Kawasaki launches Z250SL in Indonesia, India launch soon?
Indonesia, it seems has all the luck shining on their motorcyclists. Especially with Kawasaki displaying a massive amount of interest in their budding economy; since the past few years they have been the first to receive quarter-litre bikes that we’d love to have in India. Now, Kawasaki has officially launched the Z250SL in Indonesia, a market known for favouring quarter-litre machines.
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The Kawasaki Z250SL employs a trellis-type frame and has a kerb weight of 148kg[/caption]
The Z250SL makes great sense for India and here is why. It employs a 250cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor developing 28bhp at 9700rpm and 23Nm at 8200rpm of peak torque. The engine sits inside a steel trellis-type frame, making for a light kerb weight of 148kg for the 250SL. Suspension duties are taken care of by 37mm telescopic front forks upfront (no fancy USDs here), and a Uni-track linked rear monoshock with preload adjustment at the back. A twin-caliper 263mm petal disc and 193mm single caliper petal disc are employed on the front and rear wheel respectively to handle braking. The 250SL isn’t styled like the Z250, 800 or even the radical Z1000 but holds its own with sharp and edgy styling. A small digital pod flanked by tell-tale lights makes up for instrumentation. ABS is optional, and Kawasaki claim the ABS on the 250SL is the world’s smallest unit, adding a mere 2kg to the 148kg kerb weight.
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Compact instrument cluster has the usual read-outs and is flanked by tell-tale lights[/caption]
It’s not hard to guess that the Z250SL is a budget Kwacker, built to a cost. In India though, Kawasaki has always hit a road-block with the pricing of their product. The cheapest Kawasaki in the country today is the Ninja 300, which despite Kawasaki taking the CKD route costs nearly Rs 4 lakh on road, which is a lot higher than its competitors. Kawasaki say the pricing is courtesy the high quality of parts on the motorcycle, but that barely justifies the pricing to the Indian buyer. The Z250SL costs approximately Rs 2.02 lakh in Indonesia where the motorcycle has just been launched. We believe Kawasaki India is considering launching the motorcycle in India, and in our opinion a price tag of Rs 2.20 lakh sounds apt for it.
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The styling of the Z250SL isn’t as radical as other Z models but is attractive nonetheless[/caption]
If Kawasaki decide to go the KTM way and source parts locally through partners Bajaj Auto, they should be able to lower prices of their entry-level motorcycles and look for a larger share of the burgeoning performance market in the country.
