When it comes to quarter litre motorcycles, Kawasaki’s Ninja range comes out as one of the top few brands that are currently enjoying a sizable market share in the segment.
When it comes to quarter litre motorcycles, Kawasaki’s Ninja range comes out as one of the top few brands that are currently enjoying a sizable market share in the segment.
Not surprisingly then, the Ninja 250R became a huge hit when it was introduced in the country back in 2010. However, due to the arrival of Honda’s single-cylinder offering, the CBR250R and that too, at a very competitive price, the fortunes of the parallel Twin cylinder Ninja 250R slowly but surely diminished. So much so, that the company decided to replace the model altogether with the newer and the slightly bigger Ninja 300 in the Indian market.
Currently, Kawasaki brings its Ninja 300 via the CKD route and the model retails at Rs 3.61 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
Now however, to get back in the 250cc segment battle, Kawasaki has presented the all-new single-cylinder version of its Ninja 250R and is calling it the Kawasaki Ninja 250RR Mono. The model was unveiled this week in Jakarta Indonesia and has been designed and developed, especially for the Asian markets.
Design wise, the new mini-Ninja 250RR Mono sports a different frame than that of the Ninja 250 or the 300 and looks a bit more like Ninja ZX-6R. The single-cylinder model has a single headlight like the last generation 250 and features split seats.
The fully faired motorcycle is being powered by a single cylinder, four-stroke, fuel-injected, DOHC, 250cc liquid cooled engine that produces 27PS of max power and 22.6Nm of peak torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-Speed manual transmission and company claimed top speed figure is 153 kmph. The single-cylinder model offers a tad less power and more torque than its parallel-Twin Ninja 250 but weighs 23 Kg lighter. The Ninja 250RR Mono’s engine is mounted in an all-new steel trellis frame from Kawasaki, which offers a slim nimbleness similar to the 150cc two-stroke Ninja RR.
Suspension is provided by a 37mm telescopic fork and five-setting preload adjustable monoshock with a Uni-trak linkage system. The braking system is comprised of two-piston calipers gripping the 263mm front disc and 193mm rear disc. The ten-spoke wheels are similar to those on the Ninja 250 and 300, but Kawasaki says they are about a pound lighter. The Mono’s tires are also smaller, with a 100/80-17 rubber up front and a 130/70-17 at the rear.
The Kawasaki Ninja 250RR Mono is scheduled to go on sale in the Indonesian market by March 2014 and will replace the Ninja 150RR in the said market.
In India however, we expect to see the single cylinder version of the Ninja 250 to hit stores by the end of 2014.
A single cylinder Ninja could also mean a very competitive price tag and if the market reacts favorably to the new Mono, Bajaj just might work out a production deal and locally manufacture the motorcycle, along with other Bajaj models.
