250cc Sport Bike | Kawasaki Ninja 250R (1983-2007)

Since 1986 Kawasaki has pretty much owned the 250cc sport bike class, and for good reason. The current and previous generation ninja 250R proved that it’s not always about muscle but about the sum of parts that make a great motorcycle.

In the Beginning….

The story of the Kawasaki Ninja 250R takes us back to early 80’s Japan, where the development of a belt driven 250cc motorcycle would shape the manufactures design philosophy for years to come. The first generation little ninja known as EX250-C also as GPZ-250 was Kawasaki’s first attempt to develop a 250cc sport bike. In 1983 and 1984 the first gen. ninja hit the market, belt driven, and in need of some serious redesigning Kawasaki went back to the drawing board. Motivated by these early failures Kawasaki was about to design one of the most successful motorbikes of all time.

The Dawning of a New Age….

Ninja 250R FUN!!!

In 1986 the completely revamped Ninja 250R hit the Canadian and American markets. Coded as the EX250-E, it was marketed as direct competition to another great iconic 250cc motorcycle the Honda Rebel. Although the Rebel is a cruiser and the Ninja250R a sport bike due to the lack of serious competition in the 250cc motorcycle class these two met head to head. With its comfortable upright seating position, 14,000 rpm redline, and modern sport bike styling the 250R was a success. However, it wasn’t until a few small design tweaks in 1988 that would cause this 250cc motorcycle to last 20+ years.

The next generation 1988 Ninja 250R, coded EX250-F is one of the most successful motorcycle designs of all time. Minor cosmetic changes, the resizing of the carburetor diameter to 32mm, and raising cylinder compression from 12.0:1 to 12.4:1 made the 1988 Ninja 250R a whole lot better. The slight engine modifications allowed for an easier revving motor, making that climb to 14,000 rpm’s all that much more fun. Now cosmetically more in tune with the modern sport bikes of its era and the engine punch to back it up, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R was primed to take the community of 250cc motorcycles by storm.

The classics never die

(1988-2007) Kawasaki Ninja 250R Specifications

Tagged as: 250cc Motorcycles, 250cc sport bike, 250cc Sport Bikes, 250R, Kawasaki, Kawasaki Ninja, Kawasaki Ninja 250R, Ninja, Ninja 250R