We had reported a few months back that Kawasaki is preparing a 250cc version of the Versys. Seems like the new motorcycle is all set to hit the showroom floors. Our Indonesian friends are reporting that Kawasaki Motor Indonesia (KMI) has formally registered two 250cc variants of a new motorcycle. The registered names of the bikes are Kawasaki LE250B and LE250C, supposedly meant to represent two variants of the upcoming Versys 250.
Now, one may argue that the new bikes may be some other model, and not necessarily a Versys. However, our inquisitive media friends in Indonesia donned their detective caps and checked the code for the 650 variant of the Versys as well in their quest to be doubly sure. And guess what, the code for the 650cc variant does indeed match that of the 250cc version. The Versys 650 has been registered as the LE650, so quite naturally, the LE250 has a very high possibility of becoming the Versys 250 upon launch.
Kawasaki has been rumored to be working on the project for more than a year now. The Kawasaki Versys 250 was envisaged as a touring friendly motorcycle spawning multiple variants with a 250 cc DOHC inline 2 cylinder engine. Some key details about the new motorcycle are listed below
- To be based on the Kawasaki Ninja 250R FI twin cylinder engine
- The bikes uses a frame which is a derivative of the Z250
- Upside down front forks with a rear monoshock
- Shares the design cues with the bigger Kawasaki Versys 650
Kawasaki is employing a twin cylinder 250 engine (and not a single) as the Japnese maker wants the new bike to be up-to-date in terms of tech and performance. Also, the Ninja 250 with a twin cylinder is already a mass production motorcycle both in Thailand and Indonesia and would help Kawasaki share the components bin for the two products.
There isn’t any word on the launch of the bike in the Indonesian market yet. Though we expect the new model to be pretty close to production and assume that it should be launched in a matter of a couple of months from now. We expect an early 2017 launch of the motorcycle in the Indonesian market, and expect the model to make it to India as well, where it would offer a premium, yet affordable proposition for the touring aficionados.
Would you buy a Versys 250 if it arrived here? Does it make sense for this market? Do share your thoughts and opinions via comments, or via one of our social channels.
Source : TMCBlog