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Kawasaki Ninja 300

cycle61 said:
What do you consider the 250 market, though? Essentially nobody except us handful of racers care about the actual displacement difference between a 250 and a 300. They're leveraging against the weakness of the Honda, namely it's lackluster power output, by bumping up to a still entry-level 300cc while increasing horsepower by nearly 20%.
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And adding a sweet slipper clutch! Plus in all honestly, it looks fucking tits.
 
Gabe said:
Yes, there is such a massive population of well-educated, discerning motorcycle enthusiasts in the USA that there will be literally dozens of customers lined up to buy high-spec 400cc sportbikes--just as soon as they've been collecting dust and bankrupting dealer floor-planning for two years so they can buy them massively discounted.
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is this what I said? No, its not. Your full of yourself.
 
I'd much rather see a 350 or 400 than 300. Something small displacement with a little more power than the 250 but less than the 500 for those of us carrying a little too much weight.

Actually the ideal would be a 250cc 2-stroke. They need to bring back the 2-stroke road bikes.
 
DaveT319 said:
I
Actually the ideal would be a 250cc 2-stroke. They need to bring back the 2-stroke road bikes.
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Well that ain't going to happen because governments won't have any of that nonsense, anymore. In fact, I believe this 20% increase in displacement is to compensate for all the noise and emission standards around the world. Between the weight additions and the power sucking of new regulations, a 250 four strokes doesn't have extra power to play with. It's going to get worse before it gets better. Just look at the huge exhausts on new bikes.

I will take a 500cc 2 stroke at about 280 lbs. Thanks for the thought. :laughing
 
corndog67 said:
What do you need a slipper clutch for on a bike with 15 horsepower, and very, very little engine braking? Sales Point?
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Yep, I have that same question.


I think it'll be a great replacement for the 250. Give it just a little bit more oomph while commuting on it.
 
corndog67 said:
What do you need a slipper clutch for on a bike with 15 horsepower, and very, very little engine braking? Sales Point?
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Not sure that you need it, but the fact that the technology is showing up on a low budget bike shows that it's become pretty damn cheap. Sounds good to me. :ride
 
cycle61 said:
What do you consider the 250 market, though? Essentially nobody except us handful of racers care about the actual displacement difference between a 250 and a 300. They're leveraging against the weakness of the Honda, namely it's lackluster power output, by bumping up to a still entry-level 300cc while increasing horsepower by nearly 20%.
Click to expand...

Price is probably more important than displacement. I wonder if Kawasaki will sell the 300 for a similar price. If it rises $500-$1,000 it moves on into a different class.
 
According to Motorcycledaily.com:

"As we reported last week, a U.S. EPA 2013 certification list showed a Ninja 300 as approved for the U.S. market. We understand that the list has been changed since we last reported its existence, and it no longer displays the Ninja 300 model. We likely won’t know for sure whether this model will make it to U.S. Kawasaki dealers next year until after the Times Square unveil scheduled by Kawasaki for September 13."

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/09/european-market-2013-kawasaki-ninja-300-unveiled-with-video/
 
Meter Man said:
According to Motorcycledaily.com:

"As we reported last week, a U.S. EPA 2013 certification list showed a Ninja 300 as approved for the U.S. market. We understand that the list has been changed since we last reported its existence, and it no longer displays the Ninja 300 model. We likely won’t know for sure whether this model will make it to U.S. Kawasaki dealers next year until after the Times Square unveil scheduled by Kawasaki for September 13."

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/09/european-market-2013-kawasaki-ninja-300-unveiled-with-video/
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Interesting! I wouldn't get too excited about the change, however. The number of Kawi models listed on the sheet has been cut in half (and the number of listed models from all manufacturers cut from 214 to 171). In addition to no longer listing a Ninja 300, the publicly posted sheet also now omits the various flavors of the 650R, the (636cc!) zx6r, and the zx10r, all previously listed on the sheet. Me thinks that Kawi, and maybe other OEMs, got peeved that the EPA had outed new model information before it was supposed to be revealed, and now a redacted list has been posted instead. Just a guess. But one sure bet is that Kawasaki is not going to eliminate the Ninjette, 650r, zx6r and zx10r all from their US sales lineup for 2013. :thumbup
 
corndog67 said:
What do you need a slipper clutch for on a bike with 15 horsepower, and very, very little engine braking? Sales Point?
Click to expand...

deanzaZZR said:
Not sure that you need it, but the fact that the technology is showing up on a low budget bike shows that it's become pretty damn cheap. Sounds good to me. :ride
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Exactly! My guess is that Kawasaki was able to source the clutch from F.C.C. at an attractive price, liked it for its reduced lever load (a marketing advantage on a bike that's targeted at beginners and urban riders), and the back-torque-limiting part came along for the ride.

Mark
 
JO EBRMC said:
15HP? Where did you get that number from?
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Someone gave me one years ago. They don't have a whole lot more than that, although the 15 hp number was a joke.

I gave it to someone else about 6 months later. Every time those damned Smart cars passed me, it pissed me off even more.
 
I'm also wondering what the hell you need a slipper clutch for on this bike? The argument for years on why the 250 didn't have ABS or FI was that it was targeting a price point. Now, it gets ABS, FI and a slipper clutch? Did the target demographic for the bike suddenly change? :wtf
 
Meter Man said:
According to Motorcycledaily.com:

"As we reported last week, a U.S. EPA 2013 certification list showed a Ninja 300 as approved for the U.S. market. We understand that the list has been changed since we last reported its existence, and it no longer displays the Ninja 300 model. We likely won’t know for sure whether this model will make it to U.S. Kawasaki dealers next year until after the Times Square unveil scheduled by Kawasaki for September 13."

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/09/european-market-2013-kawasaki-ninja-300-unveiled-with-video/
Click to expand...
I'm going to Kawasaki's USA press launch of a "new sportbike that represents an artful blend of styling, classic practicality with enhanced efficiency and performance enabled by modern technology" in Headlsburg on the 17th. The obscured illustration on the invite looks like the 300. It's just a single day of riding, so I don't think it'll be the 636 (which would probably be at a racetrack along with a street-riding day). So unless this is going to be a 2014 model, EPA must have amended that spreadsheet at Kawasaki's behest as has been noted.
 
corndog67 said:
Every time those damned Smart cars passed me, it pissed me off even more.
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:laughing

Funny you should mention Ninjettes and Smart Cars in the same sentence. The late Gary J, who was well-known for his ability to ride a 250 to the max, was also rumored to drive his Smart Car the same way! Guess it shows that, in the right hands, (almost) any vehicle can be made to "perform."
 
JPK said:
I'm also wondering what the hell you need a slipper clutch for on this bike? The argument for years on why the 250 didn't have ABS or FI was that it was targeting a price point. Now, it gets ABS, FI and a slipper clutch? Did the target demographic for the bike suddenly change? :wtf
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For beginner riders, the slipper clutch makes sense. It is a beginner bike afterall. When I started on a GS500, the rear wheel hop while downshifting to a stop scared the crap out of me. :laughing
 
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