Approximately two years ago, Kawasaki brought back the quarter-litre screamer in the form of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R. The in-line four-cylinder motorcycle may not be practical, but a suitable track weapon. While most motorcycle manufacturers offer single or twin-cylinder bikes in the small to middleweight segment, currently, Team Green is the only brand offering a four-cylinder 250cc motor. Kawasaki is likely to hold its long going tradition of bringing naked iterations of its supersport models. This leads us to believe that an urban streetfighter could also be on the way.
Rumours suggest that Kawasaki is likely to bring a Z250 naked motorcycle with an in-line four-cylinder engine. The brand may borrow the powertrain from the ZX-25R and the design language from its successful Z models. While the Ninja ZX-25R is a track-focussed road bike, the Z250 with the same engine is likely to be slightly docile but will definitely offer the same aural performance.
The new Kawasaki Z250 will likely follow the Sugomi design language with a high tail, low nose stance. The motorcycle is likely to come with sharp headlamps, a muscular fuel tank, sharp tank shrouds, and a sleek tail. The Kawasaki Z250 is also likely to borrow its underpinning from the Ninja ZX-25R and feature uprated chassis, suspension and brakes to handle the stresses of the powerful motor.
Powering the bike is likely to be the same in-line four-cylinder engine that does duty on the Ninja ZX25-R. The brand offers a 249cc liquid-cooled, in-line, four-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC engine on the Ninja ZX-25R. The visceral motor redlines at 17,000 RPM and produces around 55 Bhp of power.
The brand is likely to launch the rumoured Z250 in developed markets of South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and also Europe. However, due to its high price, which could be around INR 7-8 lakh ex-showroom even if the bike comes to India via the SKD (Semi Knocked Down) route, the motorcycle may not be on the launch cards, yet.
Also Read: Kawasaki Z650, Vulcan S & Ninja ZX-25R get new colours