If you thought that 250s aren’t fun then take a look at the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 which was recently unveiled in Europe and will soon be launched in other world markets.
It was just a few weeks back when Kawasaki unveiled the updated 2013 Ninja 250R and now the company has gone a step further and announced a new entry-level sportsbike for folks looking for some extra horsepower at an affordable price tag. Customers will now have a choice of an entry-level Ninja 250R or a bit more powerful Ninja 300. Why just an upgrade of 50cc? Well, Kawasaki is not the one to takes its competition lightly and after Honda launched its highly capable CBR 250R worldwide, Kawasaki wanted to counter this move with a more powerful option and that’s one of the reasons why the company choose to launch the Ninja 300. Its a smart move as customers now have two options to choose from and Kawasaki won’t be selling the 300 Ninja at a very high premium. In fact it will be priced slightly higher than the 250R which will attract more consumers. After unveiling the bike in Europe Kawasaki will be launching it in the US on September 13th at the famous Times Square in New York followed by California launch from September 17th – 19th.
About the new Ninja 300
It may sound like an all-new bike however, Kawasaki has actually transformed the Ninja 250R into the Ninja 300. They bumped up the displacement from 249cc to 296cc and they did so by increasing the stroke length by 7.8mm. But because they used lighter and shorter connecting rods the engine height remains the same. They have also widened the intake ports and increased the diameter of the intake valves. However, compression has been reduced from 11.6:1 to 10.6:1. Now the Ninja 300 produces 39.54PS of power, an increase of 7PS over the 250R. Along with these changes Kawasaki has also made the new Ninja 300 more rider friendly as this bike gets a new slipper clutch, race-style back-torque limiting function and optional Nissin ABS system. The 300 gets a new frame for better stability and a 140 mm rear tyre for extra grip. Styling has also been updated to give the 300 a more radical look that is seen on bigger capacity Ninja bikes. The floating windscreen is inspired from the ZX-10R and the twin head lamp cluster borrows cues from ZX-6R and the fairing and wheel design remind you of the ZZR1400. The 300 also gets aluminium foot-pegs and a more complex silencer shape that is also seen on bigger Ninjas.
The specs are out however, Kawasaki is yet to announce the pricing of this mean green entry-level Ninja. Will it come to India? Well, that still remains a big question however, even if it comes to India it will be priced much higher than the CBR250R which is its direct rival in the international market. And with the Ninja 250R already costing upwards of Rs 3 lakh in India, the 300R will be priced even higher making it an expensive enthusiasts bike.
Check out the teaser video of the new Ninja 300 here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjDFyKvqwPM
Leave a Reply