WHILE MANY OF us might be surprised to see such fierce competition in a class of motorcycles that has largely evaded the radar of veteran enthusiasts, there are good
reasons why it exists. First, the lingering US economic depression has had an effect on incomes in virtually every corner of
society, save perhaps investment bankers. Motorcycle sales, even
though they have improved slightly over the last four years, are
still only roughly half of what they were in 2005, and entry level
riders rarely consider purchasing profitable 600cc sportbikes any
longer. Not only are their prices too high for a generation that
can barely afford higher education, but insurance rates can be
prohibitive on machines that generate disproportionate claims.
There’s another reason, too. While mature motorcycle markets like those in Europe and the US are stagnant or suffering, emerging markets in Brazil, Southeast Asia and India are
flourishing, so manufacturers have been focusing their energies
on machines to satisfy these new consumers. And unlike years
past, when the American market was a special case—generating
robust sales of fancy large-displacement motorcycles—smaller
displacement bikes with good fuel economy that appeal to these
foreign markets can be perfect first motorcycles for younger US
riders as well.
The Group
Some might argue what models really belong in this com-
parison, complaining for instance that the 390 KTM is a natural
overdog compared to 300cc rivals. But in fact, all four are meant
to comply with the sub-400cc tiered licensing category common
in many countries, including Japan. In addition, their prices are
roughly in-line with their true displacements, which don’t actu-
ally line-up in most cases with their model designations. For
instance, the $4399 CBR300R is actually 286cc, enlarged last
year from its original 249.4cc size via an 8mm stroke increase
(bore and stroke now 76.0mm x 63.0mm). The Kawasaki Ninja
300, priced at $4999, was also originally 249cc, and was stroked
an additional 7.8mm to 296cc in 2013 (now with a 62.0 x 49.0mm
bore and stroke). The $4990 R3 Yamaha is identified as 320cc,
but is actually only 311cc (68.0mm x 44.1mm bore and stroke).
And the KTM RC390 is in reality 373.2cc with a bore and stroke
of 89mm x 60mm. All are liquid-cooled.
Note that the group’s MSRPs are not exactly comparable without taking into account ABS. Priced at $5499, KTM has ABS as
standard equipment, while the Ninja offers it as a $300 option
($5299 total), Honda charges $500 extra ($4899) and the Yamaha
can’t be had with ABS (still $4990).
Motors
If you think small-displacement motorcycles don’t have a
place in America’s wide-open spaces, you might be surprised
to learn that the littlest Ninja has been in Kawasaki’s US model
line-up since 1986 and has been its best-selling model for many
years, thus the steady arrival of new competitors eager for a share
of its market, first from Honda, then KTM and now Yamaha.
The carbureted twin-cylinder Kawasaki easily bested the single-cylinder, fuel-injected Honda for peak power back when
both were 250s, 26.09 hp to 21.92 hp. And the gap grew wider
when the Ninja jumped 50cc (and received fuel injection) and
the Honda was enlarged only 36.6cc—now 34.62 hp vs. 26. 33
words and photos by Dave Searle
SPORTBIKES
Yamaha’s New YZF-R3 takes on Kawasaki’s best-selling Ninja 300,
Honda’s CBR300R and KTM’s RC390
