By NastyNils·
Motorcycle comparison · Naked Bike vs Supersport
Kawasaki Z250SL (MY2015) vs Ninja 125 (MY2019)
Kawasaki Z250SL vs Ninja 125: different classes, one choice. Here's how to make it.
You'll feel the Kawasaki Z250SL pull from low revs the moment you open the throttle, and it keeps spinning smoothly to the limiter. On the Kawasaki Ninja 125, the throttle wants the revs held high. Up there, it's wide awake and eager.
So which one do you buy?
The Z250SL has the edge if…
Daily commuting & city riding
Inches ahead: Z250SL
On the way to work, the Z250SL asks a little less of you. Thank simpler maintenance for that. Close enough that the test ride should settle it.
The Ninja 125 has the edge if…
Sporty riding on twisty roads
Nose ahead: Ninja 125
Through a string of corners, the Ninja 125 feels a little more eager. The gap is small, so ride both.
A confidence-building first motorcycle
By a nose: Ninja 125
For a new rider, the Ninja 125 noses ahead. It's down to easier controls. How it fits you counts for more than this gap.
What makes each one tick
Z250SL
There's no heft to fight. Every twist of the grip gets a quick answer from the single, and its gear-driven balancer shaft means it doesn't buzz through the bars. The front petal disc bites hard and doesn't hide what the tire's doing. Under trail-braking, the front tire digs in.
Ninja 125
The Ninja's full fairing copies the sharp lines of its bigger siblings, and there's a full-size chassis underneath it. Between squeezes of the brake lever, which works through standard ABS, the single's happiest with its tach needle swinging toward 10,000 rpm. Its single isn't wound tight. That engine just keeps on running.
The Voice of Experience
What actually separates them
- The Z250SL makes more peak power: 28 hp (21 kW) vs 15 hp (11 kW).
- The Z250SL makes more peak torque: 17 lb-ft (23 Nm) vs 9 lb-ft (12 Nm).
- The Z250SL has the larger engine: 249 cc vs 125 cc.
Which one for the way you ride
Comfortable long-distance riding
Wrong job for both
Both of these get tiring on a long day. A proper tourer will treat you better on big miles.
Traveling with luggage
Neither one fits
Neither of these was built to haul bags. A tail bag and a credit card is the realistic plan.
Who each one is built for
What's good, and what you'll live with
Z250SL
What owners say
Strengths
- Smooth, rev‑happy engine
- Superlight and agile handling
- Excellent build quality and reliability
- Powerful, communicative brakes
Ninja 125
What owners say
Strengths
- Exceptionally reliable, under-stressed engine
- Lively, rev-happy engine
What they share
- Seat height
- 30.9 in (785 mm)
- Engine
- Single-cylinder
- Cooling
- Liquid-cooled
- Fuel capacity
- 2.9 US gal (11 L)
- Gearbox
- 6-speed
- Front tire
- 100/80-17
- Rear tire
- 130/70-17
Where the spec sheets split
| Z250SL | Ninja 125 | |
|---|---|---|
| Wet weight | 324 lb (147 kg) | 326 lb (148 kg) |
| Z250SL | Ninja 125 | |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 249 cc | 125 cc |
| Power | 28 hp (21 kW) | 15 hp (11 kW) |
| Peak power at | 9,700 rpm | 10,000 rpm |
| Torque | 17 lb-ft (23 Nm) | 9 lb-ft (12 Nm) |
| Peak torque at | 8,200 rpm | 7,700 rpm |
What comes fitted, what costs extra
| Z250SL | Ninja 125 | |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | Option | Standard |
Head to head, area by area
Both bikes on the same scale, one area at a time.
