IN PICS: The all-new Ninja 300 for Rs 3.9 lakh

The new Kawasaki Ninja 300 performs splendidly, it goes as fast as it looks, writes Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com.

Green is not just a colour, it's something much more if it's seen on a motorcycle. The colour green is associated with a mercenary who has an unorthodox way of fighting. But the object in question here doesn't have to fight anyone, because it is the Kawasaki Ninja 300, which is in a league of its own.

Bajaj Auto and Kawasaki have launched the new Ninja 300 in India, replacing the Ninja 250R in the process.

The new Ninja 300 is an all new motorcycle, which not only excels in the styling department but also pleases with its performance. Retailed through KTM showrooms, the Ninja 300 is available in white and green colours.

The styling of the Ninja 300 is extremely sharp and even though the bike is relatively compact, it has massive presence.

Kawasaki has borrowed quite a few design cues from its higher capacity machines, like the integrated indicators are taken from the ZX-10R and the multi-spoke alloy wheels draw heavily from the 1400 GTR. The fuel tank is quite muscular and the twin angular headlights look very mean and imposing. Overall the styling of the Ninja 300 is excellent, it turns heads where ever you go and the bike really looks substancial on the road.

The old Ninja 250R had an analogue instrument cluster which was very 1980s. The new Ninja 300 gets an all new cluster which has a large tachometer in the middle and an LCD screen on the lower right.

There are various warning lights on the console and the meter is very easy to read on the go. The switchgear is made of high quality plastics and there is piano black finish on every switch as well.

The seating position is a mix of comfort and sporty and the bike feels big while riding.

Powering the Ninja 300 is a 296cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine which belts out a juicy 39 PS of peak power at 11,000 RPM and 27 Nm of peak torque at 10,000 RPM.

Output is quite high in the rev range but that is what gives this motor such an enjoyable charaterisctic. While low end torque is not much, it's decent but it's only past the 6000 RPM mark when the bike starts moving.

Once past 8000 RPM, all hell breaks loose and the Ninja 300 pulls very strongly to its 13,000 RPM redline. The fuelling is spot on and power delivery is smooth.

Rubber engine mounts prevent vibrations and refinement from this motor is excellent. Top speed is around 170 km/hr, which is very quick.

The Ninja 300's engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox which offers slick shifts. There is also assist and slipper clutch which enables you to aggressively downshift without locking up the wheels.

Clutch action is light and despite the power, you never feel the Ninja 300 is heavy or cumbersome to ride. Newbie riders will easily take to this machine.

Ride quality from this bike is very good and seldom will you feel the bumps. Handling is excellent and the Ninja 300 is very agile and darts into corners beautifully. The tyres could have been better though.

The handlebars communicate very well and changing directions is quick and easy. The bike also feels very stable at high speed. It is very nimble in congested city conditions too and you never feel its size there. Braking performance is strong but ABS is sorely missed for a bike of this price.

Brought to India via the CKD route, the Kawasaki Ninja 300 is priced at Rs 3.90 lakh (on the road Mumbai). At this price, the Ninja 300 is not the cheapest bike in its segment, but is by far the most sorted, with excellent performance, good handling and gorgeous looks. This puts the Ninja 300 into a class of its own.