The Kawasaki Ninja 250SL and Z250SL are the newest 250cc entry-level offerings from the Japanese manufacturer in Europe and are expected to be priced at around 4000 Pounds.
While Kwacker fans have been ogling at the recently unveiled Ninja H2 superbike, Kawasaki pulled in a surprise pack by also showcasing its entry-level 250cc offerings, the Ninja 250SL fully faired and the Z250SL street-fighter motorcycles at the ongoing EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan. Sharing the same underpinnings, the Ninja 250SL and the Z250SL can also be called as the more affordable alternatives to the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the new naked Z300 that also debuted at the EICMA show today.
The Kawasaki 250SL twins draw power from the same 249cc liquid-cooled, 4-stroke single-cylinder engine with fuel-injection technology that produces 26 HP of power and 22.6 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed transmission. Based on a trellis frame, both the bikes are fairly light with the Z250 SL weighing 148 kgs, while the Ninja 250SL weighs 151 kgs. Suspension duties are performed by 37 mm telescopic forks at the front and a Uni-Trak rear suspension set-up. Stopping power on the other hand comes from 290 mm petal disc brakes with two-piston calliper at the front, while the rear gets a 220 mm disc with a single-piston calliper.
Unlike the Ninja 300 and Z300 models, the Ninja 250SL and Z250SL get a tad bit toned down styling with a single headlight unit instead of the dual-light design on most Kawasakis. The aggressive lines however, continue to stay sharp as ever on both the Kwackers. Both the motorcycles share the same all digital instrument console and get ABS as optional, which has been termed as the world’s smallest ABS unit by the company. In terms of changes, the Ninja 250SL gets clip-on handlebars, while the Z250SL gets a wide flatbar to suit the naked design.
Expected to be priced around 4000 Pounds (Rs. 3.92 lakhs) in Europe, Kawasaki is offering the Ninja 250SL is three colour options namely green, black and white; whereas the Z250SL is being offered in green or black paint schemes. While the bikes were launched in several Asian markets earlier this year, the European debut could be expected sometime early next year. The bikes will be competing against the Honda CBR300R and CBR300F, KTM Duke 200 and RC 200 and the likes in the segment. There are no plans to launch them in our country.
