Kawasaki has showcased the new Ninja 125 and Z125 at the 2018 Intermot motorcycle show in Germany. As 125cc motorcycles, both of them fall in Europe’s A1 entry-level licensing tier which is the target market for the company with these bikes; and being entry-level bikes, they also target a younger audience. Despite their engine capacity, the Ninja 125 and Z125 are both well-equipped and feature styling elements from Kawasaki's larger-capacity offerings.
The Ninja 125, as the name suggests, is the fully-faired motorcycle. It features sharp-looking bodywork from the front to the rear. The bike's tank, front mudguard, muffler and wheels look similar to those on the Ninja 300. However, the tail on this bike appears to be more steeply-raked and similar to the one on the latest-generation Ninja 650.
The Z125, on the other hand, is Kawasaki's sport-naked offering. Like the Ninja, the Z125 borrows many styling elements from larger ‘Z’ models in the company’s line-up. In the white and black (with a green trellis frame) colour scheme, the Z125 looks like a mini Z650.
Both bikes are powered by the same 125cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, single-cylinder engine that makes 14.8hp and 11.6Nm of torque. This motor comes paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The motorcycles use a 37mm telescopic fork and preload-adjustable monoshock for suspension. Taking care of braking is a dual-channel ABS-equipped 290mm disc at the front and 220mm disc at the rear.
Both bikes have optional seat-heights on offer. The Ninja 125 can either be had with a seat height of 785mm or 805mm, meanwhile the Z125 can be optioned with a seat height of 790mm or 815mm. The kerb weight for the Ninja 125 is 148kg while the Z125 weighs-in at 146kg.
These Kawasakis will compete against the likes the KTM 125 Duke and RC 125 in Europe; and like them, the Z125 and Ninja 125 will most likely not be sold in India. That being said, we do expect to see Kawasaki developing slightly higher-capacity engines like a 150cc or a 200cc, which could make it to the bikes for India and other developing markets.