Greener Honda CB300R Breaks Cover At IBW 2021

Honda has taken the wraps off the BS6 compliant CB300R at the India Bike Week 2021. The baby roadster has been long due for an update considering its rivals have already marched forward in the BS6 era. The Japanese bikemaker plans on making the bike available from January 22, 2022, which is also when Honda will likely be revealing the price. Honda will be locally manufacturing the motorcycle, so expect it to be priced at around Rs 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom).

The most significant update on the Honda CB300R is the BS6 compliant 286cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor. Interestingly, it's slightly more powerful and torquier than its predecessor, making 31.1PS at 9000rpm and 27.5Nm at 7500rpm. For reference, the previous bike made 30.4PS at 8000rpm and 27.4Nm at 6500rpm. The transmission now also comes with an assist and slipper clutch as standard.

Everything apart from the aforementioned bits has been retained from the older model. It gets the same trellis frame, a Showa 41mm USD fork (albeit finished in a more premium-looking gold than silver) and a rear monoshock setup. Even the front and rear disc brakes has been carried over.

The neo-retro design still looks just as handsome as before and overall butch appearance is also appealing. Even the simple looking LCD dash is identical to the one we saw on the BS4 model. The fuel tank extensions are now finished in a stealther grey colour scheme instead of silver in its predecessor.

We wish Honda to have replaced the LCD with a TFT cluster or at least offered Bluetooth compatibility, since some of its rivals already feature the same. This would enhance the user experience and make the bike a better overall offering.

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While Honda is a bit late to the party, the BS6 CB300R should manage to attract a decent crowd since it not only has an eye-ball-grabbing design but has also made it a little more powerful. And at 146kg, it is in fact 1kg lighter than the BS4 model!

In its segment, the Honda CB300R rivals the KTM 390 Duke, and the BMW G 310 R. You could also take a look at the Bajaj Dominar 400 if you’re looking for a touring-friendly motorcycle.