[GowthamDonz]

What does the Z stand for?

“The Japanese word “Sugomi” describes the intense aura or energy given off by a person or object of greatness and felt by the viewer. Someone, or something, possessing “Sugomi” inspires awe, leaves an indelible impression, is imposing in stature or ability and commands respect. “Sugomi” can be seen in the crouching of a hunting predator as it gathers energy in preparation to strike, muscle tensing in anticipation, eyes locked onto its prey.” – from the Kawasaki website

And I for one absolutely agree with everything they are saying. Everything about the bike is at a level that is so technologically advanced for a quarter litre bike, that it sets a standard on its own. Well, welcome ladies and gents, to the Kawasaki Z family. More specifically, a fairly detailed review of My Kawasaki Z250 aka Calista/Flying Raijin.

So before going into thereview, let me tell a bit about what made me to go for the kwacker. I was one of those people who were damn excited about the KTM RC390. So when Bajaj-KTM announced they’d be opening the bookings for the RC390 on September 9 2014, I was the first to the showroom (literally) to book my RC390 and I got the bike on October 24, 2014. One of the very first to get the bike on the streets. It is as everyone knows, the best package of power and precision and the closest thing to a track ready bike. But, I ended up using it for all the wrong purposes altogether which was surprise surprise ‘touring’. Yes, the bike performed very well without any issues on several trips. It helped me to cover Munnar, Valparai, Yelagiri, Kolli Hills, and Yercaud. It was such a joy to ride on be it the mountain ghat sections or the open highways. It made every ride safe and yet very blisteringly quick. It was loaded with gadgets and filled to the brim with power. However, now comes the sore part, on the city streets when ridden with a pillion the ride was very uncomfortable. In stop start traffic, with a pillion, when you hit the brakes, the entire weight of the bike and the pillion shifts to the front end, to the arms and shoulders of the rider. It puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the wrists and the shoulders making it practically un drivable without taking any breaks, in city conditions. Also after a few city runs I noticed that I started to develop a pain in my neck region. Now it could be the bike or it could be entirely because of my incompetence as a rider. Whatever it was, that was moment I started to realise that I had to get something comfortable. That was the moment when I realised that I had to sell my beloved RC. So after one year and six months with it, after glorious memories on it, with a heavy heart I sold it. With that done it was time for stage two.






So, the choice of bikes I had in mind was pretty narrow. My choice was something that had more than 250cc but within a five lakh rupees margin, and in which I would be able to a considerable amount of long distance travel. There was the Benelli 300, Yamaha R3, Ninja 300 and the Kawasaki Z250 and the new entrant Mahindra Mojo. The Benelli was good in every way with a solid package offering good power, comfort and overall performance. But given the fact that it a really new entrant in the Indian automotive scene and had a really scare service network I had to let it pass. The front end of the Benelli was a bit too polite and calm. Everything was A-OK about the Yamaha, but to go with a super sport faired bike again, I had my thoughts and thus it had to go. Now the Mahindra Mojo ticked all my boxes. Built for touring with all the right knicks for covering long distances it was a good package. But still, there has to be something more. Something that moved my soul. So I moved on. Thus it was a match between siblings. The Ninja 300 and the z250. The Ninja was such a eye catcher and the most expensive of the lot. At 4.10 lakh OTR Chennai, it was the expensive of the lot too. The Z250 on the other hand not being too cheaper, came at 3.52 lakh OTR Chennai. The Ninja, R3 and the Benelli are all really good bikes. Very pretty to look at and a dream to own and ride. But if were to spend a huge sum, it was going to be on something that really connected with me. I was in a position go for the Ninja, still it was a matter of heart over mind. The Z looked meaner and had a very unique presence on the street. Yes it was slower and was down on power, had poor brakes and tyres and was a lot more expensive than the competition, but it was so gorgeous in a sensual and feisty way. It was unique and had a sense of panache and a distinct aura to it. To me that was it. And thus, it was decided. It had to be the baby Z.

