The upcoming Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R is powered by a 249cc ‘inline-four’ engine
Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki unveiled its quarter-litre four-cylinder sportsbike, Ninja ZX-25R back at Tokyo Motor Show 2019. The ‘baby 10R’ was supposed to hit the Indonesian market by now but the ongoing COVID-19 situation shifted the launch timeline. Meanwhile, Kawasaki has shared several updates regarding the new multi-cylinder low-displacement motorcycle including its all-out track variant, Racer Custom and a carbon fibre kit for the regular model. However, the company is yet to release the full engine specifications of the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R.
In a surprising turn of events, Slovenian automotive exhaust systems expert Akrapovic released the output figures of the ZX-25R on its website. This was apparently a mistake since the company has taken down the data. Still, screenshots of the same are floating around on the internet. The information was shared as part of a dyno test conducted by Akrapovic to showcase the performance gain provided by its ‘Racing Line’ exhaust system for the ‘25R’.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R is powered by a 249cc DOHC liquid-cooled inline-four motor mated to a 6-speed transmission. In stock avatar, the engine churns out 41bhp @ 15,350rpm and 20.8Nm @ 12,700rpm. On the other hand, an example with Akrapovic’s Racing Line exhaust generates 42.7bhp @ 15,450rpm and 21.5Nm @ 12,500rpm. This translates to a jump of 2.5bhp and 1.8Nm of torque — a welcome improvement for just an exhaust upgrade.
Lookswise, the upcoming ZX-25R borrows aesthetics from higher Ninja ZX siblings. Equipment highlights include full-LED headlamps, underbelly exhaust (unlike the Akrapovic full system), dual front discs, traction control, quick-shifter, Showa SFF-BP forks, horizontal back-link rear suspension, riding modes, etc. Kawasaki’s track-only Ninja ZX-25R Racer Custom sports a NASSERT-R Evolution Type II full-exhaust system which is not street-legal. Combined with its race-tuned ECU, the motorcycle might be able to make over 60bhp.
As you may observe, the regular ’25R’ peaks out substantially higher up on the rev range. Motorcycles like these are built to ride at the limit. However, a major compromise is made in low-speed riding conditions since the engine wakes up only after crossing 10,000rpm.
Kawasaki has already confirmed that the power plant is capable of revving up to 17.000rpm. In fact, the company has shared a video dubbed ‘Screaming In-line 4 Power’ that gives an insight into how the sportsbike sounds. It is baseless to compare a multi-cylinder motorcycle with a regular mass-production single-cylinder product coming in the same displacement category. The target customer and focus are entirely different.
