The long wait for the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R is nearly over, it would seem. This news comes to us as Kawasaki Indonesia has announced an online unveiling of the four-cylinder quarter-liter, set for July 10th.
Originally expected in April of this year, the coronavirus outbreak shifted things in the schedule, much to our 17,000 prm loving hearts.
Last week we brought you a report that said that the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R made over 40hp at the wheel at a recent dyno test.
The report attributed no source, which made that horsepower claim a bit hard to verify, but today we seem to have found where that power figure came from, thanks to our friends in Indonesia at the TMC Blog.
Slovenian exhaust maker Akrapovič briefly listed the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R on its website, showing both the stock horsepower and torque figures for the quarter-liter four-cylinder monster, but also the gains made from the company’s racing exhaust line.
In a move that surprised no one today, Jonathan Rea has inked another multi-year deal with Kawasaki in the WorldSBK Championship.
The news was expected as Rea has been unstoppable ever since he joined the Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) in 2015, which has led to a record-breaking five WorldSBK titles in a row for the Northern Irishman.
One of the most talented riders on any track right now, Rea is the man to beat in the production-based paddock, and KRT has honed the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR into an absolute weapon for its riders.
It is a little strange that Kawasaki has yet to release any specifics about the Ninja ZX-25R model, especially when markets around the world are gearing up for their order and delivery. After all, customers need to know what they are buying.
One of the key pieces of missing data, what everyone is anxious to know, is how much power this quarter-sized four-cylinder engine can produce, as it screams its way to 17,000 rpm.
We seem to have that answer today though, albeit unofficially, as a report is quoting a dyno run that saw 41.4hp at 15,350rpm and a peak torque output of 15.3 lbs•ft (20.8 Nm) at 12,700rpm.
It is surprising to us that Kawasaki has been so tight-lipped about its upcoming Ninja ZX-25R model.
It is not like the Japanese brand has been shy about talking about the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R, instead they just don’t seem to want to say anything of substance about the machine.
Maybe it is because we already know the most important aspect about the ZX-25R – namely that it has a 250cc four-cylinder engine that revs to the moon, along with traction control and other go-fast electronics.
If you have a 2019 or 2020 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R series motorcycle, then this latest recall from Kawasaki is for you.
The issue stems around poor ECU programming on the superbike’s computer, which can cause a backfire during high-engine load and use of the quickshifter.
The backfire can create a big combustion force in the exhaust system, which can lead to the air suction valves melting and/or catching on fire.
You have to hand it to Team Green, because out of the four Japanese motorcycle brands, it seems only Kawasaki is truly willing to innovate and take risks in the motorcycle industry.
Abandoning the rat race of MotoGP, Kawasaki has won six out of ten WorldSBK Championships in the past decade. They have released a lineup of supercharged sport bikes, with the Kawasaki Ninja H2 R making over 300hp.
Kawasaki has dominated the small-displacement category with its Ninja 250, Ninja 300, and now Ninja 400 offerings, and the company is about to shock the system again, with the 250cc four-cylinder Ninja ZX-25R.
So, it shouldn’t surprise us that Kawasaki is also the first Japanese OEM to show-off a full-sized electric motorcycle project (that’s assuming you believe Honda’s party line that it had no hand in the Mugen electric superbike at the Isle of Man TT).
We got our first glimpse of Kawasaki’s electric sport bike at EICMA last year, with the machine wrapped in Ninja 650 bodywork.
The Bimota story is about to get another chapter added to its pages, this time in the form of the the Bimota KB4 motorcycle.
It seems like a lifetime ago since we first heard about the KB4, though the bike was only briefly talked about at the EICMA show in Milan, just a handful of months ago.
An eventful week for the Italian brand, the headline for EICMA was Kawasaki’s purchasing of 49.9% of Bimota’s stock, and the unveiling of the Bimota Tesi H2.
While the Tesi H2 was on display for all to see, and was very provocative with its hub-center steering layout and supercharged inline-four engine, there was also a very quiet murmur about a second bike that would come from the business acquisition, the Bimota KB4.
Last week, we brought you photos of a carbon fiber clad Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R race bike that was put together by the Japanese brand to help promote the model’s launch, and to give an idea of what to expect from their upcoming spec-series for the quarter-liter screamer.
You liked it. We liked it. The motorcycling internet liked it. And let’s be honest, what isn’t their to like about this new motorcycle when its dripping in go-fast parts and ready to do the thing on any race track you point it at?
Feeling the need for an encore, Kawasaki has released some more photos of its carbon fiber ZX-25R, and naturally we feel obliged to share them with you.
Today is a twofer for the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R, as we get word from Southeast Asia that the bike’s debut this week has been postponed because of worries about spreading the coronavirus, which means we have to wait just a little longer to find out everything about this 250cc four-cylinder wonder.
On the bright side though, Team Green has posted up this unique carbon fiber creation, which it calls the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R Racer Custom model. As the name implies, it is a carbon-fiber-everything version of the ZX-25R, that is track-only.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R is a bike that we are eagerly looking forward to, here at Asphalt & Rubber, which might seem strange if you don’t know too much about the quarter-liter sport bike.
But with a 250cc displacement coming from its inline-four engine, which revs to 17,000 rpm…well, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R isn’t your typical mundane small-displacement affair.
Team Green is slowly building the hype machine for this model, and to help get us in the mood, we have a short video of WorldSBK racers Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes putting the ZX-25R through its paces at the Jerez circuit.