Exclusive: The Baby Ninja Is All Set To Strike Back

Kawasaki fanboys in India have been longing for some good news for a while now. The year started with the brand hiking prices across its range by as much as Rs 20,000. We had reported that the revered Japanese brand is all set to launch the Ninja 300 in the BS6 guise (finally!) and looks like the supersport’s comeback is around the corner.

Unofficial bookings for the bike have already commenced for a token ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 depending on the dealer location. As per our sources, the booking amount is fully refundable until 10 days after launch. Our sources report the bike is expected to be priced around Rs 3.2 lakh (ex-showroom), Rs 22,000 more than the older model. That’s kind of steep, right?

While details are scarce at the moment, our sources say the entry-level Japanese sportbike could feature LED headlights, possibly similar to that of the Ninja 400. With the Ninja 300 discontinued from Kawasaki’s global lineup, we are unlikely to see a massive design overhaul. However, expect Kawasaki to bring new paint schemes in the guise of the ‘2021 model’ like it did with the Versys 1000 and Z650.

As for the engine, the bike will continue to use the same parallel-twin 296cc liquid-cooled engine, mated to a six-speed gearbox. The performance numbers, 39PS and 27Nm, are unlikely to change and it could be the same with the braking and suspension setup as well.

So, is the (estimated) Rs 22,000 price hike justified? At this moment, it doesn’t seem like it. However, if the Kawasaki Ninja 300 BS6 gets the TFT display we have seen on the current-gen Ninja 650 and Z650, it would certainly be worth considering.