The Z250 street-fighter will be Kawasaki’s new entry-level model in the country, while the ER-6n naked motorcycle uses the same 649cc motor from the Ninja 650.
Kawasaki’s new aggressive strategy for the Indian market saw the company bring some high performance products to the country in the past months. After launching a plethora of high end bikes including the ZX-10R, ZX-14R, Ninja 1000, Z1000 and Z800, Kawasaki has confirmed the launch of two new bikes, the Z250 and ER-6n street-fighter motorcycles on 16th October 2014 that are targeted towards the masses. While the high end bikes are being brought in as CBUs, the Japanese manufacturer will locally assemble the Z250 and ER-6n in the country.
Starting with the Kawasaki Z250, the street-fighter motorcycle was confirmed for India since the beginning of the year. Essentially a naked version of the Ninja 250, the Z250 is powered by the same 249cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine and produces 33 HP of power, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The styling cues on the Z250 comes from the elder sibling Z800 providing an aggressive stance to the bike. Expected to be priced close to Rs. 3 lakhs (ex-showroom), the Z250 will directly lock horns with the Suzuki Inazuma as well as the KTM Duke 390 in the segment and is the third bike from the Z series to be sold in the country.
The Kawasaki ER-6n on the other hand is a naked variant of the Ninja 650 and is powered by the same 649cc, parallel-twin, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled engine with fuel injection that produces 71.1 BHP of power and 63.7 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. Riding on a double pipe frame, the ER-6n packs in a stylish design and is also rather practical motorcycle compared to its full faired sibling. The ER-6n is expected to be priced under Rs. 5 lakhs (ex-showroom).
Kawasaki has scheduled the launch of its two new street fighters very strategically. Just a day prior to DSK-Benelli’s JV confirmation, the automaker is making a headstart in the volumes segment with the Z250 that will be competing against the Benelli BN 302. Furthermore, the Kawasaki ER-6n will rival the BN 600 S in the same space. The Z250 will be the Japanese automaker’s new entry-level offering in the country positioned below the Ninja 300 in its lineup. More information will be available on 16th October along with the prices.
