A Kawasaki 300cc Adventure bike was recently spotted during its test runs in Pune, India and it seems to be the Versys X-300, which used to be on sale in our market.
Kawasaki Versys X-300 to re-launch in India
As mentioned earlier, the Indian market is no stranger to the Versys X-200, except that the bike used to be sold with a premium price tag. This time, the Japanese company is considering to re-launch its 300cc ADV, which uses the same 296cc DOHV 4V liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine from the iconic Ninja 300.
The decision to bring back the Versys X-300 is quite a wise decision by Kawasaki since Adventure motorbikes are gaining prominence in recent times with launches like the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and Hero Xpulse 200 gaining immense success along with decently successful challengers as well such as the Yezdi Adventure, BMW 310 GS, KTM 390 Adventure and Triumph Scrambler 400 X.
Seeing the ADV bike segment getting so much attention and success in the Indian market, Honda also launched the NX500 at Rs 5.9 lakh (ex-showroom), which is a multi-cylinder ADV/Tourer motorbike.
So, Kawasaki not making a move here might have been a missed opportunity, although Kawasaki is currently offering the Versys 650 to the audience which costs Rs 7.77 lakh. Hence, launching a 300cc ADV bike at somewhere around Rs 4 lakh would make sense, establishing a link between the Himalayan 450 and NX500.
The brand currently sells the Versys X-300 in foreign markets and the test mule looks quite similar to the global model. The ADV bike also seems to have a bit of a sportier side since the rider was wearing riding gear with knee sliders and all that.
The bike consists of a single-pod headlamp within a good-looking fairing with a practical tall windscreen. Looking at the stance of the rider, the posture seems to be quite relaxed too with an upright seating position and centre-set footpegs.
In a world where 125cc and 160cc commuters are getting USD forks, Kawasaki still offers the conventional RSU telescopic front forks and mono-shock for the rear suspension along with a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel. The tyres, however, are a bit skinnier for a 4-lakh premium ADV, considering they are 100-section front and 130-section rear units.
Expect the Versys X-300 to make a comeback in the Indian market by the end of this year and the price tag will be somewhere around 4-4.5 lakh, ex-showroom.
