ZigOpinion: 3 Reasons Why Honda Should Launch The XRE300 In India And 1 Reason It Wouldn’t

Honda gave us a pleasant surprise by showcasing the ethanol powered XRE300 Rally at the Auto Expo 2023. While it is only meant to showcase Honda’s green technological prowess, here are 3 reasons why we think it makes the perfect sense for the Indian market, and 1 reason why it isn’t:

Terrain-taming underpinnings:

The Honda XRE 300 comes with capable adventure-ready bits such as a long travel suspension, spoke wheels and dual-purpose tyres. The telescopic fork in the XRE300 Rally offers a massive 245mm travel whereas the rear linked monoshock comes with an equally impressive 225mm wheel travel. Additionally, it also comes with a large 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels wrapped with capable Metzeler Enduro 3 Sahara dual-purpose tyres. All of these coupled with the premium aluminium swingarm are held together by the semi-double cradle frame. The long travel suspension along with the large spoke wheels and dual-purpose tyres should make short work of any tough terrain you throw at the bike.

Massive ground clearance with fairly accessible seat and weight:

 

 

 

 

 

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The XRE 300’s ergonomics is spot on, as the easy-to-reach handlebar and neutral footpeg position make it comfortable to ride in the city as well as stand-up riding in the trails. The seat is 860mm tall (the Royal Enfield Himalayan has an 800mm tall seat), and the bike has a generous 259mm ground clearance (the Hero XPulse 200 4V has a 220mm ground clearance). Despite this, my colleague Jehan, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, was able to place the balls of his feet on the ground comfortably. This is because the seat is narrow, and more importantly, the motorcycle weighs just 159kg kerb! To give you a perspective, that’s just 1 kilo heavier than the Hero XPulse 200 4V! Imagine, the power of a 300cc motorcycle with offroad capability equivalent to the XPulse! Speaking of power…

No-frills 300cc mill:

Honda has kept the XRE 300’s heart simple, with a 291.6cc single-cylinder air/oil-cooled engine churning out a respectable 25.4PS at 7500rpm and 27Nm at 6000rpm, linked to a 5-speed transmission. In fact, this is slightly more powerful and torquier than the India-spec Honda CB300F. It may not be much for highway mile-munching, but should be adequate to tame the trails, especially considering the bike itself is pretty light for its class.

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But….

One of the biggest reasons why it is unlikely to come to India is…well, because it is a Honda. The Japanese bikemaker has been playing extra safe in the Indian market with most of its sales coming in from the Honda Activa range. Granted, Honda has given us a treat every now and then with the launch of bikes like the Honda CB500X. So even if Honda does the same with the XRE300 Rally, it will most likely be prohibitively expensive. The Honda CB300F and the Honda CB300R are standing examples of the Japanese brand’s pricing too. So, in a nutshell, us enthusiasts’ power of dreams will remain powerless against Honda.