2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 revealed

[DaveC]

And now lets throw this into the discussion.


Kenny Roberts racing colors or Guliouse Blonds racing colors.

[DFW_Warrior]

Dave, I must say that is one sweet looking Yamaha.

[shanedman]

I feel "educated" on the ABS topic. Thank you guys.
And as for the offroad portion of those comments... i ride a ninja, so i doubt i will be doin any offroading any time soon.

[1TallTXn]

Originally Posted by shanedman

I feel "educated" on the ABS topic. Thank you guys.
And as for the offroad portion of those comments... i ride a ninja, so i doubt i will be doin any offroading any time soon.

Maybe, Nick Sanders rode a Yamaha R1 around the world, 7 times

[Tattoogunman]

I also think smaller cc bikes sell better overseas because of two things - gas prices and mentality. While there are people who buy larger bikes, many people don't go for the "bigger is better" mentality that we have here. Same thing with cars/trucks - how many countries do you visit overseas where peole are driving around in land yachts or monster trucks to get groceries like here? Smaller cc bikes also get better mileage and since gas is so much more expensive overseas, I think that contributes a bit too. At least that's what I saw when I was over there, but it's been a while.

Pricing is hit or miss as well - I think the usual attitude is "why should I spend X on that model when for a few hundred or a thousand more, I can get the next one up model". I know that will also depend on what kind of riding you plan on doing, but still.

[Dave.TX]

Originally Posted by bmcdonau

So you want a small displacement bike that cost as much as a large displacement bike? A bike like that won't sell in the market place.

That was the Yamaha FZ8.

[hizzo3]

In the states, displacement is marketing. Some just like being able to say "well my bike will go 250mph, 0-100 in 6 seconds" blah blah blah. Bigger displacement generally means more margin.
Proof, my brother is looking for a small putt around bike that is reliable and slow enough to not be stupid. I suggested a KLR650. His response, 650 is too much power. I just about peed myself laughing.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Dave.TX]

Dave, those Yamaha's look good. I prefer the yellow.

One big reason I won't get a small bike like that is... me. I'm 6'4, 200lbs. I felt kind of cramped on an FZ6. Though it was a fun bike it felt small. I could flat foot, stand up and have at least 6" between the seat and my... I have a long inseam.

[shanedman]

Originally Posted by hizzo3

In the states, displacement is marketing. Some just like being able to say "well my bike will go 250mph, 0-100 in 6 seconds" blah blah blah. Bigger displacement generally means more margin.
Proof, my brother is looking for a small putt around bike that is reliable and slow enough to not be stupid. I suggested a KLR650. His response, 650 is too much power. I just about peed myself laughing.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

The "too much power" mentality is why i went for a Ninja 250 for my first bike...
now that i feel i got the hang of things... i almost wish i had gotten a 600/650 for my first bike. But all in all i think it was a good move for me... i tend to have a bit of a lead foot, and was scared id kill myself with a bigger bike during my learning phase.

[shanedman]

IRONY:
all this talk about ABS, and i happened to lock up my rear this afternoon....
i didnt panic... recovered it....no harm done to me or bike.... but im sure it made for a nice spectacle for the traffic behind me....
but i think i played it off fairly well... just kept ridin like nothing happened.

and i should mention that it happened because the person in front of me slammed their brakes.. and when i hit mine i think i was on a oil spot or something... because there should have been no reason for the brakes to lock up on me.. i didnt lay into them that hard.

[DaveC]

If you know of a gray market importer you can get the blue as a 125, available in the UK.

[DaveAlvarado]

Honda Kawasaki West in Ft. Worth had a white Ninja 300 on the floor Saturday, right next to a Ninja 250 and a CBR250R.

The plastics seem a lot wider on the Ninja 300, giving it a "big bike" feel. Very similar ergonomics, to the point where I couldn't really tell the difference between the two. Tank is a different shape, very track-friendly. It has the funky shape to the top that lets you hook your elbows in on the tank. From the front, it looks amazing. It no longer looks like "oh yeah, that's a 250". Without checking the badges or being very familiar with the lights and plastics on the bigger bikes, it would be easy to mistake a Ninja 300 for a larger sport bike.

Yeah, I really want one for track use. It would make a heck of a commuter as well.