[rohitnp]

Great review! And very good pictures! For sure this is a rare bikr to read a review about and even rarer is an ownership review. I was in a situation where I did consider this bike about a year ago. But four things put me off. One was the dearth of reviews. Thr second was an analysis of my riding style which puts more emphasis on torque lower down than absolute power. The third and fourth have to do with the cost of owning and maintaining one and the dearth of a relaible kawasaki dealership in my location. I hence went for the CBR even though it was a really close competition between these two. Reading this review I feel that I was right about my decision as the CBR suits my riding style. But then you buy what makes sense to you. And hats off to you for going in blindly for the Z and you have come out with flying colours! Subscribing to the thread.

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Off Topic - Porschefire, your bike is one of the most impeccably maintained Ninjas I have seen. Have heard a lot about you and your bike from our Bangalore group. Such a shame I couldn't ride with you while I was there.

Thanks a lot man! I think the fact that I bought the bike with a lot of heart makes me wanna keep her that way. Have heard a lot about you as well and hopefully we get to ride soon! How about you and Sammy coming down for the next overnighter? Just a thought!

Mods & Gowtham, sorry for the OT posts.

[Avinash_R]

Congrats on the purchase man. Like you, I am going with a purchase of the z250 this month. a decision based purely on my heart over the head. Happy riding!!

[Sheel]

This is one bike which I really want to buy. Can't thank Gowtham enough for this thread. At least, I can look at pictures & updates when I wish to.

Thanks

[GowthamDonz]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

My point is, we cannot compare a single cylinder to a twin, the Duke/RC to the Z/Ninja. Both have their charms and both engage you in their own way. I genuinely feel the Z will last you a lifetime with its bullet proof reliability which the RC doesn't have. And compared to the Duke/RC, it is a better tourer as well because you will get tired of the Duke/RC's insane power which wants you to ride hard over the entire distance. ! I've had mine for more that 3 years now and it still feels new. I've had thoughts of selling it but every time I ride it, I feel this is one bike that I should never ever sell!

PS: I hope you don't mind me posting a picture and a review of my bike in your thread. If you do, PM me and I shall ask the mods to remove it.

Hi Porschefire,
Thanks and totally agree with everything. The dukes and the RC's are absolute hooligans. No matter what gear you're in or no matter in what rpm, the power is always there. Loved the RC for the sheer lunacy of it. However, the Kawasaki is a much more civilized with a bit more maturity and calmness. And the Ninja 250 is one of the bikes that really started the affordable superbike scene in India. It's a mash up of class and magnificence, a bit of everyday motoring and an exhilarating ride. Massive respect for your Ninja which looks stunning in black. Given the refinement and the quality of Kawasaki, I'm sure it'll stand the test of time which other bikes wont.
And the pictures looks cool and you're always welcomed to post info about other rides. Loved it.

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

Hi GowthamDonz,

Thanks for keeping my request. Trust me, there was serious dearth of first hand experience of the baby Zee available, until this came out! All I can say is, great review and fabulous, fabulous pictures! RC390->Z250, must've been one hell of a ride Sir! I can think of many people upgrading to a 390 from a 250CC, but doing the opposite is a very unique thing to do. I, for one, think that you made a good decision by listening to your heart. I wouldn't mind the price if I got to see this beauty parked in my garage, not get lost in a sea of other common bikes in the traffic, and listen to the sweet, smooth hum of the parallel twin high revving between your legs.

Bikes like the Z250 prove that you don't exactly need a lot of money to be special!

Regards,
Neel

Hi Neel,
Thank you and the pictures were a case of beginners luck, with me being not much into photography. And actually I've managed to it do it backwards. A travelogue and then a ownership review is a bit odd in itself. Am guessing this is the only ownership review of the Z250.
Indeed, such a beauty the Z250 is, that its worth the money.
Peace.

