First, all that has changed is the paint job, with the CB now getting two new color schemes. A closer look reveals that the exhaust muffler has a slightly different design and the bike now gets a golden colored USD fork. The LCD display also looks similar, but now has a gear position indicator. This is helpful for this bike, as its gearing is so low that you will easily find yourself in the top three gears even in city traffic.
As before, Honda has placed the horn switch where you would normally expect to find the indicator button and this will be a non-stop source of irritation. Thankfully, the bike now gets a side stand, down engine, kill feature which was missed in the earlier model.
The 286cc, 4 valve liquid-cooled engine architecture remains the same, but the engine is now BS6 compliant. Power has now increased to 0.6hp, for a total of 31.1hp, although it is now produced more at 9,000rpm from 1,500rpm.
Peak torque has not changed, but the bike gets a slip-assist clutch mated to its 6-speed gearbox.
The small CB with its decently light clutch and energetic acceleration is an absolute blast in the city. It can also be quiet and relaxed as its super short gearing means you can ride sluggishly in high gears even at nice low speeds. Fuel efficiency is also pretty good and our city and highway figures were pretty close to each other, which is probably another effect of the short gearing.
Flat out performance is where this bike punches well above its weight. The jump of 6,000-9,000rpm is surprisingly encouraging and the bike is faster than many expect. Top speed will be somewhere around an indicated 150kph, but the real fun is in the acceleration. The CB shot from 0-100 in under 6.6 seconds in our testing, which is quicker than any other bike that claims this kind of power.
The big secret to Honda’s fun performance and super agile nature is its weight. At 146kg, it is 1kg lighter than before, which makes it exactly like the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V. To give you a sense of perspective, the latest generation KTM 250 Duke weighs in at over 160kg and is fuel-free. That is, this bike is about 30 kg light and it is unbelievable.
While it is a small looking bike, Honda has done a great job with the rider ergonomics. Short riders will love the 801mm seat height, but taller riders will also appreciate the spacious seat and foot peg position which is sporty but not too tight.
The international spec CB gets a new Showa separate function big piston upside down fork, but the fork on the Indian model is made by Endurance. It certainly doesn’t sound fancy, but in reality, the suspension of this bike is well balanced between sportiness and comfort. The bike feels strong in moisture, but it also tackles rough roads well and the overall set-up feels good as this bike should be. Same story with the tyres – the bike gets MRF tires as compared to Michelins on the BS4 model.
Overall handling is typical Honda – light, easy and very neutral. It corners with confidence, and even though the bike is light, its high speed courtesy is decently stable and predictable. The brakes have the same set up as the BS4 model, and while the overall performance is quite good, they could do with a little more initial bite. Like before, the bike gets a dual channel ABS system that uses IMU, or inertial measurement unit, for more accurate performance.
Now that the CB300R has more local content, you would expect it to be priced similar to the BS4 model (₹2.41 lakh), if not less. Unfortunately, it looks like Honda has taken the same high-priced route as they did with the CB500X and Fireblade. ₹ 2.77 lakh, ex-showroom, it is more expensive than the TVS Apache RR 310 and BMW G 310 R, while only ₹ 10,000 less than the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and KTM 390 Duke.
It is a good motorcycle and many will find it to be a sweet machine as compared to its rivals. You still have to be prepared to pay an unreasonable amount for it. The only hope is that Honda has revised exorbitant prices for some of its bigger bikes in the recent past, and expect the same to happen here soon.