Mind you, I had never seen the Z in the flesh .. er.. metal and fibre. Called the showroom people at Adyar, Chennai if they had a Z250 for test ride, and their response was that a Z250 will not available anywhere in Tamil Nadu for test ride as they will get the bike only if anyone had booked it. I’ve never seen the bike, never ridden it or didn’t have the slightest clue of how it will be. Looked for ownership reviews online but ended up without any leads. Anyway after ogling at pictures and videos of the bike on the internet for several days, on February 9, 2016 afternoon, I took a leave of absence from work, headed to the Kawasaki Showroom in Adyar, Chennai and booked a lime green (as it was the only colour being offered in India) Kawasaki Z250. Paid 50,000/- Rs for the booking and was told that the waiting period was about 15-20 days. On February 26, 2016 evening got a call from the showroom people saying the bike was available for delivery. Sorted out the papers, made the payment a few days ago so that I could ride away with the bike on delivery day. The final list price was Rs 3,51,150/- On road Chennai. Took delivery of the bike after wishes from the sales team at Adyar KTM Store, Chennai.



The styling and the build quality:

“Sugomi” can be seen in the crouching of a hunting predator as it gathers energy in preparation to strike, muscle tensing in anticipation, eyes locked onto its prey. What better words can be used to express the design of the Z250 or the other bigger siblings of the Z family? The bike is designed exactly as those words describe with intensity, the meaning for ‘Sugomi’. From the focused angry eyed headlamp to the Z shaped bikini fairing exposing a little but not everything under the covers, which is a sensual way to capture true beauty, to the muscular chiselled bulging tank to the raised tail section, the styling is unique and makes it stand out in any crowd creating a sense of awe to both the rider and onlookers alike. The styling is not only unique and magnificent to behold but also carries functionality and practicality. It makes it an easy bike to live with yet making everyday an occasion. The quality, as you would imagine is typically top class by Kawasaki. From the bolts to the foot pegs to the levers to the wires. Everything is made to last and every part has been manufactured with utmost care to go with the features of the bike.

















Seating and comfort:

The Z250 is a naked street fighter and can be doubled as a tourer as well. The handle bar is well wide as in any street fighter and the seating feels very comfortable in the city be it as a single rider or with a pillion. The rider’s seat is wide and both the rider and the pillion seat are comfortable. The rear seat is as same as in the Ninja300. The rider however sits in a more upright position with arms well wide apart and the knees grip the tank well making it well suited for a comfortable cruise in open roads and in the city. In start stop traffic the Z250 feels at ease and glides through traffic without any sense of difficulty. There is no stress whatsoever on the wrist or the shoulders or the lower back. On longer rides, the bike is smooth and performs well without any strain or stress on the engine or the rider. The comfortable position of the rider coupled with the brilliant parallel twin engine makes the journey exciting and pleasant.

The headlight is derived directly from the bigger sibling, the Z800 offering very sharp resemblance between the two. Illumination is good and covers a wide part of the road ahead.

Those eyes



The instrument console:




Brakes and tires:

Both the front and the rear brakes are adequate and there is no ABS for the Z250. The front brake is rather very responsive even without the ABS. The front brake offers good stopping power however the rear brakes are very poor. There is no feedback whatsoever from the rear stoppers. You press it and nothing happens. Press it some more the wheels lock up. Hope Kawasaki takes a look into this to make it a bit safer and more responsive.
The Z250 comes with IRC road winners as standard which are although really adequate and offer good ride quality. It offers good grip but takes quite a bit of time to heat up. On the curves the tires do struggle for grip but it’s easy to maintain the stability of the bike which is all due to the engineering done by Kawasaki. The bike is exceptionally well balanced making up for the poor tires. The handling in the city is good and the bike feels very composed while zipping through traffic.

The Z250 offers 31PS of power from the 249cc engine with 21.0 NM of torque at 8500rpm. The engine is rev happy and requires considerable amount of throttle action to get the power going. The 0-100kph comes at a slow but steady 8 odd seconds and goes all the way to a predicted top whack of 160kph. In the city the bike is a joy to ride and handles the traffic really well, be it as a solo rider or with a pillion. On the highway there is a bit of wind blast above 90kph and it is well within the tolerable region up to 120kph. However, the stability is still exceptional and makes the rider feel very relaxed and comfortable. The transmission is simply phenomenal. There is no word to describe how smooth it performs. It is without a doubt a level above the rest in terms of quality and smoothness. However, on uphill ghat roads, with only 21NM of torque the bike does struggle for power with can be corrected with a lot of gear shifts and throttle action to get the power from the rev happy 249cc mill. Then again being low on power has its benefits, sort of. It does give good fuel efficiency be it in the highway or in the city. On highways, I got an efficiency of about 34kmpl making the theoretical range as 570 kilometres approximately on a single tank which is great and in the city it was 27kmpl which is not bad for a 249cc twin cylinder engine.

