The Kawasaki Ninja 250R is the longest-running quarter-litre street/faired motorcycle, and with the segment suddenly getting a boost in the last few years, everyone thought that the days of the Ninja 250R were limited. The Ninja 300 had taken the fight back to the competition, and now even a Ninja 400 has been launched! But happily, the Ninja 250R lives on.
There is no visual cue that distinguishes it from the Ninja 400, other than the fact that it remains an expanse of Kawasaki green, where the 400 has a lot of black and decals that scream "400" to anyone looking. Displacement remains 249cc, and the rest of the specs are familiar - a 14 litre fuel tank, 167kg kerb weight, and a DOHC engine with a power peak in the stratosphere. What has changed is the peak power figure; now a healthy 39bhp@12,000rpm, while peak torque is 23.5Nm@10,000rpm. It will be available globally in lime green or black, but expect just the former to make it to the Indian market.
We can expect the Ninja 250 to maybe be displayed at the Delhi Auto Expo if Kawasaki participates in it, and a launch sometime in the first half of 2018.
