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• Closer turns, please!
• Sweeping cannot be tight enough
• Kawasaki Z 300 gives no cause for complaint
• Technical data Z 300

Kawasaki

23 photos

Kawasaki

1/23
170 kilograms and 39 hp – winding roads are really fun.

Kawasaki

2/23
Smart rim rings (15 euros per wheel), fixed brakes: the single disc decelerates well, but the ABS regulates somewhat roughly.

Kawasaki

3/23
Zorro wasn’t at work here, but the Kawasaki designers. The processing also gives no cause for complaint.

Kawasaki

4/23

Kawasaki

5/23
The twin has great manners, takes on gas from the lowest engine speeds, hardly vibrates …

Kawasaki

6/23
… and shows no disturbing load change reactions.

Kawasaki

7/23
The fact that a lot of gearshift work is necessary for a brisk journey does not bother at all, because the clutch works extremely smoothly thanks to the servo function (a slipper function is also on board).

Kawasaki

8/23
The gloriously slipping gearbox also works just as smoothly, making every gear change a little feast.

Kawasaki

9/23
Thanks to narrow tires (front 110 millimeters, rear 140, on 17 inches), handling-friendly geometry and low rotating engine masses, the Zettchen steers in incredibly light-footed, but never looks wobbly.

Kawasaki

10/23
So molehill-sized root eruptions and occasionally boulders that have strayed onto the street can be sailed around with playful ease.

Kawasaki

11/23
… just a bit more robust than the series pot.

Kawasaki

12/23
Not loud, but nice: chic real carbon Akrapovic SlipOn (550 euros), sounds with dB eater …

Kawasaki

13/23
Make something: the pillion cover costs from 130 euros and fits in perfectly with the harmonious Z styling; the matt metallic paint looks classy.

Kawasaki

14/23
In addition, it looks fast – the Kawasaki Z 300.

Kawasaki

15/23
You sit on it very actively, oriented a little towards the front wheel. The knee angle is sporty, but not uncomfortable.

Kawasaki

16/23
Technically, the Z 300 is almost identical to the Ninja 300, …

Kawasaki

17/23
… the steering head angle is one degree steeper. This results in a trail that is eleven millimeters shorter.

Kawasaki

18/23
The less cladding results in a weight saving of four kilos.

Kawasaki

19/23
In addition to the green version, the Z 300 is also available from dealers in gray.

Kawasaki

20/23
1. Nice to look at.

Kawasaki

21/23
2. Clearly structured.

Kawasaki

22/23
And 3. Easy to read: analogue speed, daily and total kilometers, digital fuel gauge.

Kawasaki

23/23
For around 5200 euros, the Z 300 may not pass as a bargain of the century. But the equivalent of the speedy country road sweeper is absolutely fine – driving behavior, engine, appearance, quality impression, that fits.
As an entry-level naked, the jagged Zettchen delivers an all-round hearty performance.

Kawasaki Z 300 in the driving report

Closer turns, please!

Z – that has a long tradition at Kawasaki. And the Ninja 300 can be considered a successful model in the A2 class. So what could be more natural than to strip the 300 athlete to a little bit? We drove the brand new Kawasaki Z 300 in the outskirts of Girona.

The small displacement class is on the rise, from 2012 to 2014 the number of motorcycles between 250 and 499 cm³ sold in Germany increased from almost 3,000 to over 7,500 – an increase of around 130 percent. The stars of the entry-level scene? KTM Duke 390, Honda CB 500 F and CBR 500 R as well as the Kawasaki Ninja 300. In view of the continued success of the small ninja and the growth in the segment, it is almost a bit surprising that the Greens took a few years with the Z 300 . At least it is now Kawasaki Z 300 ready, technically almost identical to the Ninja 300. The steering head angle is one degree steeper, which results in an eleven millimeter shorter caster, and the less trim is reflected in four kilograms of weight savings (170 kilograms ready to drive, factory specification). Instead of handlebar halves as in the Ninja, a not too wide, low tubular handlebar is used – that’s it with the changes. 

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Kawasaki Z 300 in the driving report
Closer turns, please!

