Kawasaki has launched a heavily localised version of its entry-level sports bike, the Ninja 300, at Rs 2.98 lakh (ex-showroom, India). We were the first ones to tell you about Kawasaki’s plan on localising the Ninja 300 back in June 2018. This makes the baby Ninja, the most affordable Kawasaki offering in India and it sits alongside its larger sibling, the Ninja 400. Customers who are pre-booking the motorcycle will also get a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for free. However, the Japanese bike maker added that the extended warranty is for a limited period and will be discontinued without any prior intimation.
While the Ninja 400 will continue to be imported as a CKD unit from Thailand, Kawasaki has turned towards domestic vendors to increase the localisation of components on the Ninja 300. The original Ninja 300 was priced at Rs 3.6 lakh (ex-showroom, India), while this new one, however, is priced Rs 62,000 cheaper. The localisation has helped bring down the cost of the motorcycle significantly, allowing Kawasaki to price it closer to the KTM RC 390 (Rs 2.39 lakh), and it also undercuts the Yamaha R3 (Rs 3.48 lakh) (both prices, ex-showroom, Delhi). It's worth mentioning that the KTM is powered by a single-cylinder motor, while the Ninja 300 and the R3 are twin-cylinder motorcycles.
The 2018 Ninja 300 continues to run a 296cc parallel-twin engine that produces 39hp and 27Nm of torque. This motor is paired to a six-speed transmission and gets a slipper clutch as standard. The bike uses a tubular steel frame and has a kerb weight of 179kg. Fuel tank capacity is 17 litres and the tyres are MRF-branded 110/70 R17 at the front and 140/70 R17 section at the rear. The bike uses a conventional telescopic fork and a pre-load adjustable monoshock. Handling braking duties is a 290mm single disc up front and a 220mm disc at the rear. This time around, the Ninja 300 also gets dual-channel ABS as standard. The bike also has new colours and graphics.
At this price, the Ninja 300 is almost half that of the Ninja 400 (Rs 4.69 lakh) and also Rs 1,000 cheaper than the recently launched, single-cylinder BMW G 310 R that is priced at Rs 2.99 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, India).