Originally Posted by The Brutailer

I used to think power corrupts. But here it is opposite. Just goes on the show how good the Z250 really is. A proper mini Z800. Lovely writeup and wishing you many miles on it. Congratulations!

Hi Brutailer,
To quote Jeremy Clarkson, "speed isn't everything"
And indeed, its a proper mini Z800.
Thank you

Mod Note: Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another on the SAME THREAD!

To know how to multi-quote, click here.

[GowthamDonz]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

Congratulations! Fantastic pictures!

but I'm sure over the years and piling miles, one realizes that power isn't the only parameter that contributes to the joy of biking!

Hi,
I'm guessing I'm not the only one to jump backwards. And couldn't have said it any better.
When the Indian sub 5L category is being talked about, the Z250 usually dissolves in the pricing debate. Always.

[Urban_Nomad]

Its a pleasure to read a well written ownership review of a bike that one barely ever hears about in the subcontinent

Not to rain on your parade, but I do have a few questions

From what I could gather, your biggest grouse with the RC was the supersport type ergos that made riding in city / touring etc rather painful. In that case, why not the Duke? The same mad best in class power, upright ergos, best in class equipment (ABS, slipper clutch, Metzelers) and all that at a killer price tag

What did the Z get you for the 1.5 odd lac spent extra over the duke? A smoother engine and exclusivity factor is all that I can think of. Bike to bike, the Duke just beats it senseless in every single parameter

I hope you don't mind the queries. Just trying to understand the value proposition here

[JayKis]

Great review and great pics. Congrats on the new ride. The quality of the Kawasaki is very admirable.

Had a Ninja 250 for 5 years and ran it for 60000 kilometres before selling it. All I ever did was do the service on time and change the moving parts on time.
2 sets of chain sprockets, 6 set of tires, several track days and it still used to look like new although with a few sounds from the suspension.
The first chain sprocket lasted for 30,000 kilometres! The original Yuasa battery lasted for 4 years but expensive at 10K (can be replaced with a KTM one). The front disk rotor lasted for more than 40000 kilometers and the brakes were killer. That engine was bulletproof and above 10K rpm it was a screamer.

Keeping in mind the quality of the parts and the service network of Bajaj and the way they treat Kawasaki customers, should say that it is a no-brainer to choose a Kawasaki if you need an imported bike. A well made decision.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

From what I could gather, your biggest grouse with the RC was the supersport type ergos that made riding in city / touring etc rather painful. In that case, why not the Duke? The same mad best in class power, upright ergos, best in class equipment (ABS, slipper clutch, Metzelers) and all that at a killer price tag

The Duke is still not as capable when it comes to touring. There is definitely compromise to be made on the rider's side even with the Duke. Refinement for one, pillion seat, suspension is not quite happy with taking the load of luggage either. At the end of the day the Duke is also a pretty focused weapon with light weight body and rims (could get damaged on bad roads) it is just the seating position that makes it more live-able with than the RC. I would have imagined the Yamaha R3 to be the perfect touring alternative to the RC390 with its more commuter-ish riding stance, refinement, strong mid-range, nearly similar levels of performance and the benefit of a full race fairing to tackle wind blast. The Benelli 300 makes a strong case for itself as well.

[amitc7]

My two cents -

D390 - I have just done a 4000 km 7 days trip across the country. Few points to note:

Pros:
1> Excellent road manners, the Metz does its job well on all road surfaces
2> Braking was perfect, I will not even list out the times it was needed on our highways and the fact that I did not have to rely on ABS says a lot about the brake balance and feel on the DUKE
3> Suspension - since it's adjustable it was dialed down to near perfect
4> Speed is well known and useful when needed, I managed an average cruising speed of 90+
5> I have a MRA widshield so buffeting was nil till 150 kmph
6> Despite all the reviews I had no body pain or ergonomic issues at all, I am 6ft and 120 kgs

Cons:
1> Heating - hit any kind of traffic situation anywhere with ambient temperatures over 43c and it is like sitting on a furnace
2> Heating and heating again
3> Fuel tank is too too small for touring and had a lot of anxious moments searching for fuel stations

I have ridden the Ninja 300 and CBR 250R for a good distance and they are superior in terms of posture. The CBR is down on power by a lot. The Ninja is perfect but desperately needs ABS, regardless they provide in the same price or add up. So if you are ok with travelling at bullet speeds on tours the Z250 is fine and you just need a windshield to keep up with bigger bikes.

