Words: Matthew Shields

“So what is it?” No question came up more often in my time aboard the Z125 Pro than that. And without one word to totally describe the Z125 Pro, you could say it is essentially a combination of a commuter, nakedbike, and a funbike. I say funbike purely for the fact that it is a small motorcycle, no matter which way you look at it. If you don’t believe it by looking at the photos, check one out in the metal!

The commuter character of the Z125 Pro comes through in its handling. The 12-inch wheels give fast and precise handling, like a similarly-shod scooter does. And like a scooter, it is a convenient machine around town. Sure it doesn’t have storage space under the seat like a scooter does, but it is almost light enough to pick up, small enough to tuck into a nook if you want to park it away and it’ll hold its own in free-flowing traffic on a peak-hour run home.

As a nakedbike it not only looks like a relative of the legendary Zed family, but has a fast, nimble and flighty character about its handling dynamic. It’s fuel-injected 125cc engine has good punch off idle to get you away from the lights quickly, the brakes are sharp and strong, and it’s an aggressive seating position that is also comfortable at the same time. These traits are all nakedbike-like, and the Z125 delivers them all in smaller scale than other motorcycles do.

With all these character traits, the Z125 Pro is the perfect machine for making the monotony of going from A to B every day of the week easy, fun, practical and convenient. Yep, this is a little motorcycle that delivers a lot of positives for the urban commuter, and it doesn’t have to go fast to deliver them.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

One of the strengths of the Z125 is its engine. The architecture is simple – an air-cooled, single overhead cam two-valve engine that puts out 7.1kW – 10 horsepower in old speak. Outright top speed this engine delivers is 107km/h on a decline, with a good distance to wind out to top speed. On the open road, it is good at maintaining 80km/h in any situation. For that reason, the urban jungle is the Z125’s domain.

From a standstill the Z125 pulls away from the line well enough to ensure you aren’t swamped by traffic that’s been given the same green light. In the lower end of the rev range the engine builds power strongly enough that you can move to 80km/h without frantically working through the gearbox or waiting for it to get up to speed. You won’t lose track of where you are in the four-speed gearbox, though the gear-position indicator is a bonus – especially for less experienced riders.

Similarly there are a lot of big value details like the gear position indicator on the little Zed. The level of detail in the Zed’s overall design and quality of finish is far better than it deserves to be at just over $4k. The LED taillight, digital dash with fuel gauge, petal brake discs and twin-spar looking frame don’t necessarily improve the bike’s performance, but certainly give it a big-bike quality feel.

Fuel economy is excellent and under 4L/100km – even with little distance on the engine and more than its own weight sitting on top riding it all the time. When you can fill it up any day of the week (at the moment anyway) for around $10 it’s cheaper and, best of all more convenient than, public transport until it rains.

At a glance, the 12-inch wheels look scooter-sized. They are a popular size on sportier scooters, but with motorcycle chassis architecture the Z125’s handling is noticeably more stable and suspension more compliant than 12-inch wheeled scooters are. The 30mm front fork has a decent amount of movement through its stroke and controls it well over a variety of road surfaces. Basic as it may be, taking care of what the Zed’s engine has to throw at it is well within its limits.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Same too with the control on the rear-end by a monoshock that is preload adjustable. Two-up the rear shock works well, and there’s enough room for two average-sized people on board. The pillion position isn’t cramped for anyone up to five-foot, though at six-foot things start to get a bit cramped and the extra weight does challenge the Zed getting up to speed as quickly. But that’s what you get with a small bike, just as much as you get a lighter machine – an aspect of the Z125 Pro that, like the power characteristics, will favour a lot of inexperienced riders.

As road-going motorcycles go, they don’t get much lighter than the Z125 Pro. At 102kg wet, it is lighter than most average blokes with their riding gear on. Combine that with a 805mm seat height with the smallest of standovers and a surprisingly roomy seating position considering the size of bike, and you have a very easy bike for any rider to maneuver in any situation. That’s another big tick for riders learning the ropes.

The steering lock is quite tight and aside from the handlebars touching the legs on anyone over six-foot on full-lock, it’s a doddle to filter through traffic on. With an overall wheelbase of 1700mm and overall length not much bigger, you can easily slot the Z125 into parking spaces other commuters could only dream of. It’s also the kind of machine with looks and performance that many commuters would be jealous of, especially those that aren’t at all inspired by their utilitarian scooters.

Light controls, a generous seating position, torquey, economical engine, competent chassis and exciting looks – this is one little bike that packs a lot to like. For the commuter that is – hit the outskirts of town where traffic is regularly above 80km/h and you’ll be wishing for something that packs a bit more punch to get you to freeway speed and overtaking with the big boys. But if you want something that has the style and performance to excite around town, practicality to make the daily grind easy and is well priced and economical to boot, Kawasaki has the bike you are looking for.

Specifications

Capacity: 125cc
Power: 7.1kW @ 8000rpm
Torque: 9.6Nm @ 6000rpm
Wet weight: 102kg
Seat height: 805mm
Price: $4099 plus ORC
Detailed specs: kawasaki.com.au