Kawasaki Ninja Expert Reviews

How is it as an entry-level supersport?

We should have compared these two motorcycles a while ago. The Benelli 302R and the Kawasaki Ninja 300 are, after all, most compared against each other. But, the Kawasaki press bike wasn’t available in BS-IV form for the longest time. And, when it was, we were bombarded with other new motorcycles and scooters, which pushed the 302 vs 300 test right to the back of the line.

Jack of all trades. 

Kawasaki enjoyed an illustrious status in India for a long time, thanks to the monopoly of the Ninja 250R. However, competition from the fuel-injected Honda CBR250R meant that the Kawasaki had to up the ante with the Ninja 300. Now though, Yamaha is threatening to shake things up in the entry-level sportsbike segment, with the all-new YZF-R3. Despite being late to the party, the YZF-R3 seems like a well-balanced package, thanks to its powerful engine, modern ergonomics and the lucrative price tag. Till we get our hands on the Ninja 300, YZF-R3 and the CBR250R for a head to head shootout, here is a spec comparison of these entry-level sportsbikes, to see how they stack up against each other.

The localisation of the Ninja 300 opened doors for Kawasaki to introduce a motorcycle in the premium entry-level performance segment, which has been filled with the Ninja 400. Demanding a sticker price of Rs 4.69 lakhs, ex-showroom, which is pretty steep, we find out whether the Ninja 400 is worthy enough to make the cut.

The Ninja 650 has some major changes for 2017. How much better is it now?

If you are stuck in the city amongst crawling traffic with the ambient temperature over 37 degrees and you having donned full leathers, well the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R can be quite a pain. I know what you are thinking – any big bike in such a situation would be awful, and I agree.

The new for 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX14R is different things to different people. For the bookkeepers, the 14R is the bike that blew the legendary Suzuki Hayabusa off its pedestal by beating it in top speed stakes. For the hardcore litre class race replica enthusiasts, the ZX14R is simply their wheels of retirement. For someone like me, who hasn’t ridden the 14R before, it is intimidating, scary even. Why? Because it makes 200bhp, goes from 0-100kmph in less than three seconds, hits a top speed of 300kmph and it is the size of a car! Frightening? You bet.