Kawasaki Z125 PRO

The Kawasaki Z125 Pro is styled to be a premium offering in the range and does manage to do so. It has the low slung neck with a highly sculpted headlamp housing. The fuel tank is aggressive-looking and so are the tank cowls. The front forks are upside down units and gold colored.

The seat is a single unit instead of a stepped and has a lot of cushioning for optimum comfort. There is an engine cowl as well, which helps in keeping the air diverted to the motor for better cooling.

At the rear, the LED tail light is designed to be sharp and takes inspiration from the bigger Z800. There is an underbelly exhaust, which increases the visual appeal further.

The Kawasaki Z125 Pro rides like a real pro on the road. It might have slightly lower figures on paper compared to those of its competitors, but the actual performance comes in when the engine kicks above its weight.

However, one will have to admit that it isn’t the most comfortable motorcycle for very tall people. Even if the 780 mm seat height is higher than that of the KSR Pro, the foot pegs are a little raised and rear set, making way for a compact riding ergonomics for short to medium sized riders, but a rather cramped up for tall riders.

The suspension is very stable and perfect for daily commuting as well as sporty riding. The upside-down front forks and offset monoshock rear suspension are good enough to absorb most of the bumps on the road without transferring them to the rider’s body. Moreover, the rear monoshock even gets a preload adjuster for the riders to customise the ride quality.

The mechanism under the hood is a rather sedated but very responsive motor. The 125 cc engine is a single-cylinder unit that has two valves and air-cooling feature. This simple, yet reliable, engine makes 9.8 PS of power at 8,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 9.6 Nm at 6,000 rpm.

For the transmission, the company uses a small 4-speed return type gearbox that comes with a manual wet multi-plate clutch. The gear lever is the link-type unit which is found on the higher displacement model in the company’s lineup.

The braking is handled by petal disc brakes at both ends, the design of which helps in good heat dissipation. The front disc is a 200 unit while the rear measures 184 mm, the same setup that we see on the smaller KSR Pro.

The motorcycle has a low kerb weight of just 101 kilograms, which makes it easier to manage in busy public places. The Backbone Type frame is built with high-tensile steel that offers rigidity and durability. The tyres on the 12-inch wheels are pretty thick too. The 100 mm front and 120 mm rear tyre are great on the road grip and provides good stability.

The Kawasaki Z125 Pro is a great motorcycle to have at the price tag. Especially considering the fact that it is the smallest offering in the Z series range and provides the perfect entry for the riders to fall for the higher displacement motorcycles in the company’s lineup.

Hence, at the given price point, this Kawasaki naked street bike is one of the best options.