250s are usually the 125 of the four-stroke world , but Kawasaki has broken that mould . Lots of torque means being in the right gear all the time isn ’ t a necessity , and it ’ ll get revving without having to abuse the clutch too hard . And once the green machine is revving , it has plenty of go . KYB looks after the suspension , providing a good all round package . The forks are a bit harsh on small choppy braking bumps , but softening the compression a couple of clicks remedies that . The shock on the other hand is faultless , and provides good drive out of very rough corners and uphills . Overall , I really like the little green machine and , like its big brother , I can ’ t wait to get more time on it to really put it to the test .

KIWI RIDER 51