We’ve mentioned the rumoured Ninja 300 several times over the last couple of weeks, but Kawasaki never officially confirmed the bike was coming to Canada.
But, we’ve got word the bike is more than just gossip; Kawasaki is bringing the machine to Canada in 2013.
Unlike it’s smaller 250 cc counterpart, the Ninja 300 will be fuel-injected; it has a vertical-twin motor, with an increase in stroke that brings capacity to 296 cc. The new motor will put out a claimed 39 hp and 20 ft/lb of torque, up from the 250’s 31 hp and 16 ft/lb of torque.
The Ninja 300 will also get a slipper clutch, and optional ABS (single petal disc front and rear, with dual piston calipers). It has a 17-litre fuel tank, steel frame, six-speed transmission, and aluminum footpegs.
Wheels are 17-inch units front and rear (with wider 140 mm rear tire), with 37mm standard forks. Curb weight is 174 kilos with ABS, 172 kilos without.
Like the 250 Ninja, the 300 draws many styling cues from other bikes in Team Green’s lineup, with a floating windscreen like the ZX-10R, dual headlights similar to the ZX-6R, and a fairing and wheels styled after the ZX-14 – not that anyone’s likely to mistake this for a ZX-14.
The motorcycle comes with a 12-month warranty. We don’t have Canadian pricing yet.
Interestingly enough, there’s no 250 cc Ninja on Kawasaki’s Canadian web site; but then, there’s no 2012 version listed either, so that doesn’t mean much.
Perhaps the most exciting feature of the Ninja 300, though, will be its ability to locate cool underground parties and whisk you to them in style … see the video below.
http://youtu.be/4kGVPzljdVM
The Ninja 300 would seem to largely eliminate the raison d’etre of the sleeved-down Ninja 400, which I can see little reason to buy other than to save a little money up front on the purchase, and on insurance rates.
Sure enough, the Ninja 400 has been dropped from the lineup. The obvious difference is the new bike is only missing 5 ponies compared to the 400 while being a whopping 31 kg lighter. That gives the 300 a better power-to-weight ratio than the 400 and should make for more spritely performance.
All in all, the little 300 should make for a good ride, assuming the running gear is up to snuff. Let’s hope that Kawasaki didn’t skimp on the chassis.
Lookin’ good !