India Kawasaki launches Z250 and ER-6n as CKD models

India Kawasaki Motors (IKM) has launched the expected liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, 249cc Z250 (seen above) and the liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, 649cc ER-6n (shown below) motorcycles today for Rs 2.99 lakh and Rs 4.78 lakh respectively, both prices ex-showroom, Delhi.

The Japanese company will import the two new bikes as completely knocked down (CKD) kits from Thailand and will assemble the same at Bajaj Auto’s Akurdi facility, where it also assembles the Ninja 300 and the Ninja 650. The Kawasaki Z250 and the ER-6n will be sold through Bajaj’s Probiking showrooms across the country.

Growing annually at a growth rate of 30 percent year-on-year, IKM plans to sell 200 and 300 units per year of the ER-6n and the Z250 respectively.

Talking to Autocar Professional, Shigeto Nishikawa, deputy managing director, IKM, disclosed that while the Z250 has a localisation rate of nearly 40 percent, the bigger naked ER-6n sibling (below) is equipped with up to 25-30 percent of made-in-India content. It is to be noted that the Ninja 300 and the 650 also have the same localisation rate (25-30 percent). Among the local components used on the new quarter-litre bike are the lighting systems (headlights, tail-lights, blinkers), switch housings, front and rear suspensions and others.
 

The company has plans to sell between 1,600-2,000 units during this calendar year, which includes 800 units of the Ninja 300, 300 Ninja 650s, 200 Z800s, 100 Z1000s, 50 units each of the Ninja 1000 and the ZX14R and 80 units of the ZX10R.

Having opened its exclusive showroom in Chennai last week, IKM now has four such showrooms across India and plans to add at least one more by December this year.