Honda patents the CB300R in India
Honda has patented the CB300R in India, a retro-modern street naked that was unveiled at the 2017 EICMA in Milan, Italy. For those rejoicing at the prospect of Honda launching the 300cc street naked in India, we'd suggest you hold your horses, for now. While patenting a product is done to ensure that no other manufacturer plagiarizes the design or technology, it does not imply that the manufacturer is certain of launching the said product in the market. That said, the idea that Honda could launch the bike in India cannot be discounted completely.
The CB300R is based on Honda's Neo Sports Cafe concept that was showcased in Tokyo and looks like a scaled down Honda CB1000R. The new CB line of Honda motorcycles features a simple yet attractive design, built using modern components. The CB300R bears a chiselled fuel tank and barely any rear cowl to speak of. The tank extension, in the contrasting silver paint, is a neat touch as well.
The CB300R uses the same 286cc single-cylinder engine as the CBR300R with a 31.5PS / 27Nm output. It has a new tubular steel frame, steel plate swingarm, sports upside down front forks and a preload-adjustable rear monoshock.
The 300cc segment in India is witnessing quite a lot of action with the launch of the BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS, following the launch of the TVS Apache RR 310. While the KTM 390 Duke and RC 390 remain unbeatable when it comes to sheer price to performance ratio, the Honda CB300R has potential to take the fight to the competition. It, however, remains to be seen if and when Honda decides to launch the CB300R in India.