Honda CB300R: Best Roadster Bike?

With the new CB300R introduced in the Indian market, let's deep dive into some facts as to why you should buy this naked roadster.

The 2022 Honda CB300R manufactured in India, was launched in January 2022 by Honda Two-Wheelers India. Unveiled at the India Bike Week in December 2021 as BS6 compliant, the CB300R was previously sold in India with a sticker price of 2.41 Lakh till April 2020 before the new emission norms came into existence. The previous model was not manufactured here in India but was brought to the Indian Market via CKD route in limited numbers. It had a great run with the Indian consumers and the bikemakers were happy as far as sales numbers are concerned. However, the company had to discontinue the bike in early 2020 as it did not follow the new BS6 emission norms. But finally, the new BS6 compliant CB300R is back and if I know the market any better, it is back for good.

See, it makes sense for manufacturers like Honda to reintroduce their previously successful bikes in the Asian market. Adding to all of that is the fact that the market here in Asia and the consumers alike are happy with small capacity machines. These bikes run the roost in the Asian market and therefore pitching in a bike that can compete with the likes of KTM Duke 390 and BMW G310R made complete sense. Now even the European market has shown growth for small machine bikes and hence we feel it's a win-win proposition for Honda to work on such bikes.

While the bike looks similar to its predecessor, you can easily notice some minor tweaks on the design perspective which gives this bike a fresh look. Honestly, we don't mind keeping the design the same because it is a handsome-looking bike after all. The bike sports a golden USD fork, darker tank extension, and the exhaust muffler design has been tweaked. Honda CB300R comes with an all-LED lighting system and a full LCD multifunction instrument cluster, exactly the same as the previous BS4 version but now gets a gear position indicator.

Looking at the side profile, the plate hanger stands out from the compact design from the rest of the bike, but on-road it looks fine. The horn though is hanging out in front which is surprising as this new version has focused more on the design rather than the engine, but anyways, everything else fits right in so it's good to go.

As mentioned earlier, a USD fork is present at the front side while the rear sports a seven-Step adjustable mono-shock suspension. Adding to all of it, a 296mm petal disc at the front and 220mm disc at the rear( paired with IMU-Assisted Dual Channel ABS) anchor the bike. It drives on 17-Inch alloys wrapped in 110 section front and 150-section rear tubeless tires. This amazing-looking bike tips the scale at146kg kerb which is lighter than BS4 model CB300R. Ground clearance and seat heights are 157mm and 801mm respectively.

To put it in simple terms the manufacturer has Improved the handling of the bike, the bike has a shorter wheelbase and is pretty lightweight and agile to use. This will definitely be helpful for beginners in the roadster section. The suspension though is on a stiffer side but you’d definitely love the highway biking experience. Would also recommend taking this bike on a long tour as the bike offers great high-speed stability and the seats too offer decent support. Although a note for riders from our side would be to maintain a 50mph speed so it doesn’t get tiring because as mentioned earlier this is a naked sports bike and you’ll definitely feel the wind as there are no fairings or windshield to protect the riders.

Honda’s main aim to recreate the CB300 was to focus more on weight savings and therefore about every change that has been made in the new CB300 is in perfect sync with that goal in one or the other way. The biggest is the chassis, a two-piece design with a tubular steel mainframe and a separate, strong pivot plate to which the rear shock mounts. An updated, shorter swingarm with a gull-wing design on the right side allows the muffler to be mounted as far inboard as possible for mass centralization.

The single-cylinder engine of CB300R pushes out of 31 horsepower and 27Nm of torque. For a bike small in capacity, it is refreshingly newfound happiness to sit at 75mph all day long if need to. The amalgamation of adequate power and lightweight chassis gives a pleasant ride and you can easily get off the fact that you are only riding a 286cc bike.

The estimated top speed is 95mph which we feel is a bit of a stretch and not something you would want to put yourself through for a longer duration as speed is not something this bike was manufactured for. Moreover, we are more inclined to the usage of this bike as a commuter one and for all those riders out there it would be interesting to know that the fuel economy offered in this Honda Bike is 60mpg.

Ergonomically, this bike has a very upright position as one should expect from a naked bike, a natural seating position, neutral footpegs all lead the rider to be in a position of command. Well, overall the CB300R is an out-and-out capable, agile, stylish, and fun machine that will hold its own in the crowd.

Specifications:

Engine and Transmission –

Compact 286cc, DOHC four valve liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke

Bore and Stroke – 76mm x 63mm

Induction – Fuel Injection with 38mm throttle body

Compression Ratio – 10.7:1

Drivetrain – Six-Speed

Suspension and Brakes –

Front Suspension – 41mm telescopic fork; 4.65 inches of travel

Rear Suspension – Pro-Link® single shock; 5.2 inches of travel

Front Brake – Single 296mm disc; ABS (anti lock braking system)

Rear Brake – Single 220mm disc; ABS (anti lock braking system)

Dimensions –

Rake – 24.70°

Trail – 93mm

Seat Height – 31.5”

Fuel Capacity – 2.5 Gallons

Wheelbase – 53.3”

Curb Weight Ready to Ride – 317lbs