In the motorcycling world, it’s a common belief that bigger is better. However, it’s a known fact that some of the world’s most skilled riders started out on tiny, 125cc bikes. Sure, big power, loud noises, and gargantuan proportions strike fear and drop jaws, but even for those not necessarily looking to develop their skills and become A-level riders, there’s no denying that the purest form of fun on two wheels is to be had on small displacement machines.
For many years, the Honda Grom has been the embodiment of the fun-focused, small-displacement bike. In fact, you could say that it’s the bike responsible for the entire mini-bike sub-segment. This, however, hasn’t stopped other manufacturers from trying their hand at a small-capacity, miniature naked bike. Take, for example, the Kawasaki Z125—more particularly, the model sold in the U.S. and Canadian markets. It has similar proportions and performance as that of the Grom, and just like the Grom, doesn’t take life too seriously.
In 2016, the Kawasaki Z125 Pro made its stateside debut, and dared to hold a candle against the Honda Grom which debuted two years prior. Over the course of half-a-decade, the Z125 Pro was perfectly happy sitting in second place and didn’t really mind that the Grom took most of the spotlight. That being said, it appears that Kawasaki has absolutely no plans of discontinuing the Z125 in the U.S. market, as it has just revealed new colorways for the sharply styled naked bike.
As is the case with the rest of Kawasaki’s lineup, 2023 is looking like a new-color-sort-of-year for the Z125 Pro. The mini-bike’s aesthetic makeover consists mainly of color revisions that give the bike a refreshed look. After all, its overall styling is already pretty modern and is strongly differentiated from that of the Grom. For the 2023 model year, Kawasaki has given the Z125 Pro anodized gold inverted forks, and three new colorways. For the blue version, the Z125 Pro rocks gold painted alloy wheels, while the matte green version spices things up with red wheels. Lastly, the red colorway receives black alloy wheels for a timeless, sporty aesthetic.
Other specs of the bike remain unchanged such as the air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, and 7.5-liter fuel tank capacity, The bike rolls on scooter-sized 12-inch wheels on both ends. As for pricing and availability, the Kawasaki Z125 Pro is now available across U.S. dealers, and retails for $3,399 USD.
