Kawasaki Ninja 300

The Kawasaki Ninja 300, even in 2026, remains a really good looking motorcycle besides the fact that it is still a very-very good motorcycle overall. Its 296cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine is still exceptionally competitive in the sub-400cc category after debuting in 2012 (as a 2013 model).

Kawasaki Ninja 300

Priced at INR 3,17,000 ex-showroom.

What this motorcycle is?

The Ninja 300 is a 300cc sports bike by Kawasaki which was originally launched in 2013 and was made till 2017 (succeeded by the Ninja 400 in 2018).

It is powered by a 296cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 8-valve engine which produces 39 PS of power at 11,000 RPM and 26.1 NM of torque at 10,000 RPM. It has a 6-speed gearbox and was the first motorcycle in its class to get a slipper clutch. Also, the bike didn’t originally come with ABS as it wasn’t mandatory at that time.

Beyond this, the motorcycle sports a solid steel chassis which is designed to go around the engine like a perimeter frame. Front suspension is quite basic especially by today’s standards - it has 37 mm telescopic forks at front and a link-type shocker at the back. However, this chassis and suspension combination is tuned for astonishingly friendly riding experience. The handling is sharp and responsive but it is smooth and not overly sensitive.

It provides a polished riding experience which is comfortable and sporty both. The Ninja 300 feels satisfyingly stable at all speeds and riding through a series of corners. It is also said to be a good motorcycle for learning track-riding basics but today there are other options which might be considered better in this regard (like the KTM 390 Duke).

India is one of the very few markets where Kawasaki continues to sell the Ninja 300. Because the motorcycle’s production is heavily localised here, the Ninja 300 comes at a competitive price tag of INR 3,17,000 ex-showroom.

Does the Kawasaki Ninja 300 has any rivals?

Through the 250-400cc segment has lots of options today, we believe that the Kawasaki Ninja 300 doesn’t really have a direct rival mostly. On that note, Yamaha has brought its R3 to India twice, but its sales have never been a proper challenge to the Ninja 300. Also, the R3 is unavailable in India at the moment, which makes the Ninja 300 the only multi-cylinder motorcycle in the sub-400cc category in our market.

That aside, there’s the TVS Apache RR 310 - another fully-faired motorcycle powered by a single-cylinder 312cc reverse-inclined engine. It makes 38 PS of power at 9,800 RPM and 29 NM of torque at 7,900 RPM.

But its closest competitor, as of now, is the KTM RC 390 which still comes with the previous generation 373cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. It makes 43.5 PS of power at 9,000 RPM and 37 NM of torque at 7,000 RPM. The bike weighs 172 kg ready-to-ride.

Is there a Motoring Pulse review of the Kawasaki Ninja 300?

Not yet but it is on our to-do list. We believe that the Ninja 300 is still competitive enough to be considered a worthy motorcycle in the sub-400cc segment.

Kawasaki Ninja 300 Specification

Engine and Transmission

296cc parallel-twin

Short-stroke engine with 62 mm bore x 49 mm stroke

Liquid-cooled

4-valve per cylinder

DOHC

39 PS @ 11,000 RPM

26.1 NM @ 10,000 RPM

6-speed gearbox with slipper clutch

Dimensions

Wet weight: 179 kg

Fuel tank: 17 litres

Seat height: 785 mm

Chassis, Wheels and Brakes

Steel tubular diamond frame

37 mm non-adjustable telescopic forks

Bottom link, uni-track rear shocker with 5-step preload adjustability

290 mm petal front disc with 2-piston caliper

220 mm petal rear disc with 2-piston caliper

Dual channel ABS

Electronics

Dual projector headlights (added in the 2025 update)

Analog-digital display