Twin cylinder Kawasaki Ninja 300 to get a MEGA price drop to take on KTM RC 390

Kawasaki is looking at a mega price drop for the Ninja 300, twin cylinder sportsbike. While the Ninja 300 was priced at Rs. 3.6 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi, when it was on sale in India, Kawasaki plans to relaunch the bike at a much lower price tag – between Rs. 2.5 lakhs to Rs. 2.7 lakhs. So, that’s nearly a Rs. 1 lakh+ price drop on Kawasaki’s entry-level sportsbike. How will Kawasaki manage this? Well, higher localization levels. The Japanese motorcycle giant is in talks with Indian vendors to localize the motorcycle in a big way. This will allow Kawasaki to price the motorcycle a lot more affordably, making it a KTM RC 390 rival.

The Ninja 300 is currently imported to India from Thailand through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route. The motorcycle uses a 296cc, twin cylinder parallel twin engine that produces a peak power of 39 Bhp and peak torque at 27 Nm. The engine is liquid cooled and fuel injected, and comes paired to a 6 speed manual gearbox. A slipper clutch is standard. The motorcycle is fully faired and has ergonomics that’s in between the totally committed KTM RC 390 and the much more relaxed Honda CBR 250R. Telescopic front forks and a monoshock rear shock absorber make for the suspension set-up.

A dual channel ABS is likely to be offered as standard on the motorcycle, when relaunched in India considering the upcoming governmental regulations, which mandate ABS from April 2019. While the Ninja 250R is sold as an entry-level, beginner bike in most parts of the developed world, it’s sold as a high-end sportsbike in the Indian market. The lower price point on the localized Ninja 300 will make the Kawasaki brand more accessible to Indian premium motorcycle buyers. It’ll also improve sales for Kawasaki, and in turn will convert many first time Kawasaki buyers into buyers of other motorcycles the brand sells here. The localized Ninja 300 is expected to launch in India within the next couple of months, well in time for India’s festive season.

Via ACI