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Would the Kawasaki Ninja 125 be a good beginner sportbike in the Philippines?

For those who want to look and feel sporty when commuting around town.

EJ Punsalang EJ Punsalang on Sep 27, 2021
2022 Kawasaki Ninja 125

In general, Pinoy motorcycle enthusiasts have always had a soft spot for sportbikes. It’s what attracted many of us into this awesome hobby of motorcycling. No doubt, the images of high-adrenaline racing in the likes of the MotoGP and WSBK certainly fuel our dreams of what we can do aboard our motorcycles. As such, it really is no surprise that small-displacement sportbikes like the Yamaha YZF-R15 are extremely popular among motorcycle riders on a budget, or those looking to get started in track-riding. 

Kawasaki, for one, is no stranger to affordable, performance oriented sportbikes. In the local market, bikes like the Ninja 400 and Ninja 650 are favorites among big bike riders looking for a sporty bike in a tractable package that can be ridden on a daily basis. In Europe, Team Green has even smaller options when it comes to the Ninja. Younger riders with A1 licenses, which require them to stick to bikes with engines no larger than 125cc and 15 horsepower, can opt to purchase a Kawasaki Ninja 125 as their first foray into the two-wheeled lifestyle. Although the Ninja 125 has been around since 2019, it has remained virtually unchanged ever since its launch. This is why Kawasaki has decided to breathe new life into this bike for the 2022 model year.

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2022 Kawasaki Ninja 125

As for performance, the Ninja 125 gets a tiny little 125cc single-cylinder engine rated at 15 horsepower at 10,000 RPM. Underpinnings consist of a standard tubular steel, diamond-type chassis, mated to 37mm telescopic forks and a preload-adjustable rear monoshock. Brakes are standard componentry for bikes of this category—front and rear hydraulic disc brakes. Unlike its bigger siblings, however, the Ninja 125 can easily be distinguished by its slightly different styling. Unlike the bigger Ninja sportbikes which make use of a dual-LED headlight setup, the Ninja 125 gets a single headlight mounted at the center of the bike’s fascia.

For the 2022 model year, Kawasaki Europe is releasing the Ninja 125 three colorways. The standard variant is available in Black, while the SE variant boasts two two-tone options in the form of Green/Black and White/Black. The likelihood of this bike being exported to the Philippines is next to zero, however, as it will barely even have a fighting chance of going up against the crop of 150cc sportbikes currently present in the market. On top of that, its retail price which starts at 4,699 Euros, or the equivalent of around P277,000 is simply too expensive for even a top of the line 150cc sportbike, especially considering that the Ninja 400 fetches just a little more at P331,000. 

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