One of the most attractive motorcycles unveiled at last year's EICMA show in Milan was the Honda CB1000R, a bike which follows the neo-retro design language of the Honda Neo Sports Café concept which was unveiled for the first time at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. But what actually caught our eye at the EICMA was the smaller model - the Honda CB300R, which borrows the same design language as the Neo Sports Café (and the Honda CB1000R), but is a more practical and accessible model from the Indian mass market perspective.
Also Read: Honda CB300R India Launch Live Updates
2018 Honda CB300R gets a long list of top-notch components
The Honda CB300R has already been launched in Europe and has become a popular model there, and now, Honda has announced the launch of the CB300R in the US as well, at a price of $4,649 (Rs. 3.02 lakh) for the standard version and $ 4,949 (Rs. 3.21 lakh) for the ABS variant. The bike will available on sale in the US from July 2018. And it's one model which could be the ideal motorcycle for the Indian market if Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) decides to manufacture and launch it in India.
Also Read: Honda CB300R Launched In Thailand
2018 Honda CB300R gets a full LCD instrument panel with multiple information display
So, what does the CB300R offer? For starters, it looks absolutely stunning, and boasts of a long list of premium components and features. Full-LED lighting, digital LCD instrument panel, 41 mm upside down forks, seven-step adjustable rear monoshock, dual-channel ABS with an inertial measurement unit, and a 296 mm front disc with a four-piston caliper on the front wheel and 220 mm rear disc make the CB300R one of the best equipped motorcycles in that segment. It's powered by a liquid-cooled 286 cc, DOHC, sinlge-cylinder engine tuned to make 31 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 27.5 Nm at 7,500 rpm.
Prices for the US-spec model look a little high from an Indian market perspective, but what could make it a winner for HMSI is if Honda manages to localise a lot of the bike's components and starts manufacturing the CB300R in India. So, what should be ideal pricing? Anything between Rs. 2.25 lakh to even Rs. 2.75 lakh for the Honda CB300R, and HMSI certainly will get a winner in a segment, which is witnessing the fastest growth in the Indian two-wheeler industry.
