The Z250 is the most affordable Kawasaki sold in the country and borrows its powertrain from the Ninja 250 full-faired mootorcycle. It is priced at Rs. 2.99 lakhs and will be sold through KTM outlets across the country.
Having been on a role with a slew of high performance bike launches in India and internationally as well, Kawasaki has launched the much awaited Z250 street-fighter quarter-litre motorcycle in the country priced at Rs. 2.99 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The company had first announced the arrival of the bike as early as February this year and the Z250 is now the most affordable two-wheeler from Kawasaki on sale in the country. Positioned below the full-faired Ninja 300, the Z250 promises dynamic looks, impeccable riding dynamics and certainly a lot of green power with the quintessential Kwacker DNA.
Design – In terms of design, the Kawasaki Z250 borrows heavily from its elder sibling the Z800 and looks like a scaled down version of the same. The similarities are quite evident once you see the headlight and fuel tank as well as the aggressive lines for the sporty stance. Moving to the rear, the street-fighter showcases similarities to the full-faired Ninja 300 with the tail section and alloy wheels. The analogue-digital instrument console too is similar to the one found on the Ninja 300 and shows all vital information including speed, trip meter and fuel consumption.
Dimensions – The Kawasaki Z250 measures 750 mm in width, 1025 mm in height, while the wheelbase remains the same as the Ninja 300 at 1405 mm. The bike is based on a diamond shaped chassis made of high tensile steel that provides higher stiffness and rigidity. The street fighter gets a wide handlebar providing an upright seating position which also makes it more apt for longer rides. Compared to the Ninja 300, the Z250 is 4 kgs lighter.
Engine – The Kawasaki Z250 is powered by a 249cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine with fuel injection that produces 32 PS of power at 11,000 RPM and 21 Nm of torque at 10,000 RPM, paired to a 6-speed gearbox (no slipper clutch). Kawasaki has given the engine block sleeveless aluminium die-cast plating for better heat dissipation that also improves fuel efficiency. Suspension duties are performed by 37 mm telescopic forks at the front and a monoshock set-up at the rear. Stopping power on the other hand comes from the single 290 mm front petal disc and a 220 mm petal disc at the rear. While the company provides ABS on the international model, Kawasaki has chosen to not give the safety feature on the Indian version.
Competition – With street-fighters so popular in the country, the Kawasaki Z250 is sure to find a place in the garage of several bike enthusiasts. Despite the reasonably high pricing, the Z250 is one splendid offering in the quarter-litre space and will be locking horns with the KTM Duke 390, Suzuki Inazuma, Hyosung GT250R, Honda CBR250R as well as the upcoming Benelli BN302 in the segment.
With the launch of the Z250, Kawasaki has made itself even more desirable by reaching out to a wider audience. The bike packs in a lot of power and punch that will surely keep the enthusiasts wanting for more. The Z250 also goes out to show Kawasaki’s aggressive plans for India with the company is also expanding its dealer and service network across the country. The Z250 is being brought in as a Completely Knock-Down (CKD) kit, having local content of 40%. Deliveries are set to commence early next month. Kawasaki plans to sell 300 units of the Z250 in India in the immediate future.
