1999 Zxr250

[SPman]

An ER250 is a cruiser style thing
The US Ninjas are the good ol' GPX250, (as per your photos), which is also sold new over here in OZ, along with the ZZR250. Occasionally some eascape to NZ bike shops....

[Landshark92]

I really do have a ZXR250, a four cylinder that redlines at 19k rpm. Over here, the 2 cylinder model is called an EX250. Altho a fun bike, it cannot be mistaken for a true sport bike, with its non adjustable suspension and single front disk brake. My bike is the only ZXR250 around my parts and I get questions about it all the time. Here in the US, there are many forums dedicated to the EX250 or at least there is a lot of info about them. I am here on Kiwi Biker because this place has the most knowledge for 4 cylinder 250's anywhere.

Here are some quotes to save reading thru that whole thread.

"i just got my 2004 zx2r not long ago (was built in 03) and i gotta say its alot of fun. feels very smooth and sure has a swt tone at 14k rpm. my bro just got is 250 cbrr today and i have to say that the fairing on the cbrr are better looking than the ninja. i dunno how it goes yet coz its not my bike."

"you bought a new zxr ?? "

"You should hear it at 19500 revs!

"I think the CBRs look much skinnier that the ZXR. The cbr looks a little anorexic when I look at them now"

"the cbr are smaller bikes but when comparing the ninja and cbr side by side, the ninja looks more better. it has more updated parts and looks like a newer bike too. the ninjas engine is also more lumpy than the cbr and the sound that comes from the ninja kicks ass. the cbr does not sound as powerful in the rev ranges and it is abit heavier.
overall i am very happy with my zx2r and imo i reckon the ninja is better than the cbr and i would rate it the best 250cc 4stroker."

"Top speed I've found is around an indicated 205km/h, front upside down forks have adjustable preload and damper, rear shock is single adjustment 7 stiffness settings, somethings I believe the ZXR has over the CBR"

"I read that ZXR250's with a build date of after '97 were manufactured in Malaysia, not Japan. Maybe thats what you're thinking of.
Many sellers will advertise the compliance year, which tricks people into thinking the bike is alot younger than it actually is.
My ZXR250 was manufactured in 2000"

"I think the last ones have a 2004 build date? I could be mistaken though, they go for around the same price as CBR250RR's, sometimes a little higher as they're younger bikes."

"Bought it new from a dealer in April 2005, $8000 on road."

So it sounds like they are talking about the real 4 cylinder 19krpm screamer that we all know as the ZXR250. Otherwise, why compare a CBR250RR to a ZZR or GPX250?

Some theories that I have heard:

1. Some new models were built in Malaysia using spare genuine left over parts.

2. New bikes are being built in Malaysia in regular production.

3. Old bikes but new compliance date fooling people into thinking it is a new bike. I don't think that is possible because a bike that was built in 1992 would not be able to fool anybody into thinking it was built brand new in 2003 and sold for such.

The most concrete info I have says the ZXR's were last produced in 1995 or 1996 so even the 1999 model seen in the first post has me thinking and drooling over the possibility of a newer bike.

[Coyote]

Most CBRs that are supposedly newer than 1994-1995 or so are really just bikes that some companies in Australia have given a new coat of paint and said they're new bikes and doubled the price. They're ripoffs

They do have cool fireball paintjobs though