A couple of months back, we shared images of the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 on test in India. It was strange to see the bike in camouflage as it had already been on sale in India before BS6 regulations arrived in 2020. Well, we can now confirm that Kawasaki has in fact been working on localising the Versys-X 300 for our market, and that this bike will be launched by the end of 2024.
- Powered by same engine as Ninja 300
- Upmarket electronics suite unlikely to be on offer
- Will come with 19/17-inch spoked wheels, tubed tyres
This will be the third localised bike from Kawasaki India, after the Ninja 300 and W175. Expect to see similar levels of localisation to the Ninja 300, including the likes of the body panels, some electronics, tyres, engine and more.
The bike will largely be the same as before in terms of specification, style and equipment. In the Ninja 300, the 296cc liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine produces 39hp and 26Nm of torque, and you can expect to see similar figures in the Versys. Equipment-wise, things are likely to be quite old school, with a simple semi-digital display and no riding assists beyond dual-channel ABS.
As before, the bike will come with spoked wheels and tubed tyres spanning 19-inches in the front and 17-inches at the rear. The bike should weigh in at around 185kg and have about 180mm of ground clearance. Wth suspension travel at under 150mm, think of this bike as more of a rough-road tourer than a serious off-road focused ADV. Tap here to read what we thought of the Versys-X 300 when we first rode in it in 2018.
The Versys-X 300 was not very successful back then thanks to a sky high price of Rs 4.60 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Now that it is locally manufactured, the hope is that Kawasaki will offer a more competitive price, but whether it will be under the Rs 4 lakh mark remains to be seen. For reference, the Ninja 300 currently costs Rs 3.43 lakh (ex-showroom, India).
Let us know what you think a good price for this bike should be, given that it is based on quite an old platform and is likely to have less equipment than its single cylinder rivals.
Rishaad Mody
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
