Kawasaki’s aggressive take on the quarter-litre segment could see the launch of an all-new single-cylinder Z250SL motorcycle. The Z250SL is based on the Ninja 250 RR Mono full-faired motorcycle and will be the latest offering from the iconic Japanese manufacturer. Following Kawasaki’s nomenclature to name naked models, the naked 250 also gets the ‘Z’ prefix to its name. Reports of a single-cylinder naked Ninja surfaced last month, when the patent drawings of the motorcycle were leaked on the internet.
The Kawasaki Z250SL uses the same tube type diamond frame also underpinning the Ninja 250 RR Mono. The naked single-cylinder Ninja is essentially the same bike underneath void of the full fairing seen on the 250 RR Mono. Powering the Z250SL will be a 249cc single-cylinder engine churning out a pleasant 27.6 BHP at 9700 RPM and 23 Nm of torque at 8200 RPM, also seen on the Ninja 250 RR Mono. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission. While the full-faired Ninja 250 RR weighs 151 kgs, the naked Ninja will weigh considerably lighter at around 144 kgs.
The light weight will result in improved power to weight ratio for the motorcycle, while the handling is expected to be quite agile on the Ninja. The naked Ninja Z250SL will get 37 mm telescopic front forks and a Uni-trak linkage system with five-setting preload adjustability at the rear. Stopping power comes from the two-piston callipers over a 263 mm front disc, while the rear features a single-piston calliper over a 193 mm rear disc brake. There is no confirmation whether ABS will be offered as standard on the bike.
TMCBlog.com suggests that the bike will be launched in Indonesia as early as 30th April, 2014. The Ninja Z250SL is expected to be priced marginally less compared to the 250 RR Mono, being a street-fighter. In Indian context, Kawasaki will launch the twin-cylinder Z250 street-fighter in the coming months in the premium end of the quarter-litre segment, competing against the Suzuki Inazuma. If launched in India, the single-cylinder Kawasaki 250cc twins will take on the likes of the KTM Duke 200, RC 200, Honda CBR250R and the upcoming Hero HX250R, certainly setting the temperatures soaring in the segment.
Source – TMCBlog.com
