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ZX-25R

Jun 10

2020 Kawasaki ZX-25R: Everything We Know

By General Posts

by Sabrina Giacomini from https://www.rideapart.com

Return of the quarter-liter inline four.

Nowadays, putting a 250cc, four-cylinder engine in a motorcycle may look like weird strategy, however, the layout was a rather popular one in the 80s. It allowed manufacturers to meet strict Japanese licensing standards while offering customers high-power, high-revving engines. The trend phased out as small bikes were relegated to the use of single or twin-cylinder engines, leaving the four pots to be used in bigger motorcycles.

That was until Kawasaki decided to revive its four-cylinder Ninja 250, or ZX-25R. Rumors of the model’s return surfaced in June 2019, when Japanese outlet Young Machine reported on the possibility of a ZX-25R in the works at Kawasaki. A few months later, Team Green showed up at the Tokyo Motor Show with a little 250cc monster that stole everyone’s heart with its pocket-sized big-bore attitude. Here’s a look at everything we know about the 2020 Kawasaki ZX-25R.

Though Kawasaki has yet to reveal the new ZX-25R’s full specs, we’ve been drop fed information about the bike thanks to a series of videos that showcase its abilities. In one of those clips published by Kawasaki Indonesia, we get to watch WSBK racer Jonathan Rea whip the baby Kawi around the track in Jerez. That’s when we find out that the little 249cc, inline-four redlines at a staggering 17,000rpm—screaming note included.

As Rea tackles a straight, we also get to watch the ZX reach a speed of at least 162 km/h (100 miles per hour)—we say “at least” because in said video, Rea shifts into 6th gear as he reaches 100 mph at roughly 15,800rpm, suggesting that the bike can be pushed even further. We simply don’t have an official stop speed yet. The possibilities that the video suggests, however, are exciting.

Same goes with power figures—Kawasaki has been tight-lipped about official numbers. Early estimates suggest it should produce between 50 and 60 horsepower. For comparison, that means the 250 would make between 7 and 17 horsepower more than the Ninja 400.

What we do know about the model is that it’s built on a WSBK-derived chassis with a 37mm inverted fork at the front and a horizontal back-link suspension setup at the back. It will feature riding modes (identified as “Full” and “Low” in one of the videos) as well as Kawasaki’s proprietary traction control system and quick shifter.

We doubt the model will make its way to North America, only because of its placement and pricing within the lineup. The model recently launched in New Zealand where pricing was set at NZ$15,990 (US$10,430), making the smallest ZX on the market more expensive than a Ninja ZX-6R (in the U.S.). The model is gradually making its way West but where will Kawasaki draw the geographic line for the 2020 ZX-25R, we can’t say for sure. With a bit of luck, the European market will be deemed viable and we’ll only be a few-hour flight away from be able to try one.

Dec 28

Kawasaki ZX25R rev sound video – All the way to 17k RPM

By General Posts

by Abhinand Venugopal from https://www.rushlane.com/

The upcoming Kawasaki ZX-25R hit all headlines in the motorcycle world about two months back, after its official introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019.

With aesthetics resembling its bigger siblings such as the ZX-6R and ZX-10R, the ZX-25R is quite the package for a 250cc motorcycle. The 25R is powered by a 249cc liquid-cooled DOHC ‘four-cylinder’ engine i.e. just over 60cc in each cylinder. The official output figures are not available at the moment, but rumours claim it peaks at almost 60bhp, at around 17,000rpm — yes, you’ve read that right!

Prices are not yet revealed for any region in the world and we see minimal chances of it hitting the Indian market. However, if it does happen to come to your local Kawasaki dealership, expect a price tag of at least Rs 5 lakh ex-showroom; making it more expensive than a Kawasaki Ninja 400 and every other ‘normal’ 250cc motorcycle on the market.

The screaming baby Kawasaki sports bike borrows a lot from its bigger siblings alongside a host of other sophisticated components. The list includes Kawasaki’s horizontal back-link rear suspension, quick shifter, traction control, Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork – Big Piston), dedicated power modes, and a lot more.

This is an odd and interesting combination of facts and figures, but nothing new in the motorcycle world. There have been multiple 250cc i4 models over the years and especially towards the end of the twentieth century, such as the Yamaha FZR250, Honda CBR250RR, Suzuki GSX-R250 and of course, the Kawasaki ZXR250.

These motorcycles may not be as fast as a conventional middle-weight or any other sensible alternative of its time. However, the customer focus is/was different for these low-capacity multi-cylinder motorcycles. They are meant for those who like to ride on the absolute limit — peaking over 15,000rpm in every straight and putting the time’s V10 Formula 1 cars in close proximity in the acoustic department.

As mentioned before, these kind of motorcycles were not particularly fast and government regulations often cut their peak output to around 45bhp, which is available only towards the top of the tacho. For the same reason, they were very subtle in their behaviour at lower revs and could feel like just any other 250cc single (except for the sound).

The interval of the peak output is quite short in some of these motorcycles and riders have to be very precise at their shifts to keep the pull strong, just to harness 45 horses in the straight line. However, as a wise petrolhead once said, “a slower machine (relatively) can always be pushed to the limit, but a faster machine will mostly remain underutilised”.