KAWASAKI NZ OPENS ZX-25R ORDER SHEET
K
awasaki seems intent on reviving the
glory that was the 250cc four-cylinder
screamers of the 80s and 90s with the
latest Ninja to join the clan – the ZX-25R.
While we’ve come to get quite used to small
capacity bikes falling into the LAMS category,
this latest effort from Kawasaki – if rumours are
to be believed – most certainly won’t be available
to those with a blue or yellow licence.
Priced from a premium $15,990 plus on roads,
the earliest examples of the ZX-25R are slated
to arrive in December.
While Kawasaki NZ has confirmed the pricing
for our market, the earliest arrival of the bikes is
subject to pre-orders meeting Kawasaki Japan’s
minimum order requirements.
Kawasaki NZ’s marketing co-ordinator Alarn
Young explained the situation, “The pre-order is
subject to factory minimum order requirements
so fingers crossed we get enough orders to tell
us that it is feasible at that price point.
“The first factory order window closed on Friday
June 12, with delivery scheduled for December.
If this order isn’t met, we will try again in next
month’s factory order, but that delivery will land
early 2021.”
Kawasaki first debuted the ZX-25R at the 2019
Tokyo Motor Show, with the bike having more in
common with the ZX-10 and H2 superbikes than
the last machine to wear a Ninja 250 badge.
Initially signalled to be a Japanese market only
special, the Ninja ZX-25R was never intended to
be a learner motorcycle or carry an entry price
point. As such it is brimming with componentry
that is about as far from the run-of-the-mill 250
class as you can get.
Packed to the rafters with top-tier technology,
it’s clear that the ZX-25R is designed from the
ground up for track junkies and enthusiasts.
The suspension package comes in the form
of fully adjustable Showa SFF big piston forks
paired with adjustable shock out the rear.
Other features to grab our attention include a
factory fitted quick shifter, multiple ABS and
power modes, traction control (yep, for a 250),
aluminium swingarm, a high-tensile steel chassis
developed from the supercharged Ninja H2,
radially mounted dual-piston monobloc calliper
front brakes, and that’s all before we get to
the big selling point – the visceral sounding
inline-four-cylinder engine that screams to over
17,000rpm.
Pictures have also emerged of a full race-spec
ZX-25R that’ll be raced in a one make series –
that thing looks stunning. Don’t expect them to
come to NZ though.
So far concrete technical details are still to be
released by Kawasaki Japan, but from what we’ve
seen from five-time World SBK champ Jonathan
Rea’s hot laps of Jerez, it sounds like the real deal
and looks like a tonne of fun to boot!
KIWI RIDER 81