About the Ninja 250R
The Ninja 250R motorcycles are simple machines requiring little besides fuel and air pressure adjustments
Kawasaki has replaced its dated GPX250 commuter (would you believe it's been around since 1988?) with a quarter-litre pocket rocket that looks like a baby ZX-10R.
Motorcycle GP fans will have noticed something remarkable about the performance of the 250cc bikes when compared with the howling 800cc MotoGP machines that get most of the glory.
The new model is styled to echo the ZX-10R and ZX-6R superbikes
They have less than half the power of the bigger machines but the little twins most circuits within a couple of seconds of the big four-cylinder bikes.
The reason is simple: lighter machines with less power are easier to ride quickly and what they lose on the straights they make up through the corners.
You, me, and the guy down the road with the litre-class superbike would all lap a race track more safely and just about as fast on a smaller machine that we can ride at the limit than we would on a superbike that intimidates us way before we reach its limits.
Which brings us to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, successor to the GPX250, Kawasaki's biggest seller in the US for many years
The instrumentation of the 250R is a little old-fashioned
The most obvious change is, of course, its looks; the new model is styled to echo the ZX-10R and ZX-6R superbikes.
But, says Kawasaki, it also has a new, more nimble steel frame and swing-arm for pinpoint handling.
Uni-Trak rear suspension (five-way adjustable for preload) and 37mm telescopic forks modulate wheel movement and new 17" rims wheels support sporty low-profile tyres – an important improvement on this model.
Braking is via a 290mm petal disc and twin-piston floating calliper up front with a 220mm platter and similar calliper doing duty at the rear.
The instrumentation of the 250R is a little old-fashioned with an analogue speedometer rather than the more fashionable LCD readout, alongside a matching rev-counter. Odometer, tripmeter and the usual idiot lights (sorry, warning icons) make up the rest of the flight deck.
Maintenance of the 250 R has been kept simple; a lot of small-bike riders like to do their own servicing. The air-cleaner element can be easily accessed from the side, there are two helmet holders under the seat, under-seat storage and hooks under the tailpiece for tying down luggage with bungee cords.
The slim tail cowl comes off to reveal the pillion seat.
Fuel-injected
The new Ninja is fuel-injected in the European and South African markets; a carburetted version has been retained for the United States.
The parallel-twin, four-stroke DOHC eight-valve engine shares the 62x41.2mm bore x stroke dimensions of its predecessor but Kawasaki says more than 70 percent of the engine components are new.
A more compact combustion chamber houses lighter valves and the ports have been revised for stronger midrange. Camshafts and camchain tensioner are new and a revised Denso radiator keeps the running cool even flat out at 13 000 rpm.
Kawasaki quotes a 0-100km/h time of less than six seconds, a standing quarter-mile in about 14.5sec and a top speed of more than 160km/h.
It's a non-intimidating commuter with style, says importer Chris Speight, that'll surprise a lot of superbike on a twisty road in the right hands.
Source: http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=759&fArticleId=4331749
Bike Specifications:
ENGINE |
TRANSMISSION |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cylinders: | Two. | Clutch: | Cable-operated multiplate wet clutch. |
| Capacity: | 249cc. | Transmission: | Six-speed constant-mesh gearbox with final drive by chain. |
| Bore x stroke: | 62 x 41.2mm. | ||
| Compression ratio: | 11.6:1. | SUSPENSION |
|
| Valvegear: | DOHC with four overhead valves per cylinder. | Front: | 37mm conventional cartridge forks. |
| Power: | 24kW at 11 000rpm. | Rear: | Uni-trak with monoshock adjustable for preload. |
| Torque: | 22Nm at 8200. | ||
| Ignition: | Digital electronic. | BRAKES |
|
| Starting: | Electric. | Front: | 290mm disc with twin-piston floating calliper. |
| Rear: | 220mm disc with twin-piston floating calliper. | ||
DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT |
TYRES |
||
| Wheelbase: | 1400mm. | Front: | 110/70 - 17 tubeless |
| Seat height: | 775mm. | Rear: | 130/70 - 17 tubeless. |
| Dry weight: | 154kg. | ||
| FUEL TANK | 17 litres. | SERVICE INTERVALS | 5000km |