Versus: Honda CBR500R vs Kawasaki Ninja 300
They both do roughly the same. They both cost roughly the same. Only one deserves your cash.
INTRO copy here.
CBR500R | Ninja 300 |
Conclusion
They’re both competent, sporty all-rounders, good for getting to work or getting a moderate shift on. They're both built to high-quality, Japanese standards. They're both great looking. Only £200 separates them in price. So which should you buy? Our Versus guides are here to give you a quick helping-hand through the trickiest buying choices, starting with: CBR500R vs Ninja 300
Reasons to buy CBR500R | Reason to buy Ninja 300 |
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| Price: £5,099 OTR Capacity: 471cc Power: 47bhp Weight: 194kg Seat height: 790mm | Price: £4891 OTR (£5,291 with ABS) Capacity: 296cc Power: 38bhp Weight: 172kg kerb (£174kg ABS) Seat height: 786mm |
Our choice: Honda CBR500R
The Ninja is great fun but essentially the hangover of a disappearing market. Its predecessor, the Ninja 250R, catered perfectly for newly-qualified riders restricted to 33bhp. In January this year that restriction rose to 47bhp. The heavily-revised Ninja 300 is Kawasaki’s response, offering 38bhp. But if you can have 47bhp, surely that’s how many you want. In which case a £200 saving seems the remaining argument for the Kawasaki. That's without factoring in ABS, which is standard on the Honda. Much as we like the Ninja, it loses this battle.
Have we got it wrong? Tell us which you'd buy, or add your review of either model using the links below.
First ride: CBR500R Review: CBR500R Long-term test: CBR500R First ride: Ninja 300 Review: Ninja 300
