Kawasaki Z250

Kawasaki Z250, the only quarter-litre street fighter in India we can call it as a real street fighter without any second thinking. The famous “Z” segment in Kawasaki is well known for some of the best naked bikes we have, globally. Therefore, the youngest member from this clan is well bred with all the essence of Z800 and Z1000. It doesn't took much time for Kawasaki to bring back the parallel 250cc engine to the India, after the success of Z800 & Z1000.



How It Looks
The “Z” family is famous for its aggressive character from the very first looks. It starts from their unique headlamps. Those agonizing headlamps are adopted from its own bigger brother Z800, which truly marks the road presence of this bike from a distance itself. The smaller visor is designed in a such a way that, it doesn't steals any attractions of the headlamp. From the sides, the frame works looks similar to the Ninja 300, as it uses the same fuel tank. Actually, Z250 is the naked version of Ninja, but the Kawasaki engineers had worked this model out to be a different breed with different soul. The major styling ingredient lies within the larger “Z” decaling job on the side panels of the bike, which is similar to elder siblings. The engine cowl uses the basic green paint job, which is not so pleasing as compared to the matte black and green combinations from the front and side panels. Coming to the rear end, the whole mudguard and integrated grab rail section is completely lift off as compared to the Ninja. Turn indicator lights and tail lamps are also placed within the tail section.

The Engine
A 249cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke parallel twin engine drives the ferocious Z250. The mill delivers a maximum power of 32 PS @ 11000 rpm and a peak torque of 21 Nm @ 10000 rpm. These figures and stats are far better than its rival models like KTM Duke 200, Benelli TNT 25 and Hyosung GD250N. The bike weighs about 168 kgs but it is still capable of clocking a top speed of 168kmph. Like the Ninja 250R model, it has mileage around 20-25 kmpl.

Engine is mated with a 6-speed constant mesh gearbox, accompanied by a light clutch which makes it precise and nimble while shifting. The power is transmitted to the rear wheels using O-ring chain drive. This motorcycle is engineered to be used as daily office motorcycle as well as a performance track bike when situation demands. Not only that, smaller gear ratios enables this bike to achieve sudden acceleration and top speed at very short time.

Frame, Suspension and Braking
The whole bike is constructed on semi-double cradle frame, which is built with high tensile steel. Same construction pattern is followed in the all “Z” versions. This bike uses 37mm hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and 5-way adjustable preload with bottom-link Uni-Trak is used at the rear. Both the suspension system enhances the riding dynamics of the motorcycle, which is best suited for track days as well.



The Z250 gets a single 290mm disc with hydraulic two piston calipers at the front and a 220mm single disc with two-piston calipers are used at the rear part. The braking power is quiet safe in the hands of both the disc brakes, but an in-built ABS system could have been better in Kawasaki standards. It features 110/70 front and 140/70 rear IRC tyres for superior ground control and handling. The bike is lighter than Ninja 300 and this makes it a better handling in higher speeds.

Final Words
Altogether, Z250 has incorporated every single detailing of the “Z” family. It is torquier and powerful than the Duke 200 and latest Dominar 400, but the real confusion or “but” factor lies within the pricing of this bike. This 250cc motorcycle is priced way above than many of the 250 to 300cc bikes in the market. The straight cut competitor of Duke 390, TNT 300 and Mojo 300 is yet to come here in the name of Z300, which will be priced above Z250. It is indeed a decent piece of engineering that bears the Kawasaki DNA, but a second thinking is required before owning one. With the sumptuous Rs 3.30 lakh one could easily buy a Duke 390 and rest of the money could be used for service maintenance of the motorcycle in future.