Okay, let’s talk about this 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 300. You know, I ain’t no expert or anythin’, but I’ve had my fair share of tinkering with bikes, and this one, well, it’s been a bit of a journey.
I picked up this used Ninja 300 a while back. I had to fix it up, since it was pretty beat up when I got it. The guy I bought it from said it had been sitting for a while. Thought it’d be a fun project, and it was, kinda. First thing I did was check the mileage. She had around 95,000 kilometers on her, which, you know, isn’t too bad for a bike of this age, especially since it was mostly used for highway riding. It looked like it could still go a while, so I got to work.
First off, the battery was dead as a doornail. No surprise there, really. So, I grabbed my charger and hooked it up. Waited a few hours, tried to start her up, and… nothing. Just a click. Checked the connections, made sure everything was tight, still nothing. Turns out, the battery was toast. I had to replace it.
Got a new battery, installed it, and boom, she fired right up. Sounded pretty good, too. But then, as I was riding, the engine just randomly shut off. Like, completely died. I barely pulled over to the side of the road. Checked things over, and it seemed like the engine wasn’t getting a proper spark. Weird, right?
So, I started digging deeper. Someone told me that stator failures are common on these Ninja 300s, especially if you ride them hard at high revs or in hot weather. Mine had probably been ridden pretty hard based on the mileage. I decided to check it before replacing any other parts.
Turned out to be the stator. Got a new one, swapped it out, and she ran like a dream after that. Smooth, responsive, the whole nine yards.
I heard that maintenance can be a pain on these things, and it’s true. Parts are kinda pricey, and it’s not always easy to find a good mechanic who knows their way around these bikes. I guess that’s why I learned to do it myself.
The fuel efficiency isn’t the greatest either. I’m getting around 25-30 kilometers per liter, which isn’t terrible, but it could be better. I’m pretty sure it has to do with the bike trying to be Euro IV compliant. This was a big deal back when it was first released. It’s a trade-off for the environment, I suppose.
- Battery: Had to replace the dead battery.
- Stator: Replaced the faulty stator to fix the random engine shutdowns.
- Maintenance: Learned to do the maintenance myself due to the difficulty.
- Fuel Efficiency: Noticed it gets around 25-30 kmpl, probably due to Euro IV compliance.
All in all, the 2012 Ninja 300 is a solid bike. It’s got its quirks, but once you sort them out, it’s a blast to ride. Just be prepared to get your hands dirty and learn a thing or two about motorcycle maintenance along the way. It’s a good learning experience, at least it was for me, that’s for sure!