www.Z250.co.uk

Classic Kawasaki middleweights of the 80’s

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Unusually, The Z250 Twin was conceived very much with a UK market in mind. Local laws here meant at the time that as a learner you could ride bikes up to 250cc on ‘L’ plates until you passed your motorcycle test.

The design brief was issued in 1975 and the first prototype sent for evaluation by Kawasaki UK in 1976. Development was continued until 1978 with Kawaski UK involved at every stage unil the Scorpion’s show launch that year.

Many of Kawasaki UK’s staff were drawn from previous jobs the British Motorcycle industry and this seems to have led to a lightweight bike with good handling. Ease of maintenance was also quoted in contemporary tests as one of the Z250’s virtues.

The timing of the bikes arrival in 1979 was very fortunate as it coincided with Kawasaki’s double World Championship win with factory rider Kork Ballington. A replica model was added to the range in the factory’s racing colour scheme with special badges and a black engine.

The Kawasaki Z250 came late to a party which was heavily dominated by Honda in the late 1970’s, but became a dynasty of bikes with a cheaper pared back Z250B model, and in its final incarnations changed to the belt drive, uni-track suspension Z250T and GPz305.

Although I am only just starting I am gradually collecting period material to answer questions people like me may have about the Scorpion and its family. Click on the tabs above for details model by model. If you have any knowledge or comments you would be happy to share I’d love to hear from you. Contact jim@Z250.co.uk or join my Facebook page

The Website is now also covering the small ‘Z’ Singles. KawasakiZ250C and Z250LTD

Kawasaki Z250B1 Original sales sheet

Z250 Facebook page. ‘Like’ us and say hello      www.facebook.com/KawasakiZ250B

It was good enough for Kork!

Read ‘Road Bikes’ impressions from 1979

NEW! ... Click on the image to download Z250A parts catalogue as a PDF File ( approx 6MB file size )

Thanks due to Mark from www.KL250.co.uk for the loan of his material