Kawasaki Ninja 250r

The All-new Kawasaki Ninja 250r (click the image to zoom)

If you are looking for a motorcycle that is both easy to ride, sleek, cool-looking but also packs the horsepower and superior engine performance, then look no further than the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. It has long been regarded as a “starting class” bike by club racers globally, and it has been lauded as easy to handle even by beginners.

This motorbike is not only lean and mean, but also green as it consumes less fuel than any bikes in its class. Further, the Ninja 250R has won various awards including the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s Overall Mini Endurance Championship. Truly a great bike to learn and advance with.

Probably one of the best-known, top-selling and durable sport motorcycles in the world, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R was first introduced by Kawasaki Motors in the early 1980s. It has since undergone two major redesigns, yet it continues to sell widely that it consistently chalked up double-digit growth in sales.

The current generation of the Ninja 250R, like each release of the motorcycle, is known for its ease of use and handling, ability to save on fuel and great posture for riding. This design, however, is actually the fourth generation of Ninja 250Rs, which has been around for more than 25 years!

In 1983, Kawasaki Motors the EX250-C in Japan. The earliest version did not branch out to the other markets, but it was so successful that within just three years, the company came out with EX250-E, which signaled the second generation Ninja 250R.

This was the first Ninja 250R to be seen in the Northern American markets (Canada and the United States). It was also introduced in other markets as the GPZ-250R. It was widely received, but there were complaints about the slow revving of its engines, leading to the 1988 release of the EX-250F.

The third generation Ninja 250R has been overhauled inside and out, giving it a sleeker look and better engine performance. Unlike its predecessor, the EX250-F was able to reach the 14,000 redline speed at a faster rate, while also becoming speedier.

The EX250-G soon followed but was only sold in Japan. The next model to come out for other markets came in between the years 2000 and 2002, when Kawasaki Motors came out with the EX250-H, or better known as the ZZR-250 in the Northern American markets. The EX250-H had the same capable engine as the EX250-F, but it sported a different exterior: lateral aluminum frames, sportier fairing, adjustable brakes and clutch, larger wheels, adjustable shock absorber in the rear and other upgrades in its casing.

The current generation first came out in 2008. The EX250-J is much more expensive than its predecessors, but for a good reason. It is the first time in a couple of years that Kawasaki unleashed a new design and a new engine. First up, the exterior casing has been made sleeker and modern, finally going out of its 90s sports bike model. Less focus has been given to top speeds and midrange performance was upgraded, which translates to a better engine response even at low RPMs. This made it very popular with new bikers who now felt that the bike runs smoother and is much easier to handle and to ride.