Kawasaki could be planning to bring back the Versys-X 300 to the Indian market. The adventure motorcycle was sold by Team Green in India, however, it did not gain traction in sales back then. One could say that the Versys-X had arrived a little before the ADV segment was mature for the country and Kawasaki sold only a handful units.
Another major reason from low sales was the motorcycles price. Being a CBU (Completely Built Up Unit) import, the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 attracted heavy custom duties and taxes making it quite expensive for the segment it was sold in. The twin-cylinder ADV competed with the likes of the KTM 390 Adventure and the BMW G 310 GS, both made in India and sold at a much reasonable price.
Now it appears that Kawasaki is going to locally produce the Versys-X 300 to establish its presence in the entry-level adventure segment in the Indian market. The segment is currently dominated by the KTM 390 Adventure which is also likely to get a complete makeover. With local production Kawasaki is likely to be able to retail the motorcycle at a competitive rate making it an attractive buy.
According to spyshots, a test mule of the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 is currently under road test. The test mule appears to have a saree guard which leads us to believe that the motorcycle is likely to be India-specific. Other details on the motorcycle are likely to be similar to the Versys-X 300 sold internationally.
The adventure motorcycle is likely to come with a single headlamp with upright front cowling and a tall windscreen. In addition to this, the Versys-X 300 is also likely to come with the same equipment as the international model. Also, expect the same 300cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled powertrain which does duty on the Ninja 300 in India. The engine produces 39 BHP of power and 26.1 Nm of torque on the Ninja 300. Kawasaki is likely to slightly tune the engine and gearbox for on-road/off-road adventures.
Expect the brand to introduce the motorcycle around the INR 4.5 lakh to INR 5 lakh mark excluding taxes.
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