Letter From Japan

LETTER FROM Japan

ROUNDUP

Ninja 250: Baby gets new clothes

It may be a little early, but the first 1988 Kawasáki is already released here in Japan. It’s the 250 Ninja, and the restyled and improved Ninjette will also be Kawasaki’s first 1988 model in America. It’s scheduled for introduction in there sometime in early summer of this year. By all accounts, the Japanese version is the same as the versions intended for the American market.

As first introduced in the U.S. last June, the sexy little 250 Ninja had a racy profile that made it look like it was going a million miles an hour when it was parked; but the truth is that it wasn’t all that quick. Oh, the four-stroke Twin did have a mighty-high 14,000-rpm

redline, but it seemed to take all day to reach it. This year, the 250 produces a claimed five more horsepower than before, and revs much more quickly to the same redline.

In addition to the increased horsepower, the engine has been given stronger mid-range power, with more torque between 4000 and 7000 rpm. Nevertheless, the little engine still doesn’t come into its own until around 8000 rpm. But with a claimed weight of just over 300 pounds, the new baby Ninja should prove quite a bit more potent than its predecessor.

There are precious few other mechanical changes to the new 250. Besides having a longer swingarm, the chassis is no different, so the bike handles virtually the same as last year’s model.

Beyond a doubt, much of the appeal of the original Ninja 250 was its styling; and like the new 600, the new 250 has a rethought fairing design for 1988. Now equipped with bodywork that includes a complete lower cowling covering most of the engine, the 250 is a deadringer for the 750: same curves, same shape, same paint. If not for the size of the 250, it could easily be mistaken for its larger stablemate; and on a really tight, twisty road, it definitely will be easier to ride quickly.

So all in all, the new 250 shapes up as a much better sportbike package than did last year’s machine. It looks even more deadly than before with its new bodywork. But by far, the best part is that it probably will have performance to match its looks. —Kengo Yagawa