To sum it all up:

The Z250 is an expensive bike that does not have the gadgets to compete with the competition. It is down on power and isn’t really good value for money. The running cost is on the high side too. So why did I go for a Z250 when it does not give good power output or have better tires or a loaded console or an ABS? Well to me (atleast), it is a complete bike. It offers an exceptionally a well engineered parallel twin engine with a butter smooth gem of a transmission system and well balanced ride that’s comfortable with a gorgeous unique design that’s simply a joy to look at (which makes me happy). It offers a comfortable seating for the rider and the pillion which means I don’t have to get a neck surgery in the near future (which makes my Mom happy). It offered exclusivity and uniqueness that is quite a luxury in itself. In all, this was a matter of Heart Vs. Mind and I chose what my heart had chosen. With a huge meaningless 3.51 lakh price tag, and lesser features than the competition, I chose the one that moved my soul. In the crowd of Dukes, RC’s, CBR’s, Yamaha’s and Ninja’s, Benelli’s and Mojo’s, this does and will, surely, stand out and makes its presence felt. Sugomi. Calista. Flying Raijin.

Now that was all about my likes and how I felt about it. The question is should you go for it or will I recommend it for another person? Well, that depends on a number of things like what the person wants and what he/she desires, or if you are looking for exclusivity, a sense of being special in a crowd of nothingness, or a unique design ideology or if refinement and quality is all that matters or if it’s a complete street fighter package of good efficiency, power, style and handling with comfort, with money being not an option, then this will be a great choice. However, At the end of the day, personal affinity is all that matters.

Highlights:

• It’s a Kawasaki, so it carries quality and refinement.
• The unique design is sporty and has an upmarket feel to it bearing close resemblance to the Z800.
• Exclusivity.
• A butter smooth engine and a transmission that works as a dream.
• A well refined 249cc parallel twin engine with very low vibrations producing 31PS of power with 21NM of torque.
• Large fuel tank, quality & fit and finish of the trims are top class.
• Upright position that is sporty, would work well as a city commuter or as a long distance mile muncher.
• Best in class fuel efficiency.

What will be disliked:

• Pricing. At 3,51,150 rs on road Chennai, this is a pricey motorcycle.
(Everything else that has to disliked is due to the pricing)
• No ABS, No sticky tires, a standard issue console, No LED indicators, Less power and torque, Lower top speed compared the competition that offers all of this at a considerably lower price.
• Power is at the higher part of the rev range.

[GowthamDonz]

First Service Bill

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Cyborg]

Hey Donz,

Congratulations on the Z, wish you a happy ownership!

I like your thought process man - always buy what you desire and makes you happy. "People" always have things to say - never bother about them

Ride safe.

Cheers

[IshaanIan]

I like that you bought what you loved the most and I must admit the Z250 looks smashing and is an enviable streefighter, but wanted to know how satisfied you may be with the bike in the long run; coming from the RC390 to this must make it feel really slow. I do admit that lower powered bikes can be fun to ride more often since riding on the limit of a machine is always thrilling but being an RC390 owner myself, and just having got used to the power this little rocket makes, I simply can't imagine owning something that much slower. So how is that working out for you? I hate to say this, but I feel you should have done a few more test drives before buying a bike. The R3 for example, would be perfect since its footpegs, seat height and handlebar height lend it a pretty upright position for a sportbike definitely not like a supersport, yet the power and midrange shove that you get from it would not make it feel that slow in comparison to your old RC390 and a fairing is always a nice thing to have out on the highway when you are touring. I feel you dismissed the R3 too early. I frankly love it when people go with their heart, and had this been your first bike I would have rejoiced along with the others but I honestly feel like you should have done a little more research first. Sorry for being such a downer

Cheers!

[Porschefire]

Hey Gowtham!

Heartiest congratulations on buying the Z250. It looks absolutely smashing. I was reading your travelogue the other day (what pictures man, you have some skill I must say!) and was admiring your Z800! I was like, wow, he's got a good looking silencer that looks way better than the stock! But then something didn't feel right. I glanced at the front forks and they weren't USD and after looking at the two header pipes coming out, realized it is a Z250!

