Is The 2026 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Real? Here's What We Know

There are all sorts of different sizes and shapes available in the Kawasaki lineup. The company has big cruisers, off-roaders, naked street bikes, retro-styled cafe bikes, and a range of Ninja-branded sport bikes. But what Kawasaki doesn't have, at least right now, is a sport bike that's small enough to compete with the likes of the Yamaha R3 or the Suzuki GSX250R. That's where a revived Kawasaki Ninja 300 would fit right in. 

The Ninja 300 was small, but it was one of the coolest-looking 300cc bikes ever. It was last made in 2017, with the Ninja 400 replacing it in 2018. However, according to a report by Motorcycle.com, Kawasaki might have a new Ninja 300 on the way soon. The report claims that Kawasaki will bring the Ninja 300 back as a 2026 model, with Motorcycle.com basing the claim on California Air Resources Board data that references a Kawasaki with a model code of EX300GT.

The report breaks down those letters and numbers, concluding that the Ninja 300 is on its way back for 2026 and will likely be announced this fall. We reached out to Kawasaki to ask about a possible Ninja 300, but the company naturally declined to comment on unannounced future products. So, that leaves us with the fun of speculation.

According to Motorcycle.com, the new Ninja will be powered by the same 296cc engine that was last used in the 2017 model. It's essentially the same engine used in the small Versys-X 300 adventure bike today. The Ninja's version of the engine, though, will likely be tuned to fit the bike's specific character. The Versys-X 300 engine is a two-cylinder powerplant that produces 19.2 lb-ft of torque, a respectable number for a small beginner bike, but not exactly thrilling. To put that in perspective, let's look at specs of the two Kawasaki bikes that are closest in size to the potential future Ninja 300, the Ninja 500 and the Ninja ZX-4R.

The ZX-4R uses a 399cc four-cylinder engine that makes an impressive 56 hp and 26.5 lb-ft of torque; good numbers for a motorcycle that weighs just 415 pounds. The Ninja 500 has a 451cc parallel-twin engine that produces 51 hp and 31.7 lb-ft of torque. Both are significantly more powerful than the new 300 will likely be, but they're worth mentioning for context, especially if we want to speculate about the Ninja 300's pricing.

There are a few key rivals (we even mentioned two of them earlier), plus a few Kawasaki bikes, that will help us try and guess the Ninja 300's price. Let's start with the Kawasaki motorcycles. Remember the ZX-4R and the Ninja 500 from the previous section? The ZX-4R is pretty pricey. It's part of Kawasaki's high-performance ZX lineup, and it starts at $9,599 (all Kawasaki prices include a $600 destination fee). There's even a higher-performance version called the Ninja ZX-4RR, which is a seriously capable track bike. Not all small, sporty bikes are that pricey, though; the standard Ninja bikes are much less.

The Ninja 500, for example, has an MSRP of $5,899 for non-ABS models. ABS adds another $400 to $600 to that price tag. The Versys-X 300 mentioned earlier has a starting price of $6,299, which is right about where we expect the new Ninja 300 to land. 

Potential rivals, like the aforementioned Yamaha R3, can offer useful comparison points as well. The R3 is one of our favorite beginner Yamaha bikes, and it currently starts at $6,449 (including $600 destination fee and $350 supply chain surcharge), but the Suzuki GSX250R undercuts it at $5,749 (including $600 destination fee). The Suzuki, however, has a smaller 248cc engine, so it's not a perfect comparison. If it's priced right, the Ninja 300 could be an ultra-appealing entry for the beginner-bike class.