The Kawasaki Ninja 300 was launched in October 2013 and has proven to be a worthy successor to the Ninja 250R. Introduced here in 2008, the 250R was considered to be the world’s favourite 250cc bike until it was challenged by Honda CBR 250R. But instead of going the single-cylinder way, the Japanese manufacturer upped the ante by adding more punch to the parallel twin-equipped product.
The Ninja 300 gets many styling updates to make sure it isn’t confused with the ‘old’ Ninja 250R. The front cowl gets a different twin headlamp setup, inspired from the much bigger ZX-10R. It also gets an analog digital meter, fuel gauge and pass-light switch which was missing in the Ninja 250R, though ABS isn’t yet available, even as an optional extra.
The Ninja 300 delivers 39bhp and 28Nm of torque from its new 296cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC parallel twin engine. The engine weight has been reduced using sleeveless cylinders, lighter pistons and redesigned head, crankcase and oil pan. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and Slipper clutch, a segment-first. The Ninja 300 is available in two colour schemes, Pearl Stardust White and Lime Green. At Rs 3.6 lakh ( ex-showroom Delhi) , it is the most affordable Kawasaki in India and competes with the Hyosung GT250R, Honda CBR250R and the Suzuki Inazuma 250. Despite being the priciest of the bunch, the performance of the Ninja 300 does compensate for the premium it demands.
