The 2016 Kawasaki Ninja 300 gets subtle upgrades including a revised instrument cluster and new colours, while a dual-tone finished Ninja 250 range was showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show.
While rumours have been rife of Kawasaki bringing major upgrades to the Ninja 300 for the 2016 model year, the automaker has already made subtle changes to the model and introduced the same in early 2015. Already on sale in international markets, the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja 300 gets two new colours – Metallic Flat Raw Greystone and Passion Red added to the list while the instrument cluster gets subtle revisions.
The revised instrument cluster features new illumination lighting on the analogue tachometer dial at night, which Kawasaki says increases night time readability. Power continues to come from the same 296cc liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder engine that churns out 39 HP at 11,000 RPM and 27 Nm of torque at 10,000 RPM. The ZX-10R inspired styling make the Ninja an instant head turner while aids like the slipper clutch make for smoother gear changes. The India spec version does not get ABS even as optional, even though the safety feature is available in developed markets.
In addition, Kawasaki introduced new colours for its quarter-litre range including the Ninja 250, Ninja 250 SL and Z250 SL and showcased the models at the ongoing 44th Tokyo Motor Show. The models get a new dual-tone black and lime green colour scheme that looks sharp and definitely adds to the stealth appearance of the bikes. The colour scheme is also available on the Ninja 300 as per Kawasaki Japanese website.
While the mighty Kawasaki Ninja 300 has replaced the Ninja 250 in India; chances are the automaker will introduce the single-cylinder Ninja 250 SL or Z250 SL in the future as an entry-level offering to take on the KTM models. Pricing can be expected at a slight premium over the KTM Duke 390 since the SL versions will also come via the CKD route.
