Every Bit Premium
“Z800? Errr…almost!” Before we even begin, I guess that sums up pretty well the first-look impression of the Z250.
The youngest motorcycle, not so long ago, in Kawasaki’s Z lineup has been recently launched in India. The Japanese manufacturer has also unveiled the single cylinder Z250SL in some international markets making the parallel twin Z250 the second youngest Z model. ThrottleQuest brings you the First Look.
Strikingly similar to the bigger and more powerful Z800 from the front, the Z250 comes across as an absolutely premium motorcycle. Kawasaki, in India, has established their reputation as a premium motorcycle provider. Starting from the earlier Ninja 250 to the now Ninja 300 and right to the ZX-14R, each motorcycle in the Kawasaki India lineup oozes high levels of quality and performance in their respective segments. And the latest entrant as such a product is the Z250. The naked sibling of the Ninja 300 in India. However, the Z250 is actually the naked version of the new Ninja 250 (which is sold in Indonesia and looks exactly like the Ninja 300).
Kawasaki has been doing a brilliant job of implementing the styling of their bigger models on their smaller capacity motorcycles. And they have cleverly combined the styling of the Ninja 250/300 with that of the Z800 to produce an absolutely stunning motorcycle. I’ll personally declare it a masterpiece. This is, by far, the most beautiful quarter liter motorcycle I have seen in my life.
From the front, a Z250 can be easily mistaken for a Z800 until the conventional telescopic front forks, single front disc and overall smaller dimensions are noticed. The tank shrouds on either sides provide the right amount of bulk to the motorcycle and extend to the bottom of the engine where they are joined by an underbody panel. Rest of the motorcycle has similar bodywork as the Ninja 300.
The engine is a parallel twin 250cc which produces 32PS @ 11000RPM and 21NM of torque @ 10000RPM. The frame is made of steel and is tabular. At the back, there’s a link-type mono-suspension. The wheelbase at 1400mm is only 5mm shorter than the Ninja 300. However, the seat height is same at 785mm and so is the fuel tank capacity of 17 litres. With less body panels, the Z250 is lighter at 168kgs ready-to-ride.
The green color is metallic but has a matt finish to it and is in darker shade compared to the one on Ninja 300. It looks richer in comparison. The fit and finish and the build quality is as good as any Kawasaki. This, combined with the close resemblance to the Z800 makes the Z250 the most premium looking 250cc motorcycle in India.
The riding position is almost upright with marginal lean forward and with a wide single piece handlebar makes the stance quite comfortable. Also, the motorcycle is very light to lift from the side stand and basically feels lighter than its wet weight of 168kgs. At 3,32,400rs on road Delhi, the Z250 looks worth its price even when considering motorcycles like the CBR250R and Duke 390.
We are still to ride it, so stay tuned to ThrottleQuest for our detailed ride report on the Kawasaki Z250.
Below are the full specifications of the motorcycle:
ENGINE
TYPE
Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin
DISPLACEMENT
249 cm3
BORE X STROKE
62.0 x 41.2 mm
COMPRESSION RATIO
11.3 : 1
VALVE SYSTEM
DOHC, 8 valves
FUEL SYSTEM
Fuel injection: ø28 mm x 2 (Keihin)
FUEL TYPE / MINIMUM OCTANE RATING
Unleaded petrol / RON91
IGNITION
Digital
STARTING
Electric
LUBRICATION
Forced lubrication, semi-dry sump
TRANSMISSION
6 - Speed
MAXIMUM POWER
23.5 kW {32 PS} / 11,000 rpm
MAXIMUM TORQUE
21.0 N.m {2.1 kgf.m} / 10,000 rpm
VEHICLE
FRAME TYPE
Tube Diamond Steel
WHEEL TRAVEL
Front: 120 mm Rear: 132 mm
FRONT TYRE
110/70-17M/C (54S)
REAR TYRE
140/70-17M/C (66S
WHEELBASE
1,400 mm
GROUND CLEARANCE
145 mm
FUEL CAPACITY
17 Litres
SEAT HEIGHT
785 mm
CURB WEIGHT
168 kg
OVERALL DIMENSIONS L X W X H
2010 mm x 750 mm x 1020 mm
SUSPENSION
FRONT SUSPENSION
37 mm telescopic fork
REAR SUSPENSION
Bottom-Link Uni-Trak with gas-charged shock and 5-way adjustable preload
BRAKES
FRONT BRAKES
Dual semi-floating 300 mm petal discs
Caliper: Dual piston
REAR BRAKES
Single 220 mm petal disc Caliper: Single-piston
Text by : Sachin Sen
Images by : Sajal
As you read every word of this article, you will discover why Kawasaki Motorcycles were considered the Mavericks of the industry. The story of Kawasaki Company goes back to 1924, at that time involved into metallurgy and the aircraft industry.
ReplyDeleteKawasaki is a company based in Japan; founded by Kawasaki Shozo. It all started in 1924 when Kawasaki was involved in aircraft and metallurgy industry. In 1949, they decided to penetrate the rising motorcycle industry by designing engines for motorcycles.
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