The liquid-cooled 249CC parallel twin with four valves per cylinder makes 33.5PS at 10,000rpm but will rev on to 14,000rpm. It’s been designed to peak at 33.5PS rather than being limited to 33.5PS, so it doesn’t feel artificially stifled at the top end. The fuel injection throttle bodies feature dual throttle valves to make the throttle response feel like CV carbs. This makes the engine very smooth when you’re getting on and off the throttle.
KAWASAKI NINJA 250R CHASSIS
The tubular steel frame, combined with a 154kg dry weight, makes it easy to flick the 250R around, a quality that new riders will appreciate. They’ll also appreciate the low 77smm seat height which, together with high bars and low pegs makes the riding position very comfortable.
KAWASAKI NINJA 250R SUSPENSION
The 250R is built down to a price, which explains the simplicity of the suspension. The conventional 37mm forks are right way up and non adjustable. The shock is basic too, and adjustable for preload only.
KAWASAKI NINJA 250R BRAKES
Like larger Ninjas the 250 gets funky looking petal discs front and rear. There’s a single 290mm disc at the front with a twin-piston caliper. The rear uses another twin-pot caliper, but this one bites on a 220mm disc. The brake lever is non-adjustable.
KAWASAKI NINJA 250R DESIGN
Even though they had to keep the price down, Kawasaki have tried to make the 250R resemble the rest of the KAWASAKI NINJA 250R range. Viewed from the side, the aggressively styled fairing looks very similar to those on bigger bikes in the range. The six-spoke wheels also contribute to the 250′S sporty appearance.
KAWASAKI NINJA 250R QUALITY
This is a budget bike built in the same factory that builds the ER-6n and ER-6f in Thailand, and it seems to be very well put together, although a British winter might tell a different story. All the panels match up perfectly and there’s the same look of quality you’d expect from a Japanese-built bike. The components aren’t of the highest quality individually, but work well together to create a perfectly functional overall package.
