Kawasaki supersports are exciting bikes, no matter their displacement, like this gorgeous Kawasaki ZXR250R, a cucumber four-cylinder with only a quarter of a liter displacement.
From the green brand we know very well the powerful and mythical ZXR 750, that sports bike so beast, in appearance and rudeness, a super stable, super powerful and hard as a board, characterized by its livery, the unmistakable mix of green, white and blue.
From this saga we know the 750 and the 400, but did you know his little Kawasaki ZXR250R? Yes, a small quarter-liter with a four-cylinder engine, a jewel of goldsmithing born simultaneously with the 750 in 1989 and which, obviously, was sold mainly in Japan.
Contrary to what it may seem, the Kobe brand did not enter this popular category until the late eighties, when rival brands had already had their quarter-liter four-cylinders on the market for a long time.
Of course, when they entered they did it conscientiously with this little marvel, which was entirely developed from scratch, not starting from any other motorcycle. It was a supercar designed for the circuit, and adapted to the street, a common way of thinking in the green brand.
The Kawasaki ZXR250R is a scale superbike of the mighty ZXR 750
Its design and manufacturing quality were such that it was a sales success from the first moment it was launched. And it is that the components were of higher quality than those of its rivals, and the power that its engine was capable of developing was superior.
Its small engine -4T, LC, 16V, DOHC- delivered an impressive 45 CV -which was limited- and debuted the famous K-RAS (Kawasaki Ram Air System) forced air intake system that in 1990 would equip the almighty sport tourism ZZ-R1100.
In the cycle part, it debuted a tremendous and robust aluminum double-beam chassis, inverted fork -the first quarter-liter to equip it-, adjustable rear monoshock, 17” alloy wheels and double front disc brake.
It was a scale superbike, with all its technology, with its same chassis, its same quality of suspensions, and I would dare to say that aesthetically it was even more balanced than its older sisters. Only the current ZX-25R seems to want to resume this myth…
The quality of components and its aesthetics were key to being a sales success at first
The integral fairing with the circular double headlight incorporated the iconic two air intake tubes between the fairing and the tank, in the image and likeness of the 750, a detail that only Kawasaki incorporated in its street models.
The racing tail, all decorated in green, with blue and white stripes, finished off a set that was simply superb. Impossible to resist such a racing character… And the instrumentation consisted of three analog spheres on a foam rubber support, like competition motorcycles.
It was produced in a standard version and in a circuit-oriented Sports Production version -the one illustrated in this article-, with 32mm carburettors, radial tires and a tighter gear ratio. It seems incredible that such a small thing can still be squeezed more…
Today it is already a collector’s jewel, a small superbike that evokes the glorious times of small multi-cylinder Japanese motorcycles, a dream.