If there's a manufacturer among the Big Four (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki) that sells almost every motorcycle in India from its global portfolio, it's Kawasaki. Right from the Rs. 2.97 lakh (ex-showroom) Ninja 300 to the 310 horsepower 400 km/h Rs 75.80 lakh (ex-showroom) track-only (not street legal) Ninja H2R, there's a Kawasaki Ninja for everyone. In fact, the company has more Ninja models in India than it has in the USA, thanks to the Ninja 300, which is still on sale here, but discontinued there.
However, there are still a few bikes that it doesn't sell here, and we'll talk about the most significant of them. Before that, let us quickly tell you what all is already available here:
- Ninja series: Ninja 300, Ninja 400, Ninja 650, Ninja 1000, Ninja ZX-6R, Ninja ZX-10R, Ninja ZX-14R, Ninja H2, and Ninja H2R.
- Z series: Z 1000 R, Z 1000, Z 900, and Z 650.
- Vulcan series: Vulcan S (650 cc).
- Versys series: Versys 1000, Versys 650, and Versys-X 300.
- W series: It has not become a series yet as Kawasaki has just one W bike in its global portfolio, the W800, which is what we also get in India.
- Off-road (not street legal): KX 100, KX 250, KX 450, KLX 110, KLX 140 G, and KLX 450.
That's one exhaustive portfolio, isn't it? But there are still a few bikes missing.
Kawasaki Z H2
Kawasaki has its entire lineup of supercharged motorcycles in India, save for this one. The H2R, H2, H2 SX, and Z H2 share the same supercharged engine, but in varying states of tune, obviously. In the Z H2, the engine produces 197 horsepower, while the peak torque is rated at 137 Nm at 8,500 rpm! If launched, it would be the most powerful naked in India yet.
Kawasaki Vulcan 900
Kawasaki sells the Vulcan S, a 650 cc cruiser, already in India. It's the go-to model for all who want a cruiser but are averse to Harley-Davidsons. However, there's no such model for folks who want a slightly bigger-displacement cruiser, but do not want an Iron 883. Kawasaki would do well to fill that void by its Vulcan 900. It has a 903 cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine that produces 79 Nm of peak torque at a low 3,500 rpm. That's perfect in our books.
Kawasaki KLX 250
The first enduro-style motorcycle launched in India was by Kawasaki, in collaboration with Bajaj, way back in the early '90s. It was called the Enduro SX, and was based on the Kawasaki Bajaj RTZ, a 100 cc single-cylinder two-stroke from the late '80s.
Fast forward to the present, where Kawasaki has not one or two but SIX proper off-road motorcycles in India. The catch is—none of them is street legal. However, Kawasaki also has a few of them with lights, blinkers, and other stuff that make motorcycles road legal. One of them is known as the KLX 250.
It's powered by a 250 cc single-cylinder four-stroke liquid-cooled engine. Exceptional suspension travel (10 inches in front and 9.1 inches at the rear) and an unprecedented (in India) 284 mm of ground clearance will make this the first true go-anywhere jump-everywhere motorcycle. Also, a kerb weight of just 138 kg means that you won't need an extra pair of hands to lift it in case of a drop.