It must have been some journey from the RC390 to the Z250 and I appreciate you going with your heart's decision. The biggest difference must be the power or rather the lack of it, right? But I know you've made the right decision! Let me tell you and the others why -

I own the faired sibling of your bike, the Ninja 250R and the engine on both of our bikes are the same. Mine produces 0.5bhp more I think but in the real world you wouldn't notice it at all. I've had the opportunity to ride a Duke 200 for about 150kms and the Duke 390 for 20-30kms and I must say both are mental from the word go! You crack open the throttle, the power rushes in like a bull, you smile from ear to ear and before you know it, you are hitting the limiter! And this happens in each and every gear.

The 250 is completely different! I can't understand how they've managed to sell as many 250s as they've by providing a test ride around the block! I mean, this engine has no torque, no power below 8000rpm and a person who is test riding it will never cross that! He will for sure feel that this bike lacks power! But then, take it to 8k and then you shall see magic! The way it lunges forward all the way till its 13k redline (but revs till 14k!) has to be experienced to believe how good this engine is! And while you are revving the nuts of it, the engine remains absolutely vibe free! No wonder that this engine has been in production for close to 20 years!

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!

Enjoy the ride and wishing you for many more travelogues.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlCd4-DyvOg

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

My point is, we cannot compare a single cylinder to a twin, the Duke/RC to the Z/Ninja.

Sure when you boil it down to the basics, you can never compare a single cyl to a paralel twin or a paralel twin to a V-Twin or a V-twin to an in-line 4 or 3cyl, or an in-line 4 to a straight 6 or a straight 6 to a V12. Just as you cannot compare a supersport to a sportbike or a sportbike to a naked. That said, owning a bike that is MUCH faster and replacing it with something slower, is something I cannot imagine doing.

Biking is a very visceral experience and the speed, adaptation with heightened reactions and sheer thrill, is something irreplaceable IMO. Sure if one has a collection or more than one machine, it is possible.

Ninja 250 is definitely a more comfortable, upright bike that oozes quality and refinement and a wide rev-range, while the RC390 is also tuned to give peaky performance, it is a more knife-edged track bike and the two can never be compared losing all that speed once you have owned it and been able to extract it properly, is something I cannot imagine.

Admittedly, I am a noob when it comes to biking and I understand that others may not be drawn to it for the same visceral experience as I am.

[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

[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!

[Added_flavor]

Congratulations! Fantastic pictures!

Welcome to the league of extraordinary gentlemen who've taken a mature backward leap from 375cc to 250cc.

Takes a big heart to give up on the brute power, 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!

This is probably the first ever review of the Z250 I'm reading. We almost forget this bike when we discuss bikes, south of 5L. Your review adds great value to prospective quarter litre bike owners! Cheers and ride safe!

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Sure when you boil it down to the basics, you can never compare a single cyl to a paralel twin or a paralel twin to a V-Twin or a V-twin to an in-line 4 or 3cyl, or an in-line 4 to a straight 6 or a straight 6 to a V12. Just as you cannot compare a supersport to a sportbike or a sportbike to a naked.

Thanks for the info! I'm more enlightened now!

That said, owning a bike that is MUCH faster and replacing it with something slower, is something I cannot imagine doing.

I completely respect your opinion, Sir.

Biking is a very visceral experience and the speed, adaptation with heightened reactions and sheer thrill, is something irreplaceable IMO. Sure if one has a collection or more than one machine, it is possible.

I agree!

...while the RC390 is also tuned to give peaky performance, it is a more knife-edged track bike and the two can never be compared losing all that speed once you have owned it and been able to extract it properly, is something I cannot imagine.

Again, completely agree about the RC.
Here's the thing, some of us are not obsessed with 'POWERRRRRR' and we look beyond it. My good friend and riding buddy, Added_flavor is the perfect example, who sold a D390 to buy a CBR250R and is immensely happy with his decision. Sure, you can have great fun doing traffic signal drags and get a kick when you leave the rest of the traffic for dust. That ain't my cup of tea though. Would I be comfortable touring on the RC? No. Gowtham wanted to tour on his bike and hence he bought the Z250 which I am trying to say is a very good decision because it is a better tourer than the Duke/RC can be. And mind you, the 250 is no slouch. 0-100 in 8secs with a top whack of 160 kmph isn't slow by any means in India.

