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The Z125 is Kawasaki’s answer to the Honda Grom. And for the new year, the Z is looking pretty impressive, honestly. A descendant of Kawasaki’s long line of Z-series motorcycles, it was introduced in 2016 with a single overhead cam 125cc engine and four speed transmission similar (at least in size) to that of the Honda Grom. In fact, the two share many similarities. The point of this post is to educate you on the Kawasaki Z125 and answer common questions, but we’ll often compare it to the Honda Grom, since that’s what many of us are most familiar with.
First things first: What’s a Z125 Pro? Is there a non Pro version?
For those of us in the United States, this has become a very common question. Throwing the term ‘Pro’ at the end of anything immediately makes it cooler. It sounds more, well…professional – as if we’re designating this a version suitable for more advanced riders. But what does it mean in this case? Manual transmission. That’s it. No additional cubic inches or more aggressive gearing. In other countries, Kawasaki offers the Z125 in both automatic and manual configurations. The term ‘Pro’ simply implies the 4-speed manual transmission.
Best mods for the Kawasaki Z125
Fender Eliminator: When it comes to accessories for your Z125, you want to ditch that factory rear fender setup ASAP! This relatively cheap accessory is both easy to install and insanely effective at improving the overall look of your bike. A quality fender eliminator will get rid of all that unnecessary bulk from the rear of the motorcycle and still maintain full functionality of your rear brake light and turn signals. Here are a few of our favorite:
Aftermarket Exhaust: Let’s face it – your factory exhaust is too quiet, discreet, and barely noticeable really. Throwing a nice aftermarket exhaust on your Kawasaki Z125 is one of the quickest ways to make a big change to the bike. It looks the world directly in the eyes screams (some of them literally) I don’t care much for the sleepy sameness the OEM engineers had in store for me. Step up and get noticed with one of our favorite exhaust systems for your Z:
Table could not be displayed.Alternative trims
When it comes to a discussion about Z125 Pro vs Z125 Pro SE vs Z125 Pro KRT, you need to remember just one thing: cosmetics. Starting in 2018, Kawasaki gave the US market a little more visual variety from the factory by introducing both a Special Edition (SE) and a Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) version of the Z125 Pro. While the base model was offered only in Metallic Courage Gray, the Z125 Pro SE came dressed in a combination of Candy Plasma Blue and Metallic Spark Black. The Z125 Pro KRT version was blessed with an aggressive design combining the lime green and ebony fascia seen on Kawasaki’s international race team bikes.
2018 Z125 Pro. Kawaski factory photo. 
2018 Z125 Pro SE. Kawasaki factory photo. 
2018 Z125 Pro KRT. Kawasaki factory photo.
Kawasaki Z125 vs. the Honda Grom
Since there are so many similarities between the two, I think it would be easier to discuss the major differences between the Honda Grom and the Kawasaki Z125 Pro. The first major difference you probably noted in the table above is in the engine configuration. While they both have 125cc’s to work with, Kawasaki’s engineers chose to utilize it a little differently. With a bigger cylinder bore and a significantly shorter piston stroke, the Z125 is able to rev about 500 rpm higher than the Grom. So naturally, the Z125 hits peak power later in the RPM range with this setup. This is why you’ll often hear people say that the Z125 has noticeably less acceleration than the Grom.
Another detail that sets the two apart is the difference in tire sizes. When compared to the Grom, the Z125 has a taller, more narrow tire on the front and a slightly more narrow tire out back. This setup makes the Z125 feel bigger than the Grom. And, the narrower tires make it a little more agile in the handling department. Neither factory tire is worth writing home about. For some real fun, consider swapping the stock units out for a good set of knobby tires. The rearsets on the Kawasaki Z125 are positioned about 2-3 inches higher than the Grom’s, making it a little harder to ride if you’re 6′ or taller.