Prairie 300

This nameplate was introduced as part of Kawasaki’s Prairie utility ATV family in 1999. It was the two-wheel-drive companion to the Prairie 300 4x4, sharing the same basic chassis and engine design but using a simpler, more economical setup aimed at riders who did not need four-wheel drive. Kawasaki’s own history materials describe it as an easy-steering, do-it-all utility machine powered by an air-cooled 290 cc single-cylinder engine, and it was built at Kawasaki’s Lincoln, Nebraska facility. The model was offered through the 2002 model year, making it a relatively short but important run in Kawasaki’s late-1990s and early-2000s sport-utility ATV lineup. It fit neatly between the smaller utility quads and the larger Prairie 400 family, helping establish the Prairie badge as a recognizable work-and-recreation ATV series.