[barcalad]

This is probably the first time I'm reading something in detail about the Z250. I've always liked the bike, given it's Sugomi inspired design (which I'm a massive fan of). I would have surely ranked it higher in my Sub-500cc list only if it had been priced a tad lower and had some features which it's competition does possess. But then, when your heart is set and your mind oblivious to the hubbub, nothing can stop you from what you want. I always respect people who make bold decisions.

I, as a D390 owner, like the choice you've made. It's a very wise decision. Yes, the power surge will be missed but hey, that's not the only thing that matters in a two wheeler. I'm sure this machine's going to serve it's owner for decades to come. A pity that it's still not mentioned in the same breath as the Mojo and the Austrians.

Your pictures are inspiring. Very well shot and edited. Your travelogue was great and I enjoyed gaping at the pictures and the unbelievable picturesque backgrounds you have chosen. Job well done!

Here's wishing you a lot of joy-filled kilometres.

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.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Here's the thing, some of us are not obsessed with 'POWERRRRRR' and we look beyond it. My good friend and riding buddy, Added_flavor is the perfect example, who sold a D390 to buy a CBR250R and is immensely happy with his decision. Sure, you can have great fun doing traffic signal drags and get a kick when you leave the rest of the traffic for dust. That ain't my cup of tea though. Would I be comfortable touring on the RC? No. Gowtham wanted to tour on his bike and hence he bought the Z250 which I am trying to say is a very good decision because it is a better tourer than the Duke/RC can be. And mind you, the 250 is no slouch. 0-100 in 8secs with a top whack of 160 kmph isn't slow by any means in India.

You might be exaggerating what I meant to say. It's not all about "POWERRRR" for sure, but going from sub 5 second acceleration to 8, is a huge difference. Tackling twisty roads on the RC is simply thrilling, twist the throttle and the corners come at you even faster your entire world while riding, seems to spin at a different pace. I am not arguing that the CBR or Ninjas are not better touring bikes. They are for sure. The RC is at the end of the day, a relatively tiring experience even given the light weight. The Z250, Ninja 250, CBR 250 are all MUCH easier to tour on due to the riding position and refinement levels. That said, would Added_flavor have replaced his 390 with a CBR if the Yamaha R3 was available at the time? Or if the Ninja 300 was priced more reasonably? I'd wager not. In this instance Gowtham clearly had the budget, yet I feel he ought to have let his heart mature a little bit Afterall Gowtham had mentioned that he even bought this bike without test riding it. Don't get me wrong, I love the Z250 infact I myself initially considered buying the bike till I started leaning towards loving the sharp high speed dynamics of a sportbike like the R15/RC200/RC390.

I guess that might be the problem. I learnt how to ride a bike back in November last year on an FZ16 and then a friend's CBR250 and although my Dad was ready for me to get one on the first day that I learnt how to ride itself, I chose to take more time; after my brief lust for the Z250, I began loving the R15, but soon I myself felt the loss of power would not keep me entertained for much time and finally ended up buying my bike close to March. A lot of folks out there end up buying the wrong bike simply because of looks or specs, they fail to ask themselves which kind of bike they want and then such compromises sometimes become necessary in order to finally shift to riding the bike they were meant to. I just feel that with the launch of the Benelli300 and Yamaha R3, this much of a compromise on power would not have been necessary. I love that there is now an ownership thread for a bike that is so stunning yet so rare and if Gowtham remains chuffed to bits with his purchase, I'd be just as happy as everyone else.

No offense meant to anyone I am simply trying to engage on a deeper level with what really moves different bikers

[aquashankar]

Many congratulations on the purchase of this simply beautiful machine. and wishing you many miles of satisfied ownership. Your photographs are very motivating for me to get out there and ride.

If I may venture to ask, was there any reason the Honda CBR 250 was not considered? It is a very decent bike that has usable power for commutes and comfortable for touring as well. Besides this, the maintenance is low and mileage is above average. Of course it has 5 bhp less than the Z250 and is not as flickable.

[The Brutailer]

The ideal bike for him would've been the CBR250 or the thunderbird 500 with an added windshield. Yet he chose the Z250? Why? Because sometimes you can't have a logical decision and you go with the purchase which your heart makes. Afterall the heart wants what it wants.

Anyway, a Harley owner doesn't give 2 hoots about how fast an R1 or Panigale goes. It's not about speed or power. It's all about how much satisfaction the machine really gives you.

If power was everything then the world's greatest car would be from companies like Bugatti or Pagani. That's not the case now, is it?