Kawasaki Z 300 a lot of shifting work is necessary, because the clutch works extremely smoothly thanks to the servo function (a slipper function is also on board), just like the wonderfully slipping gear that makes every gear change a little feast. Downshifting once or twice to overtake, really squeezing out the engine, that’s a lot of fun, because at the top it purrs in a super sporty manner and really revs.

Sweeping cannot be tight enough

The curve chasing with the Kawasaki Z 300 is entertaining and uncomplicated, the bends can hardly be tight enough. The seating position is extremely active, oriented towards the front wheel, the knee angle sporty, but not uncomfortable. The crisply padded seat cushion is inclined forwards, but also leaves enough space to the rear for larger pilots. The way you sit, in the middle between comfort and attack, is how the Z 300 drives. The Showa telescopic fork at the front responds well and cleanly handles impacts and waves with a soft set-up. The setup of the Kayaba rear shock, which can only be adjusted in preload, turned out to be quite tight and somewhat overdamped, so that short bumps are passed through here despite the deflection. Nevertheless, the author liked the coordination of the spring elements on the not always flat streets around Girona.

Thanks to narrow tires (front 110 millimeters, rear 140, on 17 inches), handling-friendly geometry and low rotating engine masses, the Kawasaki Z 300 turns in incredibly light-footed, but never looks wobbly. So molehill-sized root eruptions and occasionally boulders that have strayed onto the street can be sailed around with playful ease. Course corrections in the middle of the curve? The Z 300 doesn’t do it sullenly, but with verve. In really angled terrain, it will drive circles around heavier motorcycles, I promise. At least when the asphalt is dry and the IRC Roadwinner tire is up to temperature, because under these conditions it delivers a lot of grip and thus confidence. In the wet we didn’t want to find out the limit of grip of the budget tire – little feedback leads to scissors in the head.

Kawasaki Z 300 gives no cause for complaint

The brakes underline the sporty appearance of the Kawasaki Z 300, the two individual discs (290 millimeters at the front, 220 at the rear, each double-piston caliper) decelerate with sufficient bite and easy control. Only the Nissin ABS with its coarse control intervals does not achieve the same high standard as the Bosch module installed on the Kawasaki Vulcan S..

The processing of the Kawasaki Z 300 gives no cause for complaint, in places, for example on the stainless steel cover of the exhaust or the elegant, matt metallic paintwork, it looks really valuable. Chic accessories such as the pillion cover (130 euros), the rim rings (15 euros per wheel) and the Akrapovic exhaust (550 euros) complete the very adult, harmonious appearance. A little tip: When negotiating prices with the friendly Kawa dealer, you can certainly negotiate a little discount on the accessories, in Benelux the importers have an extremely attractive accessory package with the Performance Edition (pillion cover, rim rings, tank pad and Akrapovic for around 500 euros) laced.

And so to the question of price: For around 5200 euros, the Kawasaki Z 300 may not pass as a bargain of the century. But don’t get it wrong: The equivalent of the speedy country road sweeper is absolutely fine – driving behavior, engine, appearance, quality impression, that fits. As an entry-level naked, the jagged Zettchen delivers an all-round hearty performance.

Technical data Z 300

Kawasaki

170 kilos with a full tank of fuel, plus 39 hp – it circles around the larger motorcycles in the angled terrain.

engine

Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, 2 x Ø 32 mm, regulated catalytic converter, alternator 322 W, battery 12 V / 8 Ah, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch ( Anti-hopping), six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 3,000.

Bore x stroke
62.0 x 49.0 mm

Displacement
296 cc

Compression ratio
10.6: 1

rated capacity
29.0 kW (39 hp) at 11,000 rpm

Max. Torque
27 Nm at 10000 rpm

landing gear

Bridge frame made of steel, telescopic fork, Ø 37 mm, two-arm swing arm made of steel, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, front disc brake, Ø 290 mm, double-piston floating caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 220 mm, double-piston floating caliper, ABS.

Cast aluminum wheels
2.75 x 17; 4.00 x 17 

tires
110/70 17; 140/70 17

Dimensions + weights

Wheelbase 1405 mm, steering head angle 64 degrees, caster 82 mm, spring travel f / r 120/132 mm, seat height 785 mm, weight with a full tank of 170 kg, tank capacity 17.0 liters.

guarantee
two years

Colours
Green, black

price
5195 euros

Additional costs
170 euros

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