New Products: Yoshimura RS-2 Exhaust System For Kawasaki’s Z125 Pro

Help your Z125 reach its full potential with a freer-flowing Yosh exhaust.

The RS-2 Mini is crafted from stainless steel with a “Works Series” brushed finish on the piping. The muffler is sheathed in carbon fiber and comes with a removable sound-suppression insert. Keep it installed and keep your neighbors happy.©Motorcyclist

If Honda's Grom (see "Grom Fever" here) is any indication, the new-for-2017 Kawasaki Z125 Pro (click here to read our First Ride review of the Z125 Pro) is bound to be a prime target for customizing. And when it comes to personalizing a motorcycle, an aftermarket exhaust is usually one of the first parts to get installed.

Always quick to develop new product, Yoshimura has already released a full performance exhaust system for the little Z. The new RS-2 Mini exhaust system completely replaced the stock “under-performing” exhaust system and retails for $499. According to Yosh, the pipe boosts torque and horsepower and is bound to add sound to the equation as well. As an added bonus, the carbon-and-stainless system is said to be three pounds lighter than the stock system. That doesn’t sound like much, but when Kawasaki is claiming just 225 pounds for a fully fueled Z, that works out to a weight savings of 1.3 percent. Oh wait, that really isn’t very much!

Yoshimura RS-2 for the Kawasaki Z125 Pro©Motorcyclist

No matter, few Z125 Pro owners are going to fret over the actual performance gains offered by the RS-2 pipe. What matters most to riders is that it looks cool, (likely) sounds good, and helps their Z stand out from the crowd.

This dyno chart (provided by Yoshimura) shows gains across the board. Why do aftermarket pipes make more power? Since they don’t have to conform to sound or emissions requirements, designers are able to focus purely on performance.©Motorcyclist

As with most exhaust systems, the RS-2 Mini is labeled "For Closed Course Competition Only." Think it's unlikely that the Z will get raced? Think again. Mini-racing is a popular pastime, one that Motorcyclist's own Zack Courts and Ari Henning are quite familiar with. To see them race a pair of Groms around a go-kart track, check out this episode of On Two Wheels.

And for more information on the RS-2 and other parts for the Z125 Pro (including a slick fender-eliminator kit), visit the Yoshimura USA website at yoshimura-rd.com.