2018 Kawasaki Ninja 300 is priced aggressively courtesy of local content and gets dual-channel ABS as standard
It has been long anticipated and even though Kawasaki took long to bring it, as the old saying goes it is better late than never. India Kawasaki has finally announced the launch of the new Ninja 300 in the domestic market and it comes equipped with dual-channel ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) alongside new paint scheme and graphics.
Kawasaki has the Ninja 300 as one of its popular motorcycles in India but it had a steep price tag for what it offered and its rivals had managed to play the undercutting game exceptionally well. Observing the market trend for premium bikes, the new Kawasaki Ninja 300 gets locally produced parts that brought down its pricing by a huge margin.
The 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 300 with ABS costs Rs. 2.98 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), which is highly desirable than the outgoing model that was over Rs. 65,000 costlier without having ABS. If Kawasaki could manage local content with the very steeply price quoted Versys X-300 (Rs. 4.60 lakh) and Ninja 400 (Rs. 4.69 lakh), it seems to have two more winners on its hands right away. But we would have to wait and see if that will ever happen.
Back to the new Ninja 300 though, Kawasaki says the locally-made faired supersport motorcycle is part of the brand’s expansion plans in India. The best-selling entry-level product within the lineup gets powered by the same liquid-cooled parallel-twin DOHC 8-valve engine. The 296 cc motor is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 39 bhp at 11,000 rpm and 27 Nm of peak torque delivered at 10,000 rpm.
The high-tensile steel frame adds to the chassis stability and the assist and slipper clutch acts as both a back-torque limiter and self-servo mechanism for lighter clutch lever pull. The 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 300 takes design inspiration from its bigger ZX-10R sibling and has wheel design like the ZX-14R. Apart from the bold styling cues, the anew Ninja 300 ABS has been made available in two colour options namely lime green/ebony and candy plasma blue.
The pre-ordering customers will get 3 years of unlimited mileage warranty and Kawasaki says the offer will be discontinued without any prior notice as it is based on first-come first-serve basis. Bookings are opened across all the authorised dealerships of Kawasaki in India. Courtesy of the made-in-India theme, the Ninja 300 is now priced over Rs.50,000 cheaper than its main rivals Yamaha YZF-R3 and Benelli 302R while KTM RC390 remains as the least expensive of the lot.