Kawaski had the Versys-X 300 as a part of its lineup in India a few years ago but was discontinued. The hilariously high asking price weaned interested customers. The Kawasaki Ninja 300 has been available in India despite being discontinued across the globe. The Ninja 300’s localisation has brought its price down and the same might translate to the price of the Versys-X 300 too.
The Japanese ADV will be powered by the same 296cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor found in the Ninja 300 with similar power figures at 38hp and 26Nm. While this engine is at home in the Ninja 300, it might not be suited for a bike such as the Versys-X 300. The high-revving and linear power delivery will be far from ideal to tour on and far from ideal off-road. A different state of tune and gearing should perhaps be able to address this concern.
The Versys stands tall on 41mm front telescopic forks and a gas-charged rear monoshock with 180mm of ground clearance. A 19-inch front and 17-inch rear aid it in its adventure touring aspirations. While a seat height of 815mm isn’t low, it isn’t daunting either.
The Versys remains to be a sweet machine with a spec sheet that isn’t something to write home about. With major action in the sub-400cc ADV class, Kawasaki hopes to revive this forgotten motorcycle. The Versys-X 300 is promising but does fall short on many factors especially when compared to its competitors such as the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 452, BMW’s G 310 GS and the current KTM 390 Adventure.
