Kawasaki Ninja 300, KTM RC 390, Honda CBR 300 R and Yamaha YZF-R3 in the test
300 super sports car for everyone!
For years, Kawasaki and Honda shared the cake in the cheeky third-liter athlete segment. Then KTM came with the single-cylinder RC 390, now Yamaha is also here with the R3. So it’s a class, time for the comparison test!
Rumors persist, according to which many a seasoned biker for the little daughter’s Sunday morning house round NOTinja is said to have stolen 300. In any case, you couldn’t hold it against him because he should have had a damn good time. The little athletes are not only ideal as the first “big” motorcycle for newbies, they also bring StVO-compliant fun for advanced riders. Forced country road attack without even thinking about buying the bus ticket, full throttle for longer than four seconds, keeping clean without remorse. The motto is around 40 hp, that educates you to clean lines, take momentum with you. Uncomplicated fun for everyone. It is no wonder that the small class has been growing for years?
Kawasaki Ninja 300, KTM RC 390, Honda CBR 300 R and Yamaha YZF-R3 in the test
300 super sports car for everyone!
CBR 300 R and Yamaha YZF-R3.
Ninja 300 with extremely smooth clutch lever
Tea Kawasaki Ninja 300 has priority. After all, it was the Greens who launched the first test balloon in Germany in 2007 with the Ninja 250 R, which had long been successful elsewhere, when hardly anyone had the small class on their radar. Since 2013 as a 300 (39 hp, 177 kilos, 5600 euros), the little ninja has set the standard by which the stragglers are measured. The test crew agreed on the ergonomics of the Kawa. The girls like the lowest seat height of 770 millimeters, all the well-integrated, pleasantly sporty seating position with handlebar stubs clamped over the fork bridge and a tolerable knee angle. The grown-up, because massive and ZX-6R-inspired look is also popular, although the somewhat monotonous black of our 2014 model is unanimously "boring" from the style experts. They are still available in green.
Objectively, the ninja drive is still convincing. The 296 cubic in-line twin, the basic construction of which has been around for a few years, runs wonderfully smoothly, picks up the throttle smoothly from the lowest speed range, changes the load without any background noise and barely vibrates. That makes city traffic child’s play, but propulsion is required out here on the country road. So Iris lets go of the gas, keeps the eight-valve engine singing between 8000 and 11,000 tours and hisses off first. respect!
The clutch and transmission are just as well-behaved as the engine. The former is servo-assisted for extremely low hand forces and even offers a slipper function. Both work flawlessly and make it as easy for the left hand as the great, smooth and precise Kawa gearbox is for the left foot. The Kawa Drive is like your best buddy. From the first meter it feels like you’ve known each other forever.
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Yamaha R3 with unusual finesse
The brand new, also two-cylinder Yamaha YZF-R3 will have to stretch quite a bit. It does, too, the blue ones give the 321 cubic unit with forged aluminum pistons, downdraft injection and offset cylinder bank some refinements that are not usual in this class. The result: If the two twins take little action below, the more modern Yamaha unit pulls away noticeably from around 6000 turns, certainly thanks to the small increase in displacement. But the more nimble revving is more noticeable than the almost two hp higher peak power. The engine of the Yamaha YZF-R3 just feels fresher and more willing to work. Your best buddy, after three months in the gym. It is a shame that the vocal cords did not enjoy any training, because the sound of the R3, which is somewhat tinny below, does not earn any praise. Full throttle, ladies and gentlemen, because at the top the brave protteln turns into a hoarse roar, then it’s all right.
The clutch and transmission work very well on the Yamaha YZF-R3 too, and it benefits noticeably from a short first and long sixth gear.
And what else do the guest testers think? They praise the sporty and comfortable ergonomics and the sleek look of the Yamaha YZF-R3, which is very similar to the Kawasaki Ninja 300. "Nice and narrow tank, and she looks like a real racer," says Dina, "very cool, especially the blue rims," Says Iris. So praise to Yamaha, the R-Design is well received. Just like the driving behavior of the R3, the most balanced for racer Sven: "The Yamaha drives light-footed and neutral, springs comfortably, but not laxly and offers the most damping reserves." Iris prefers the Kawa, which is very stable and just a tad more unwieldy to handle. Which is relative, of course, against the third-liter badgers with narrow tires, even 600s look like dormice in hibernation.