On the ABS note I am surprised that Bajaj offers ABS standard on the KTM's and yet is stingy on the Kawasaki's the Versys being the cheapest K bike with ABS. In all other countries the Z250 and Ninja, in fact the Ninja 125 comes with ABS!

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by amitc7

On the ABS note I am surprised that Bajaj offers ABS standard on the KTM's and yet is stingy on the Kawasaki's the Versys being the cheapest K bike with ABS. In all other countries the Z250 and Ninja, in fact the Ninja 125 comes with ABS!

Bajaj own 47% stake in KTM and with its funding and Kiska's ingenuity, KTM has managed to survive and flourish in the market. The relationship they share with Kawasaki is purely on distributor basis. I don't think Bajaj has any say on whether KTMs or Kawis are offered with ABS or not.

[ksameer1234]

This thread feels like someone has penned down my own experience!! I was fairly impressed by RC390 but what sealed the deal was the price and I simply ran to the showroom and put in the booking amount without even seeing the bike in person!

While the ownership has been fairly trouble-free, I too got bitten by the touring-bug post purchase and ended up touring long distance. The only difference between your story and mine is that I have still retained the bike and continue to tour (though I wonder for how long)!

However, I will certainly agree that hauling a pillion seems to be like insulting the bike and it punishes rider in worst of the ways. I had in fact gone ahead and removed the pillion foot rest to avoid that enthusiastic pillion!

Congrats for your purchase and I am sure you would enjoy every of the serene refinement! Wishing you several happy miles!

[GowthamDonz]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Its a pleasure to read a well written ownership review of a bike that one barely ever hears about in the subcontinent
.
.
.
I hope you don't mind the queries. Just trying to understand the value proposition here

Hi Urban_Nomad,
Yes, the Dukes are really good all-rounders with a complete package of excellent value, sheer power and comfort. I didn't go for the duke mainly because (this may sound a ostentatious and pompous, bear with me on this) there are way too many dukes around. I love the duke for the value and the power all wrapped in a small petite package but to me, I wanted something that was rare on the streets.

[Thanga_RS]

Hey Gowtham,

Any updates on the Z250? Total kms clocked as of now and the service costs and service intervals of the Z250, as I have been closely eyeing on it. Any trips planned in 2017?

[GowthamDonz]

Originally Posted by Thanga_RS

Hey Gowtham,

Any updates on the Z250? Total kms clocked as of now and the service costs and service intervals of the Z250, as I have been closely eyeing on it. Any trips planned in 2017?

Sorry for the (very) late response, wasn't able to be active for quite a while. Apologies.
As of June 25, 2017 the Odo reading is 10,899 kilometers. I don't use it as a regular day to day bike but rather as a weekend ride, thus the low mileage.
Service intervals are as follows:
1st paid service - 1,000kms or 60 days from the Date of sale.
2nd Paid service - 6,000 kms or 180 days from earlier service
3rd paid service - 12,000 kms or 180 days from earlier service
4th paid service - 18,000 kms or 180 days from earlier service
5th paid service - 24,000 kms or 180 days from earlier service
6th paid service - 30,000 kms or 180 days from earlier service

The bike has completed its third service and the service cost is as follows :
1st service : 4,808 Rs
2nd service : 5,821 Rs
3rd service : 6,759 Rs

And as far as trips go, recently did a Chennai - Goa run in the month of May. Will post the travelogue 'if' i complete it