If you’re reading this from the US, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of the Kawasaki Brusky 125. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you. I’m from the Philippines, and even here I had to stare a bit the first time I saw one. Kawasaki is known worldwide for Ninjas, Z bikes, and anything loud, fast, and reckless in a good way. Scooters? Not exactly their spiritual calling.
Yet somehow, in this corner of the world, Kawasaki sells a scooter that looks like it wandered out of an alternate universe. And yes, they named it the Brusky. I still don’t know how to feel about that.
In markets like mine, motorcycles aren’t weekend toys. They’re daily transportation, financial lifelines, and the only consistent way to survive Manila traffic without losing your sanity. The Ninja, Z, and Versys series have solid followings here, but they’re not the machines that move serious numbers. To stay competitive, Kawasaki had to diversify. Part of that approach is its partnership with Bajaj, which gives us the Pulsar NS and RS 200s and the Dominar 400 under Kawasaki branding. That’s the sensible, business-minded side of their strategy. The other side is this scooter sitting in the back of the showroom, looking like the most un-Kawasaki thing ever created.
Underneath the green graphics and the slightly sporty bodywork, the Brusky is actually a rebadged Modenas Karisma 125S from Malaysia. Kawasaki owns a stake in Modenas, so the collaboration is practical. The scooter even has a few subtle Ninja-inspired touches in the front fascia if you tilt your head and commit to the illusion. Mechanically, it’s a simple setup: a 125cc air-cooled SOHC single making 9.52hp and 10Nm, paired with a CVT. It has 14-inch wheels, a 220mm front disc and rear drum, electric and kick start, a 760mm seat height, a 5.1L tank, and an analog speedometer that very confidently tops out at 160kph, even if the scooter will never see anything remotely close to that.
The real shocker is the price. At P77,000, the Brusky comes out to roughly $1,300 USD, which is cheaper than what some people are paying for used Groms on Marketplace. On paper, it should be a no-brainer: it’s light, nimble, affordable, and backed by Kawasaki’s reliable after-sales support in Southeast Asia. And yet, despite all of that, I haven’t seen too many of them on the streets just yet. The Yamaha Mio still dominates the commuter scene, and the Suzuki Burgman 125 has become the go-to choice for riders who want a more premium feel without spending too much more.
Still, the timing makes things interesting. Scooters are slowly gaining traction in the US thanks to last-mile delivery services like DoorDash and the rise of gig economy riders who want something cheap, fuel-efficient, and dead simple to maintain. With that shift happening, who knows? Maybe this quirky little Ninja-adjacent commuter from the Philippines might someday find its way across the Pacific. It sounds unlikely now, but in a world where delivery apps are exploding and practicality is finally starting to beat ego, anything is possible.
What do you think of this rebadged Kawasaki scooter? Is it something you'd ride to work on a daily basis, or will you give it a pass? Sound off in the comments below.
Source: Kawasaki
