The Kawasaki Versys-X 300 is an adventure touring motorcycle that was once on sale in India for a few years. Since it was a CBU, it was priced on the higher side and found few takers before it was discontinued. However, the bike was recently spotted testing in India and word is that Kawasaki is going to relaunch the bike in our market soon.
This time though, Kawasaki is going to heavily localise the bike by sourcing as many parts and components from the local suppliers as possible to keep costs low. Since it will be made here, it will attract lower taxes and that shall help Kawasaki price the bike competitively.
The price of the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 will be crucial as this will be the company’s contender in the hotly contested 300-500cc ADV space. Currently, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the KTM 390 Adventure are big sellers. KTM, in fact, is readying an all-new 390 Adventure that will be unveiled towards the end of this year.
Kawasaki will be hoping to make a dent in the market with its parallel-twin-engine- equipped Versys-X 300 which will have its own set of advantages over the Himalayan and 390 ADV that have single-cylinder engines, mainly in terms of refinement at high speeds.
The Versys-X 300 will use the Kawasaki Ninja 300’s engine. It is a 296cc unit that develops 39bhp and 26.1Nm. The engine is linked to a six-speed gearbox.
While the KTM 390 Adventure is priced from Rs 3.38 lakh, ex-showroom onwards, and the Himalayan’s prices begin from Rs 2.85 lakh, expect the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 to be priced between Rs 3.6 lakh to Rs 3.9 lakh.