2019 Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS | First Ride

ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE OF 2019 KAWASAKI NINJA 300 ABS

The 296cc twin cylinder engine on the Ninja 300 is one of the most refined among the bikes I have ridden recently. The way it climbs the speedometer without shuddering like a shack in the storm is remarkable. Peak power of 38.4hp and peak torque of 27Nm comes at 11,000rpm and 10,000rpm which are a bit late for city use. The bike does struggle a little when you want to accelerate quickly, especially in the second gear. Though the acceleration is very linear and smooth and you do get used to it after a few hours of riding. The good thing, however, is that this bike is loads of fun to rev. You do not feel the need to up shift until you reach the redline and that is a feeling you can get addicted to.

Give this bike an open highway and it can go way over 100kmph with ease. The slip and assist clutch makes clutch pulls effortless and gear shift precise. I really admired that when I found myself stuck in traffic. Riding around the city on the Ninja 300 will not be a bother because the liquid cooling does a good job of keeping the engine cool. Only when you find yourself stuck in traffic is there some warmth to be felt on the right leg. In my short experience with the bike I was getting close to 32kmpl which is pretty good for a bike in this segment.

The exhaust note left me wanting for a bit more. It starts off nice and bassy but as you pull the accelerator, the sound becomes more treble heavy and a bit feeble. Handling this bike is fun and almost effortless. It is great for people who want to try bigger bikes but are afraid that they won’t be able to handle them properly. Maneuvering the Ninja 300 through traffic was no problem. Kawasaki has equipped this bike with dual channel ABS with a 290mm petal disc brake at the front and a 220mm petal disc at the rear. Both come with dual piston calipers and offer nice progression. The front outshines the rear brake which takes a little while to come into full force. Even the ABS intrusion is more apparent when you stomp on the rear brake immediately. The 17-inches MRF Zapper tyres provide excellent grip on the road and it is very easy to maintain your line when you chuck this bike into a corner. The agile nature of the bike combined with its surefootedness encourages you to lean a lot every time there is a tasty bend. If I were to nitpick, a wider tyre at the rear would have further improved the stability of the bike over rocky and muddy surfaces. The suspension in its stock state has been tuned to be a little stiff and potholes and bumps are felt when you go over them. Thankfully you can adjust the rear suspension to be more forgiving and comfortable over undulations.

VERDICT

If you are in the market for a 300cc twin cylinder motorcycle then there is really no reason for you to look beyond the Kawasaki Ninja 300. It looks ferocious, has a very comfortable riding position and a very refined motor. This new iteration of the Ninja 300 has come down in price by almost Rs 60,000 and now costs Rs 2.98 lakh (ex-showroom), thanks to the increase in localisation of parts. Yes, you could get a few single cylinder 300cc bikes for less but they will not pack the kind of refinement and top end performance that the new Ninja 300 has to offer.