New 300cc bikes...how do they compare?

[Familyonthemove]

As a happy owner of an RKV 200 (same manufacturer as Benelli) I looked at the BN 302 at the Motor Expo as a possible upgrade from my current bike.

The RKV is great as a proper motorbike for scooter money - but now I'm after something bigger for the odd longer tour (used to have a Triumph RS Sprint 955 in UK - but something this heavy would be a waste in Bangkok in my view and not really needed for the odd longer trip).

Of the three 300's I'd prefer the Honda as I like the simplicity and low down torque of a single and it's a well tested design in other markets ..... the Ninja is a great bike - but why not go further and get a Honda CB500 or Kawasaki 650 if you want more power - as we're not limited by the local licensing laws.

Small correction: Keeway has the same owner as Benelli, they both owned by Qianjiang Group (QJ Group) and they not have the same manufacturer. Of course QJ will probably manufacture some parts in the same factory. But than Suzuki's, Honda's, Yamaha, Kawasaki's and even Lifan in Thailand share some common part suppliers...

Yes - true - although in the case of the BN302 I think this is the same as the Keeway RKX 300 which is made at the Keeway plant in China and the BN600 is also made in China. I think only the older/original Benelli models are still made in Italy?

But I'd still recommend the OP looks at the CB500 before deciding to go for a 300. ABS is nice to have and a bit more poke is good when out of the City.

[Richard-BKK]

As a happy owner of an RKV 200 (same manufacturer as Benelli) I looked at the BN 302 at the Motor Expo as a possible upgrade from my current bike.

The RKV is great as a proper motorbike for scooter money - but now I'm after something bigger for the odd longer tour (used to have a Triumph RS Sprint 955 in UK - but something this heavy would be a waste in Bangkok in my view and not really needed for the odd longer trip).

Of the three 300's I'd prefer the Honda as I like the simplicity and low down torque of a single and it's a well tested design in other markets ..... the Ninja is a great bike - but why not go further and get a Honda CB500 or Kawasaki 650 if you want more power - as we're not limited by the local licensing laws.

Small correction: Keeway has the same owner as Benelli, they both owned by Qianjiang Group (QJ Group) and they not have the same manufacturer. Of course QJ will probably manufacture some parts in the same factory. But than Suzuki's, Honda's, Yamaha, Kawasaki's and even Lifan in Thailand share some common part suppliers...

Yes - true - although in the case of the BN302 I think this is the same as the Keeway RKX 300 which is made at the Keeway plant in China and the BN600 is also made in China. I think only the older/original Benelli models are still made in Italy?

But I'd still recommend the OP looks at the CB500 before deciding to go for a 300. ABS is nice to have and a bit more poke is good when out of the City.

The Keeway RKX300 and the RKV600 are only sold in countries where Benelli is a unknown brand, for example Venezuela where believe it or not Keeway has the largest market share of all motorcycle manufacturers. Another country where some Benelli models are marketed as Keeway is China... probably there are a few more... Similar as Toyota or any other automotive manufacturer selects the best "brand" for the market, some models in Thailand where in the past sold as Lexus ES while in other countries it was just a Toyota Camry... I can give more examples, but I guess the idea is clear...