For the price, the Honda CB300R does not even come close to what the KTM 390 Duke has to offer, but it is still quite a good motorcycle in the segment thanks to the typical Honda nature of the motor. Now, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India have bumped up the prices of the CB300R by INR 8,000. This has resulted in an ex-showroom price tag of INR 2.49 lakh. It is still cheaper than the BMW G310R though, but the Honda CB300R produces less peak power.
Launched earlier in 2019, Honda received a good response to the CB300R with the allotted units being sold out for our market within few weeks. Apart from the KTM 390 Duke and BMW G310R, the Honda CB300R thanks to this pricing also finds the likes of Royal Enfield Interceptor as competition. Even though the Honda CB300R is currently sold out, one can make bookings for this bike, as the brand is working on their manufacturing plan.
With the Neo Sports Cafe design theme, the Honda CB300R tries to pose as a modern cafe racer motorcycle. While you do have a retro-style round LED headlamp, the rest of the bike looks fairly modern, and nothing like a traditional cafe racer. The CB300R is a street bike, and the lightest motorcycle to ride around town compared to all rivals.
Powering the Honda CB300R is a liquid-cooled, 286cc, single-cylinder, DOHC, fuel-injected, 4-stroke petrol motor producing 30.45 PS of power @ 8000 RPM and 27.5 Nm of torque @ 7500 RPM matched to a 6-speed gearbox. The Honda CB300R does not get a slipper assist clutch, but to compensate on the feature list, the brand is offering an ABS system with IMU which offers better braking power thanks to the additional electronic assistance.
The Honda CB300R might be the least powerful motorcycle in the segment on paper, but thanks to the low kerb weight, it does feel quite brisk when the throttle is twisted. But for how long will buyers see this as a good motorcycle?