6th June 2016

Many men don’t drive scooters because they think scooters are feminine. So they buy a bike even if a scooter would have suited them better. In an urban setting, a scooter is actually more advantageous than a bike. For instance, on a bike, you have to change the gears frequently. After a while, it can get boring and painful, even tiring you out. At this point, you would wish that you had a scooter.

The Kawasaki J300 is a scooter but it looks like a bike at first glance

No doubt, that the Kawasaki J300 is a scooter but it has many elements of a bike. Not many people are aware that the J300 is based on a Taiwanese scooter called Kymco Downtown 300. That is why we think it will appeal to those who want a two wheeler with the comfort of a scooter but the looks of a bike.

A person would have to look twice at the Kawasaki J300 before realizing that he is not looking at a bike. But by that time, the 299cc, 4 valve-single cylinder, liquid cooled engine on the J300 would have spirited you away.

In fact, the engine forced us to reconsider that maybe the J300 is a good fit for the highway too. In addition, we did not notice any problems with the scooter, like wobbling or vibrations, when we pulled the throttle and took the scooter to 80 mph.

Where the Kawasaki J300 is like a bike and where it is not

We’ve already told you how the J300 looks more like a bike than a scooter. It also has bike like features like adjustable brakes (now, there is an ABS version on the market too). You are also given fold out foot pegs, like you would see on a bike. On the other hand, the scooter pedigree is visible in many ways.

Ergonomic seats are a standard component on scooters today. Likewise, the J300 also contains thickly padded and contoured seats, giving you an additional comfort. There is also a spacious storage compartment under the seat. The space is large enough to tuck a helmet in. Likewise, you also have a sealed glove box to keep your purse, house keys, mobile phone or any other tiny knick knacks you would want to keep there. There is even a hook in the front to hang your groceries or takeaways.

The leg space is also better than on many other scooters. The sculptured foot board gives you greater banking and leaning space compared to other scooters. You can keep you legs straight down, without spreading them because there is no space, like you would have to on other scooters.

Final comments on the Kawasaki J300

Looking at its features, we will place the J300 between sprightly 125cc scooters and heavier and larger maxi scooters. No doubt, the Kawasaki J300 is one of the best scooters on the market today though one wonders if Kawasaki has not overdone the bike-like look.

There are those who may complain about this (we won’t). Final words? The J300 has decent power. Keeping in mind the pains Kawasaki has towards rider comfort, we say this is a good scooter-bike for an urban setting.