SPECS
POWER
Engine
Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel twin
Displacement
296cc
Bore x Stroke
62.0 x 49.0mm
Compression ratio
10.6:1
Fuel System
DFI® with dual 32mm throttle bodies
Ignition
TCBI with digital advance
Transmission
Six-speed with positive neutral finder
Final Drive
Chain
PERFORMANCE
Front Suspension / Wheel Travel
37mm hydraulic telescopic fork / 4.7 in
Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel
Uni-Trak® with 5-way adjustable preload / 5.2 in
Front Tire
110/70x17
Rear Tire
140/70x17
Front Brakes
Single 290mm petal-type disc with two-piston hydraulic caliper, ABS
Rear Brakes
Single 220mm petal-type disc with two-piston hydraulic caliper, ABS
Cooling System
Liquid
DETAILS
Frame Type
Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel
Rake/Trail
27 degrees / 3.7 in
Overall Length
79.3 in
Overall Width
28.1 in
Overall Height
43.7 in
Ground Clearance
5.5 in
Seat Height
30.9 in
Curb Weight
383.7 lb**
Fuel Capacity
4.5 gal
Wheelbase
55.3 in
Color Choices
Lime Green, Pearl Stardust White
I don’t believe global warming exists. But I have no great scientific theories to back this up with. I say it only because Jeremy Clarkson says so, and he seems to know what he’s talking about. At least we all hope so. The reason I bring this up is, I wonder what he’d have to say about the heat these days. No doubt about it – we’re in for a long, hot summer.
It’s on my first proper taste of summer heat that I find myself sat on the new Kawasaki Ninja 300. The moment I twist the throttle, it seems as if I’ve walked into a furnace. It’s a heat that seems intent on evaporating my very being. Watching heat-seeking missiles in this weather would be funnier than Charlie Chaplin, Peter Sellers and Jim Carrey put together.
However, at 10,000rpm, the Ninja makes a sound that makes my hair stand on end. Much to my surprise, I realise this hair standing results in increasing my own surface area for better heat dissipation, much like fins on air-cooled engines. So, at 10,000 is where we stay. Everywhere. Flawless engineering-derived logic, that. The astonishing thing is, even in this heat, the Ninja doesn’t so much as bat its Japanese eyelids. What’s more, that shade of green is soothing and welcome, given the bleak, brown scenery all around us.
It’s on my first proper taste of summer heat that I find myself sat on the new Kawasaki Ninja 300. The moment I twist the throttle, it seems as if I’ve walked into a furnace. It’s a heat that seems intent on evaporating my very being. Watching heat-seeking missiles in this weather would be funnier than Charlie Chaplin, Peter Sellers and Jim Carrey put together.
However, at 10,000rpm, the Ninja makes a sound that makes my hair stand on end. Much to my surprise, I realise this hair standing results in increasing my own surface area for better heat dissipation, much like fins on air-cooled engines. So, at 10,000 is where we stay. Everywhere. Flawless engineering-derived logic, that. The astonishing thing is, even in this heat, the Ninja doesn’t so much as bat its Japanese eyelids. What’s more, that shade of green is soothing and welcome, given the bleak, brown scenery all around us.
Now, photos of the 300 have been more all over the internet than that of a celebrity’s wardrobe malfunction, so we all knew what we were getting. Even so, the first time I see the bike in all its green glory, my eyebrows can’t help but raise themselves appreciatively. It immediately makes its predecessor look positively ancient, and I find myself wondering how I ever liked the 250R in the first place. It’s safe to say that the older bike will be quickly forgotten, if it isn’t already.
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