2021 Kawasaki Ninja 300 draws power from a BS6-compliant 296cc parallel-twin engine, with 39 PS and 26.1 Nm on tap
Kawasaki has finally launched the BS6-compliant Ninja 300 in the Indian market. The motorcycle is priced at Rs. 3.18 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), which is around Rs. 20,000 more expensive than the BS4 model that was discontinued back in December 2019. With the return of its best-selling model, the Japanese manufacturer is hoping to capture the young, enthusiastic buyers in India.
The design of the Kawasaki Ninja 300 remains unchanged over the previous (BS4) iteration. The dual headlamps, sporty fairing with integrated turn indicators, sculpted fuel tank, split seat design, etc, are all carried over from the older model. The motorcycle does get new decals though, and a total of three paint options are available – Lime Green (KRT), Candy Lime Green, and Ebony.
The engine continues to be the same 296cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin unit as before. Despite being tweaked for BS6-compliance, this powerplant generates the same maximum power as before – 39 PS (at 11,000 rpm). The peak torque, however, has gone down a bit to 26.1 Nm (as 10,000 rpm). The transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed gearbox, with a slipper and assist clutch available as standard.
The motorcycle sports 17-inch alloy wheels on both ends, with 110/70 tyre at the front and 140/70 tyre at the rear. The front wheel is suspended by 37mm conventional telescopic forks, while the rear suspension is a gas-charged monoshock (with 5-way preload adjustability).
The braking system consists of a 390mm disc on the front wheel and a 220mm disc on the rear wheel, with dual-channel ABS. The taillight is an LED unit, but the turn indicators and headlamps are not. The instrument cluster continues to be a semi-digital unit, which is easy to read but feels a little outdated in this age.
The closest rivals to the Kawasaki Ninja 300 in our market are the KTM RC 390 and the TVS Apache RR 310, both of which undercut its pricing by a significant margin. However, the Ninja has a twin-cylinder engine, while its rivals are single-cylinder models. Also, Kawasaki is planning to launch the Versys X-300 in India very soon, likely in the coming weeks.