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KTM RC 390 rocks like a hopping bunny
The KTM RC 390 is even more manageable, almost wobbly after changing, although it is the only bike in the test with a wider 150 mm rear tire. As the? Steep steering head angle, shorts caster, plus the lowest weight of 164 kilograms with a full tank (a whopping 15 kilograms less than the Kawasaki Ninja 300), that results in pretty crisp handling. The RC 390 wants to be driven cleanly, you have to like it. Sven is disturbed by the basic setup, which is far too weak. "Springs much too soft, hardly dampens at the front and even less at the back."
You notice that while driving, where the KTM RC 390 bobs around like a hopping bunny in swift corners. Tightening the rear harder hardly brings any improvement, the others can do better. The racing instructor and cornering professor Sven explains: “The Kawasaki Ninja 300 is too tight at the rear despite the redirection, but it is much more full. It’s just pretty uncomfortable on a bad road. The rear of the Honda CBR 300 R is also too hard, but its fork is nice and clean. The Yamaha YZF-R3 has the best chassis. Still. “Thank you, Sven.
Just like the jagged handling of the KTM RC 390, prospective buyers should also like its single-cylinder. "Recallig", complains Dina rightly, because the stew vibrates quite strongly in every speed range, and also reluctantly takes on gas due to the design. “Superior driving performance”, say the author and the performance diagram. With 5.3 seconds for zero run hundred, the bearish journeyman distanced the next fastest Yamaha (5.9 seconds) by a good half a second, and outclassed the weak Honda (7.7 seconds) by almost two and a half seconds.
"I do not care"-Charm of the rc
These are the much-cited worlds, and this is reflected in the draft measurement just as blatantly as in everyday life. Even if more than less gearshift work is required on the KTM due to the narrower speed range, if you want the best power-to-weight ratio, the KTM RC 390 cannot be ignored. It is the only one that fully exploits the maximum legally permitted in the A2 class of 0.2 kilograms per kilowatt. The RC 390 single, he’s your best buddy at the AC / DC concert. Impetuous and daring, with the unstoppable “I don’t care” charm.
The gearbox with long shift travel and the clutch with the greatest manual power also hit the same line. The seating position of the KTM also polarizes. The seat is high, narrow and hard; you have to stretch yourself to the handlebar stubs at the height of the fork bridge. “Sporty and real feeling” can be found or uncomfortable. Dina is annoyed by the wide, unergonomically shaped bench, which, in conjunction with the highest seat height (790 millimeters), ensures that everyone under 1.75 meters has to extend their soles at the traffic lights. You just sit up more than in the KTM, but that in return allows taller pilots the best freedom of movement. Everyone in our group agrees about the Kiska look of the RC 390: "Futuristic, sporty, very cool."
Honda CBR 300 R designed for utility
The somewhat old-fashioned Honda CBR 300 R (31 PS, 167 kilos, base price around 4800 euros) cannot win that much praise for external appearances. "80s-like" and "lame" are the comments. Ouch, even if it’s a matter of opinion. Sven, who for once has his sanity glasses with him, immediately discovers the feature that best sums up the essence of the Honda: fat pillion passenger handles. The CBR 300 R is designed with utility value in mind, with its high handlebars and soft seat it offers a really long-distance seat where only the very wide tank is a bit annoying. Which doesn’t mean that the Babyblade isn’t as nimble as its colleagues. It also steers in as jagged as it is precisely and goes neutrally down to the deepest slopes. However, the tire should be brought up to temperature beforehand.
Like the Kawasaki Ninja 300, the Honda CBR 300 R also rolled on the indifferent to secretive feedback IRC Road Winner (front 110, rear 140 millimeters), which certainly lasts for a long time, but inspires little confidence in cold and wet conditions. Yamaha and KTM do a better job of soling Michelin Pilot Street and Pirelli Diablo Rosso II with absolutely suitable, communicative rubber. Nevertheless, the Honda offers a high feel-good factor and can be moved very relaxed. The engine goes well with this, as it trots tiredly behind the field in terms of top performance, but pulls vigorously in the mid-range between 5000 and 8000 revs and only the KTM RC 390 has to admit defeat there. His manners are also right, he behaves in a similarly cultivated manner as his two-cylinder colleagues, and sounds nice and sonorous, where they staple rather shyly and the KTM thuds rather cheekily. This is your best buddy when it comes to helping you move. Is just there, join in and don’t complain.
