Bajaj Auto have finally launched the Kawasaki Ninja 300 in India, at Rs 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). This, we reckon, should put it somewhere in the vicinity of Rs 4 lakh on-road, Pune, which is a bit on the steeper side of things. Powered by a four-stroke, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled and fuel-injected 296cc engine, the Ninja 300 pumps out a max power output of 39PS and a max torque figure of 27Nm, about 20 per cent more than the 250R. Almost everything on the bike is completely new, or has been substantially tweaked, including the sharper-looking bodywork and the slipper clutch. The Ninja 300 also has a fuel-gauge, a pass-light switch and a substitute for the grab-rail that were missing in its previous sibling, the Ninja 250.

Unfortunately, the new ABS option is not being offered in India. The headlight and instrument console have been sourced from India, with both front and rear suspension set to follow suit soon. They are also emphasising that Kawasaki’s production capacity of the Ninja 300 is more than that of the Ninja 250, and 500 bikes are available in stock for booking already, thus mitigating a lot of the waiting issues that enthusiasts faced earlier. Speaking to the press, Rajiv Bajaj stated, “With Kawasaki its not a number game for us. Its an intention to make a statement.”

Stay tuned as we bring you more details from the live event!

Story: Saeed Akhtar