Things start looking better for the Kawasaki when we look at the fuel tank capacity, a substantial 17 litres. Not only is that markedly larger than every other rival in the list, it’s matching that of some adventure tourers, like the Himalayan 450. Considering that and Kawasaki managing to keep the kerb weight at 175kg (tied with the Tuono 457) and keep the seat height the lowest, the Z300 makes a very good case for being a great beginner motorcycle, and possibly even a good touring option.
The Kawasaki’s lowest seat height number does come with a significant dent (for now, just on paper) on ground clearance; although we don’t expect it to be an issue in 90 percent of use cases.
Guerrilla 450 has the widest tyres at both ends, which, on paper, should hinder agility compared to narrower tyres, but when we rode the bike, we did not face any such issues. If anything, the Apex variant’s road-biased tyres offered noticeably more grip and cornering ability than before. KTM and Aprilia both share identical tyre sizes, and the Kawasaki shares its front tyre size with them. The Z300 has one section narrower rear tyre than the European duo, and Kawasaki has only given it a rear radial tyre, offering a conventional bias-ply front tyre instead. Nevertheless, considering the Z300’s sizes offer plenty of tyre choices, this can be fixed easily.
Both Dukes (390 Duke and 390 Duke R) – which are essentially the same motorcycle except for the engine – offer more adjustability than everyone else. KTM offers compression and rebound adjustability as standard, with the rear monoshock being adjustable for preload and rebound. Aprilia follows closely with preload adjustability on both ends. Kawasaki has kept the chassis unchanged which means it shares the front and rear suspension units as-is with the Ninja 300; which also makes it look like the weakest setup on paper. Royal Enfield and Kawasaki only let you play with the preload on their respective linkage monoshocks with the forks being completely unadjustable.
KTMs are known for their strong braking setups with the Aprilia once again following them closely. Royal Enfield has a balanced front-to-rear brake rotor size that takes care of the job well. The Ninja 300 doesn’t have the sharpest brakes in its class, and since the Z300 has an identical setup, we could see that be the case with it as well. That said, we’ll reserve judgement on braking performance until we’ve properly ridden the bike.
Kawasaki Z300 vs rivals: Features
The Japanese option is the least-equipped of the lot
The title for the most equipped motorcycle on this list will go to the KTM considering it gives you a quickshifter, cornering sensitive ABS, launch control, a 5-inch TFT display, and since 2025, cruise control; all as standard. Aprilia, to its credit, follows the KTM with quickshifter and cruise control being the only two things missing on its list. You can retrofit the former as an accessory if you so wish, but the Tuono 457 cannot be equipped with a first-part cruise control system, at all.
The Japanese are no longer known for offering the most feature-laden options and that’s true in this case too. Compared to the Z300, the Guerrilla 450 offers more modern features like a 4-inch TFT display with Google Maps mirroring, smartphone connectivity, ride-by-wire and two ride modes. The only rider aid the Z300 offers is a slip-and-assist clutch which is also matched by the other four in this list.
Kawasaki Z300 vs rivals: Price
Royal Enfield offers the most value
With all the sections discussed, the Z300 quickly starts looking like a pricey option, especially against the KTM 390 Duke (350cc) and the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, which offer more power and features for about Rs 75,000 less, in the case of the former, and about Rs 40,000 less for the latter. The only indisputable Kawasaki advantage is the aforementioned twin-cylinder smoothness. Which makes its engine the highest-revving in this list, without vibrations spoiling the experience. One can argue that the Aprilia is also a twin and thus just as smooth, but it commands a Rs 75,000 premium towards the other side.
Hence, the Z300 is operating in a segment of its own at the moment, with its priorities very clear to prospective buyers. If you believe that could be you, get a test ride and decide if what you read on paper also translates into the riding experience in the real world.
