Kawasaki announced today the launch of the new Z250 for the Indonesian market. According to Team Green, the new streetfighter is part of a naked sportbike category stemming from the original Z1 to today’s Z800 and Z1000. Besides a lot of hyperbole, information is in short order but what we know is that the new Z250 will be powered by the same 249cc,  liquid-cooled, DOHC, 8-valve, parallel-twin found in the Ninja 250. It also shares its frame, instrumentation, fork and rear suspension with its faired counterpart.

The possibility of a similar model coming stateside utilizing the new 296cc engine found in the Ninja 300 is questionable, maybe depending on the sales success of the Ninja 300. Our initial opinion regarding the Ninja 300 is more than positive; by upping displacement 50cc Kawasaki has created one of best all-around small-displacement bikes and we’d like to see a naked version using this engine format. Continue Reading »

Kawasaki will unveil a new naked version of the Ninja 250 this month, reports TMCBlog.com. The Malaysian Indonesian blog first published a sketch back in October of a new motorcycle believed to be a new model based on the Ninjette to be called either the ER250 or the Z250. TMCBlog.com now reports Kawasaki will be announced before the end of January, quoting Freddyanto Basuki, marketing manager of Kawasaki Motor Indonesia.

The ER250 appears to be more than just a rumor, as the model codename “ER250C” popped up on an Indonesian Ministry of Industry database of motor vehicle trademarks registered by Kawasaki Motor Indonesia. The name Z250 may still be used in other markets, considering the new model reportedly has more in common with Kawasaki’s modern Z family than it does with the ER-6n.

If the sketch is accurate, the ER250 will combine styling elements from Kawasaki’s Z1000 and Z800 with the mechnical parts of the Ninja 250. The sketch shows a headlight resembling that of the Z800 but the fuel tank, tail and exhaust resemble those of the 2013 Ninja 250 and Ninja 300. Continue Reading »

Motorcycle.com would like to announce the latest member of our forum network: KawasakiNinja300.com!

The all new KawasakiNinja300.com community is the home of owners and enthusiasts of the new Kawasaki Ninja 300. Share pictures, learn maintenance tips and discuss aftermarket upgrade options with other Ninja 300 fans.

Whether you’re a new rider, someone trading up from the Ninja 250 or a veteran picking up a Ninja 300 as a second (or third) bike, all are welcome to KawasakiNinja300.com.

Join our new Kawasaki Ninja 300 forum community to learn more about the new Ninjette and chat with other owners. Visit KawasakiNinja300.com and register today!

Join our new Kawasaki Ninja 300 forum community to learn more about the new Ninjette and chat with other owners. Visit KawasakiNinja300.com and register today!

Canadian Kawasaki has confirmed it will offer the new 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300. We will likely have to wait until Kawasaki‘s “Ninja Times Square Takeover” on Sept. 13 before learning about U.S. availability but with the new bigger, little Ninja announced in Canada, a U.S. launch is all but certain.

Internationally, Kawasaki will offer both a Ninja 300 and a Ninja 250. The 250 has been updated with new ZX-inspired bodywork and optional ABS, all of which is also carried over onto the new Ninja 300. Kawasaki Motor Corp. U.S.A. thus has two little Ninjas to choose from, and though we still have to wait for official news, it’s likely they will opt for the larger model to face off in the suddenly competitive small-displacement sportbike market against Honda’s CBR250R.

The Canadian-spec Kawasaki Ninja 300 will be fuel injected, and an impending U.S. model will be as well. In recent years, Kawasaki’s North American operations offered only carbureted 250s while a fuel injected version was available for other markets. With a new model, it’s finally time to bring EFI to North American Ninjettes. Continue Reading »

Join our new Kawasaki Ninja 300 forum community to learn more about the new Ninjette and chat with other owners. Visit KawasakiNinja300.com and register today!

Kawasaki Europe has pulled the wraps off a new Ninja 300, a larger-displacement version of its popular entry-level Ninja 250.

We first broke the news of an new Kawasaki Ninja 300 last week when the model was included in a list of 2013 motorcycles released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As we reported, the new model is powered by a fuel-injected 296cc four-valve twin-cylinder engine claiming 39 hp.

The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 will also be available with anti-lock brakes. The ABS components are built by Nissin and are said to be 40% smaller than previous Nissin ABS systems. The Ninja 300 also features a slipper clutch and a back-torque limiter developed from Kawasaki’s racing program. According to Kawasaki, the new FCC Assist and slipper clutch allows for a lighter clutch lever pull. Continue Reading »

Join our new Kawasaki Ninja 300 forum community to learn more about the new Ninjette and chat with other owners. Visit KawasakiNinja300.com and register today!

A spreadsheet from the United States Environmental Protection Agency listing 2013 motorcycle certification data includes information about new an all-new Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the Ninja 400R, while also confirming reports the new ZX-6R will return to a 636cc engine displacement.

Appearing on the EPA’s spreadsheet doesn’t necessarily mean these models will be introduced to the U.S. market however. The Kawasaki Ninja 400R was included in a similar document for 2012 but was never introduced. The 2013 document does not include a Ninja 250 (pictured above) which was recently updated for other markets, so it is likely to be replaced by the new Ninja 300.

According to the EPA document, the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 will be powered by a fuel-injected 296cc four-valve twin-cylinder engine. Power is listed at 29 kW (which translates to 39hp) at 11,000 rpm.The documents lists both an ABS and a non-ABS version. Continue Reading »