Kawasaki’s Updated Super-Affordable Motorcycle Leaves Me With Just One “Small” Question

Paying tribute to the nameplate’s heritage, two cool new hues make this little dynamo an even more envy-inducing forbidden fruit.

Close-up of the rear section of a green Kawasaki motorcycle in motion, showing the rear wheel, exhaust pipe, and a rider wearing black boots and dark pants. The rear wheel is spinning, creating a blurred effect.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published September 19, 2025

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Updated September 19, 2025

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The trouble with aphorisms is, they can sometimes be completely contradictory.

I mean, how can I “go big or go home” if “good things come in small packages”?

A person wearing a black and green helmet, black leather jacket, dark jeans, and black boots is riding a bright green Kawasaki Ninja 125 motorcycle on a road. The motorcycle has sporty fairings with "Ninja" and "Kawasaki" branding visible. — With its small size and easy maneuverability, the Ninja 125 is great for not only beginners but also urban commuters.

That particular paradox might be geographical, at least as far as vehicles are concerned, with the US embracing the former phrase and most of the rest of the world adopting the latter.

Latest example? The Kawasaki Ninja 125, which just got two new paint schemes — Lime Green and Metallic Graphite Gray/Metallic Spark Black — for the 2026 model year … in the UK.

Meanwhile, the smallest Ninja currently available in the US is the 500. Which brings me to the question referenced in the title: Why?

Size matters

Shooting from the hip, the most obvious reason is a Malcolm Gladwell-style observation.

Whether they have four wheels or two, America’s vehicles are bigger because we have more space.

Two riders in black and green helmets and jackets are riding green Kawasaki Ninja motorcycles under a bridge, with motion blur emphasizing their speed. — While the ergonomics certainly lean supersport, they are not so aggressive as to be uncomfortable for most riders.

I’m not just talking about square mileage, either.

While much of the world has narrower roadways originally cut to accommodate horses and buggies, America is new enough that many of our roads — including interstate highways — came to life after the introduction of cars and trucks.

That makes them big enough for f’ing Cybertrucks.

Two riders wearing black and green helmets and black riding gear are on a green Kawasaki Ninja 125 motorcycle, moving on a road with blurred greenery in the background. — Some sport bikes make the passenger look like a terrified frog; this Ninja is thankfully not one of them.

Of course you can’t overlook our nation’s penchant for conspicuous consumption, contrasted with places like India, where a 500cc bike is aspirational, as opposed to entry-level.

All that said, I will continue to beat the drum for smaller-displacement bikes like this little Ninja, because what it lacks in power it more than makes up for in approachability, affordability and just plain fun.

Go Ninja go

The slogan for the 125 is “legends start here,” which is fitting because it is an excellent first-timer’s sport bike, as just a few facts and figures make clear.

Mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, the 125cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke single cylinder engine makes 15 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and 8.6 lb-ft of torque at 7,700 rpm.

The Lime Green livery turns heads while nodding to the nameplate’s heritage.

Kawasaki

On one level those numbers are paltry, but on another, they are perfect, because when you’re just getting started — or tooling around the city or countryside at any experience level — you don’t exactly need a 322-horsepower hypersport beast (although Kawasaki makes one of those too).

Add in a seat height just under 31 inches and a curb weight just under 330 pounds, plus dynamic supersport ergonomics, 37mm telescopic front forks, Uni-Track rear suspension and dependable ABS brakes, and you’ve got a wonderful stepping stone to the vast Ninja range.

Not that you even need to go bigger. The littlest Ninja still boasts the tubular trellis type chassis construction of its bigger brothers, the foundation of bodywork that draws on the line’s renowned racing aesthetic.

The Metallic Graphite Gray/Metallic Spark Black flies under the radar with just a few slices of Lime.

Kawasaki

And let’s not forget the two new liveries, as they call them across the pond. One leans heavily into the bike’s long history with lime green, while the other employs it as an accent.

I’m ogling the Lime Green machine, but you lucky Brits really can’t go wrong with either of these good, small packages.

Availability and pricing

The 2026 Kawasaki Ninja 125 rolls into UK dealerships next month at a starting price of £4,699 (roughly $6,330). While it’s unlikely to come to the US, it looks like we will getting a Ninja 300 next year, at least.

Green Kawasaki Ninja 125 sport motorcycle with black seat, black wheels, and blue and white accent stripes on the fairing.

2026 Kawasaki Ninja 125

$6,330 at Kawasaki

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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