It's Showtime – Introducing the Z300
The Kawasaki Z300, the latest addition to the Z Series line-up, is a stylish entry-level model inspired by larger Z models. The new Z300 stands out from the crowd with its muscular body work and big bike look. This is a great addition to the Zed family.
Sharing the engine and chassis of the excellent Kawasaki Ninja 300, the Z300 offers a dynamic ride and the best performance in its class.
The new Kawasaki Z300 is powered by the same 296 cc liquid-cooled engine as the Ninja 300. The fuel-injected parallel-twin produces smooth, torquey power at low and medium rpm and powerful acceleration at high rpm. It features a sleeveless, plated, die-cast aluminium cylinder and lightweight coated pistons.
As for the chassis, the circuit-developed diamond frame has balanced rigidity, matched to supple suspension settings. This ensures both a very high level of performance and excellent ride quality and with the engine partially rubber mounted, vibrations are minimal, further contributing to the high-quality ride feel.
The Z300 features petal disc brakes front and rear, ensuring strong stopping power, superb control and feel, and sporty looks. Lightweight, 10-spoke aluminium wheels contribute to the Z300’s light, easy handling
The Z300's sporty instrument package combines a large, analogue-style tachometer with a multi-function LCD screen. It features a time clock, fuel gauge, dual trip meters, odometer and Economical Riding Indicator. Amber LED backlighting contributes to the Supernaked image.
Why not take a look at our Accessorise My Kawasaki page where you can search for and buy genuine Kawasaki accessories for your Z300.
Rigid Diamond Frame
Diamond frame from the Ninja 300 features high-tensile steel components, reinforcement gusseting and rubber front engine mounts. Rigidity balance fine-tuned on the circuit ensures the high level of chassis stability necessary for sport riding.
Aggressive Supernaked Styling
Like other models in the Z Series, the Z300 features a “mass-forward, minimalist-tail” design concept. Its aggressive headlamp housed in a compact cowl, muscular, athletic bodywork and slim tail design create a very distinctive silhouette.
296 cm3 Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin
Parallel Twin engine produces smooth, torquey power at low and medium rpm and powerful acceleration at high rpm. Like the Ninja 300, it features a sleeveless, plated, die-cast aluminium cylinder and lightweight coated pistons.
Petal Disc Brakes
Petal disc brakes front and rear deliver strong stopping power and superb controllability.
Uni-Trak Rear Suspension
Kawasaki’s original linkage-equipped Uni-Trak rear suspension delivers a smooth ride and stable handling over a wide range of speeds and road conditions.
φ37 mm Telescopic Fork
Matched to the engine’s performance and rigid frame, the supple settings of the φ37 mm fork offer superb ride comfort in the city, and smooth, stable handling when sport riding.
2-1 Exhaust with Short-style Silencer
Header and centre pipe length optimised for strong low-mid range torque. Short-style silencer with complex cross-section delivers good performance, low noise and plenty of lean angle.
Muscular Bodywork and High-quality Touches
Compact headlamp cowl with mini meter visor is one of the key styling elements of the Z300’s aggressive design. Multi-reflector headlamp from the Z800 reinforces the strong family resemblance.
Wide 140 mm Rear Tyre
Wide rear tyre contributes to the Z300’s high straight-line stability. The tyre compound offers good grip in both dry and wet conditions.
Flat, Wide Handlebar
A relaxed, upright riding position accommodates a wide range of riders. The wide grip of the handlebar facilitates active rider input for exciting, dynamic riding.
ABS
Sudden over-application of the brakes, or braking on low-grip surfaces (surfaces with a low coefficient of friction) such as wet asphalt or manhole covers may cause a motorcycle's wheel(s) to lock up and slip. ABS was developed to prevent such incidents. Kawasaki ABS systems are controlled by high precision and highly reliable programming formulated based on thorough testing of numerous riding situations. By ensuring stable braking performance, they offer rider reassurance that contributes to greater riding enjoyment.
Assist & Slipper Clutch
Based on feedback from racing activities, the Assist & Slipper Clutch uses two types of cams (an assist cam and a slipper cam) to either drive the clutch hub and operating plate together or apart.
Under normal operation, the assist cam functions as a self-servo mechanism, pulling the clutch hub and operating plate together to compress the clutch plates. This allows the total clutch spring load to be reduced, resulting in a lighter clutch lever feel when operating the clutch.
When excessive engine braking occurs – as a result of quick downshifts (or an accidental downshift) – the slipper cam comes into play, forcing the clutch hub and operating plate apart. This relieves pressure on the clutch plates to reduce back-torque and help prevent the rear tyre from hopping and skidding.
Dual Throttle Valves
Late-model sport bikes often use large-bore throttle bodies to generate high levels of power. However, with large diameter throttles, when a rider suddenly opens the throttle, the unrestricted torque response is anything but gentle and often more than the rider can handle. Dual throttle valve technology was designed to tame engine response while contributing to performance.
On fuel-injected models, throttle bodies generally have only one throttle valve per cylinder. On models with dual throttle valves, there are two throttle valves per cylinder: in addition to the main valves, which are physically linked to the throttle grip and controlled by the rider, a second set of valves, opened and closed by the ECU, precisely regulates intake airflow to ensure a natural, linear response. With the air passing through the throttle bodies becoming smoother, combustion efficiency in improved and power is increased.
Like other Kawasaki engine management technology, Dual Throttle Valves were designed with the philosophy of "following the rider's intention, while providing natural-feeling support." They are featured on many Kawasaki models.
Economical Riding Indicator
Using high-precision electronic control for engine management, Kawasaki models can achieve a high level of fuel efficiency.
However, fuel consumption is greatly affected by throttle use, gear selection, and other elements under the rider's control. The Economical Riding Indicator is a function that indicates when current riding conditions are consuming a low amount of fuel. The system continuously monitors fuel consumption, regardless of vehicle speed, engine speed, throttle position and other riding conditions. When fuel consumption is low for a given speed (i.e. fuel efficiency is high), an "ECO" mark appears on the instrument panel's LCD screen. By riding so that the "ECO" mark remains on, fuel consumption can be reduced.
While effective vehicle speed and engine speed may vary by model, paying attention to conditions that cause the "ECO" mark to appear can help riders improve their fuel efficiency – a handy way to increase cruising range. Further, keeping fuel consumption low also helps minimise negative impact on the environment.