Kawasaki Gives The Ninja And Z125 A Much-Needed Refresh

Team Green's smallest bikes get minor revisions for 2022.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Sep 26, 2021 at 10:27pm ET

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With the success of reigning Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea with Kawasaki in recent years, it really isn't surprising that a lot of young motorcycle enthusiasts all across the world are looking to start their two-wheeled journeys aboard a lean, green, racing machine. It's no wonder, really, that Kawasaki's KRT liveries are so popular among its entire range of Ninja sportbikes, either.

Having said that, our two-wheeler loving friends across the pond over in Europe aren't exactly free to hop aboard a brand spanking new Ninja ZX-10R as their first bike. Younger riders have to adhere to A1-approved machines which consist of motorcycles with engines no larger that 125cc, and with no more power than 15 ponies on tap. Lucky for them, at least, Kawasaki has A1-compliant versions of the Ninja, as well as the Z, for those who prefer a more upright riding position. For the 2022 model year, Team Green has bestowed a few updates to the Ninja 125 and Z125 a refresh, to breathe some new life to this now two year old platform.

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From a technical standpoint, the 2022 Ninja 125 and Z125 remain mechanically identical to their predecessors. Just like a lot of bikes in Kawasaki's model range, the company has embodied its 2022 model year refresh in the form of new and exciting colorways—colorways which seem to show a more playful and adventurous character from the Akashi House. As such, when it comes to performance, both the Ninja and Z125 sit at the very threshold of A1-compliance, powered by a 125cc, four-stroke, single, and pumping out 15 horsepower at 10,000 RPM.

The two bikes retain their tubular steel diamond-type frame, standard 37mm telescopic forks, and a preload-adjustable monoshock. The twins roll on 17-inch wheels shod in 110/80 and 130/70 tires at the front and back respectively. As far as colors are concerned, both bikes feature similar color options consisting of Black for standard versions, and Green/Black and White/Black for the SE variants. For the Ninja 125, the standard variant retails for 4,699 Euros ($5,545), while the SE variant goes for 4,799 Euros ($5,662). Meanwhile, the Z125 is slightly more affordable at 4,399 Euros ($5,190) for standard, and 4,499 Euros ($5,309) for the SE.