To stick with the everyday competence of the Honda CBR 300 R: With 3.0 liters, it only sucks on the good Super, which results in a theoretical range of 433 kilometers; only the Kawasaki Ninja 300 with its 17-liter gasoline bunker can go further (3.5 liters, 486 kilometers). In terms of equipment, however, the Honda is spartan. A simple, small cockpit with at least the most important information, but without a gear indicator and shift light, as can be found on the Yamaha YZF-R3 and KTM RC 390.
All tests and articles about the Honda CBR 300 R
All 300 athletes brake with ABS
There is almost a tie on the brakes. All test candidates have individual discs on the front and rear wheels, and all have an anti-lock device. The Honda CBR 300 R has the best ABS, it regulates late and with short intervals. However, the Honda brakes require quite a bit of gripping. The pressure point of the KTM RC 390 is a bit doughy, Kawa and Yamaha are better here. The stoppers of the Yamaha YZF-R3 are easy to dose, but slightly blunt pads mean that a higher hand force is required first. In addition, the Yamaha ABS controls very roughly and with violent pulsations in the lever. Radial monoblock-pampered test hands find the least to complain about on the Kawasaki Ninja 300, which anchors most inconspicuously with a crisp pressure point, a good bite and a cleanly regulating ABS. The bottom line, however, is that all candidates delay more than enough.
A long day of testing comes to an end, the last stretch of the motorway towards home. Dina rushes ahead on the Yamaha YZF-R3, which, thanks to a long sixth and a lot of speed reserves, also makes a great performance here, closely followed by Iris on the Kawasaki Ninja 300. The single-cylinder of the KTM RC 390 doesn’t feel quite as comfortable over 150, but logically keeps Sven at a distance on the weaker Honda CBR 300 R..
Station wagons, jackets & Pants
Inexpensive textile suits for beginners
Textile suits up to 400 euros in the test
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The most complete motorcycle?
What else was there? The workmanship of all machines is perfectly fine, considering their low price. However, there are clear differences in the service intervals, where the Kawasaki Ninja 300 needs to be inspected every 6000, the Honda CBR 300 R only every 12,000 kilometers.
And now, bottom line? This time everyone can pull for themselves. Because the Yamaha YZF-R3 is the most complete motorcycle here in the sum of its properties, two out of four testers declared it their favorite. But no matter which one you choose, one thing has become clear: the third-liter cheeky bastards have come to stay.
Super athlete
Kawasaki Ninja 300 and KTM RC 390 in comparison test
Not just for beginners
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Naked bike
Kawasaki Z 300 and KTM 390 Duke in comparison
For youngsters and beginners
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Conclusion
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The four candidates in the individual evaluation
Honda CBR 300 R.
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Power-Poser Sven’s conclusion on the Honda CBR 300 R.
The Honda CBR 300 R is the packhorse with low consumption, long service intervals, sociable manners and high functionality. In terms of performance, however, it is significantly behind the competition.
KTM RC 390
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Editor Johannes’ conclusion on the KTM RC 390.
Ready to race – the KTM motto carries the RC into the small class. Powerful engine, low weight, agile handling, the KTM RC 390 is the cheekiest badger here. She likes everyday life less and is too soft.
Kawasaki Ninja 300
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Editorial assistant Iris’ conclusion on the Kawasaki Ninja 300.
Tea Kawasaki Ninja 300 comes across as grown-up. A sophisticated engine, stable handling, more pleasant ergonomics, that makes the Kawasaki a dad badger. However, it is the most expensive in the field.
Yamaha YZF-R3
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MOTORRAD online editor Dina’s conclusion on the Yamaha YZF-R3.
The most modern young athlete is also the most balanced. Drives agile and neutral, can do more sport than the Kawa and more everyday life than the KTM. The Yamaha YZF-R3 offers the most complete package, and the price is reasonable.
Technical specifications
42 Pictures
Pictures: Kawasaki Ninja 300, KTM RC 390, Honda CBR 300 R and Yamaha YZF-R3 in the test
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Used 300ccm super sports bike in Germany
1000PS marketplace app
The selection of used 300 super athletes is large.
300 super athletes find a good compromise between sporty performance for the country road and low maintenance costs, which is why they are also very popular on the second-hand market. The availability is good and the purchase price is reasonable. Here is the price comparison: used 300ccm super sports bikes in Germany.
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