Not A Z1000: The Dayun Chi 302 Is A Chinese Kawasaki Lookalike

Dayun launched an uncanny Kawi.

By: Earl Davidson

Jul 18, 2021 at 5:00pm ET

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Yet again, another uncanny valley special is seen in broad daylight. Chinese manufacturer, Dayun, presented the Chi 302 recently, an entry into the 300cc sport naked segment for the Chinesemarket.

The model is only available in China, and it doesn't seem like the bike will be a big export to other countries—Dayun isn't big overseas for the time being.

I have to admit though, the Chi 302 does have some interesting specifications. Also known as the DY300-2F, it has a liquid-cooled 285cc parallel-twin engine that punches out 28.8 horsepower at 8,500 RPM, and 19.9 foot-pounds of torque at 6,500 RPM. Its fuel tank capacity sits at just a little under four gallons, and it also has an all-digital instrument cluster.

The Chi 302's specs are a bit similar to the Yamaha MT-03. In fact, the more I squint, the more it could be mistaken for an MT-03 in addition to being a Z1000 lookalike just focusing on the headlight. You'd have to squint real hard, though.

Anyway, focusing on the Kawasaki side of things, the headlight is eerily similar to Kawi's potent street fighter. Even the tank looks bigger than it actually needs to be given its engine size. Even the fairings down the side look a bit chunky for just a 285cc twin underneath. It even has faux air intakes. Unlike the Z1000, this bike gets an exhaust on only one side and not on both.

For fuel economy, Dayun was able to provide a claimed figure of about 65 miles per gallon.

What do you think?

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Rather impressive are the inverted forks that Dayun managed to fit on this lookalike, and the rear is damped by a mono-shock. The Chi 302 has discs on both the front and rear wheels as well, but there is no mention of ABS for the model.

As of now, the model is only available in China. So a stateside debut could be far-fetched. Though, if you want something similar, I'm pretty sure that Kawasaki has a model just like it—if not better.