leaves the start line first, and gets ahead quickly because its available torque launches it off the line quickly. Soon however, it runs out of available horsepower, and Bike B catches up, and passes it, and leaves it quickly because its superior horsepower gives it more top end speed. Horsepower always wins.

So how does this all work. You cant just look at displacement to determine how "powerful" a bike is.
Take for instance the following

A HD Sporster 1200.
Its a 1200cc engine
vs
Kawasaki ZX-6R
Its a 600cc engine.

In a race between the two, the kawasaki will win...easily.
But why?

Lets look beyond the displacement.

The HD sporster has a 1200 cc engine true, but its a V-twin that tops out at around 60 horsepower, with 75 ft.lbs of torque.

The Kawasaki ZX-6R has a 600cc engine, but its a inline 4 with well over 107 horsepower, and around 50 ft.lbs of torque.

Now you can see why the little 600cc kawasaki beats the bigger 1200cc sporster.

So when you consider a bike based on performance, you have to look beyond the displacement figures, and look at the available horsepower and torque.

The kawasaki line up is like this.

Ninja 250R. A inline twin 250cc engine with around 34 horsepower, and 13 ft.lbs of torque. Designed for beginner to intermediate riders. Can also be fun in the hands of advanced riders.

Ninja 650R. A inline twin 650cc engine with around 72 horsepower and 48.5 ft.lbs of torque. Designed for intermediate riders.

Ninja ZX6R. A inline 4 600cc engine with around 107 horsepower, and
50 ft.lbs of torque. Designed for intermediate to advanced riders only.

Ninja ZX-10. A inline 4 1000cc engine with 197 horsepower, and 83.2 ft.lbs of torque. Designed for advanced riders only.

Ninja ZX-14. A inline 4 1400cc engine with 200 horsepower, and 103? ft.lbs of torque. Designed for advanced riders only.