Honda CB300R Suffers from a Similar Problem as the Kawasaki Ninja 300: It is Brilliant For Those Who Can See It

Honda CB300R has a 286cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine and makes 31 PS of power and 27.5 NM of torque. It remains one of the best motorcycles to buy in the sub-400cc segment

What’s common between a Honda CB300R and a Kawasaki Ninja 300? Well, both are “old” models - the Honda came out in 2017 and the Kawasaki in 2012, making them eight and thirteen years old, respectively. That’s old enough, I would say! Both motorcycles have been upgraded only subtly since their introduction with the CB getting an updated exhaust while the Ninja 300 receiving only the ABS over all these years.

I recently shared my thoughts on how the Ninja 300 remains a great motorcycle to ride and to keep despite its age. And despite having none of the modern-day features, the Ninja 300 attracts the rider with its pure riding pleasure that it still delivers in full.

The Honda CB300R suffers from a similar problem, but not as extreme as in the case of the small Kawasaki. But I feel for the CB300R, I feel that it is not talked about enough. That it deserves a lot better from the industry.

What has happened since CB300R’s arrival

The problem is, since its reveal in 2017, this segment has seen a lot of action and advancement. For example, the KTM 390 Duke (revealed originally in 2012) has been heavily updated twice already; once in 2017 itself when the entire bodywork was redesigned, the chassis was made a two-piece, all-LED lighting and the TFT display were also added as major updates among other changes. And in the second, most recent update, the 390 Duke has received the all-new treatment where the engine is completely new as well.

Within this time, the 250 Duke was also introduced (in 2017) and like the 390 Duke, it has also been upgraded into an all-new motorcycle in 2023 with an all-new engine, new chassis, new design, suspension, new TFT, and other electronics.

Then, TVS also introduced the Apache RTR 310 which is its flagship naked motorcycle. Like the Dukes, the RTR 310 gets a full TFT screen and connectivity features as well as ride by wire and even riding modes.

Besides these modern-day features, all these motorcycles have a pretty good combination of chassis and suspension with trellis frames, upside-down forks, and radially-mounted brake calipers. The 390 Duke even gets adjustable suspension as standard while the TVS provides it as an option.

On paper at least, these bikes have a lot going for them against the Honda.

But here we’re reminded how the CB300R is still a fantastic motorcycle in its own way

Here, the CB300R’s story arc is similar to the Ninja 300’s in terms of how it impacts its segment, even though as a motorcycle it’s a whole lot different compared to the Kawasaki. Also remember that the Ninja 300 was long discontinued from most major markets when Kawasaki launched the Ninja 400.

The CB300R is one of those motorcycles whose foundations are so strong that it remains one of the best motorcycles even against the supposedly more up to date competition.

This motorcycle doesn't need fancy electronics to make its case. It's foundation is phenomenally solid, got a great engine, and it's a great handling bike

It has a steel trellis frame, a pro-link shock absorber, and upside-down forks that are fine-tuned to make it handle beautifully. The forks are originally Showa Separate Function Big Pistron Forks, but the current variant sold in India has the upside-down forks from Endurance. It has radially-mounted 4-piston Nissin front brake calipers and a dual-channel ABS that’s assisted by an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and it is the only motorcycle in its segment to have this. For a console, there’s a full LCD screen. And that’s it.

That is impressive componentry, but then other motorcycles offer so many more features and functions (if that matters to you at all).

However, the CB’s chassis is so well-engineered that it becomes incomparable to everything else in its segment. The motorcycle weighs only 146 kg ready-to-ride, which is quite unbelievable considering nothing else even comes close! And this gives its 286cc engine a fantastic performance advantage over its rivals.

The CB300R is derived from the highly likeable CBR250R by increasing the engine’s stroke from 55mm to 63mm to arrive at the displacement of 286cc (while its stroke remains unchanged at 76mm). It is an extremely reliable and durable engine, it is linear and smooth in typical Japanese fashion.

It makes 31.1 PS of power @ 9,000 RPM and 27.5 NM of torque @ 7,500 RPM. While these figures are impressive (but not class-leading), they triumph over their rivals because the motorcycle is just so light. The CB300R’s closest rivals - the KTM 250 Duke and the TVS Apache RTR 310 - are 162.8 kg and 169 kg ready-to-ride, respectively. Compared to the CB’s 146 kg figure, those numbers are embarrassingly high.

To me, it is incredible how Honda has managed to create such a lightweight 300cc motorcycle. That weight figure falls right in the 150cc-200cc category, imagine that! And it affects every performance aspect of this motorcycle - from engine performance to the way it handles in traffic, throughout corners, and how it still sticks to the road confidently!

As far as I remember my riding experience on the first-gen CB300R (it was a CKD in India and had Showa suspension and Michelin Pilot Street tyres), there was not a hint of nervousness in its handling. And it went through corners like a starved man goes through food. CB’s handling prowess would be a revelation for those who have never ridden one. It is intoxicating in the city, navigating between other vehicles, and while leaning into a corner.

So what is CB300R’s problem? Now, I do not consider the lack of modern-day features a problem, but that’s purely how I see it. Many people feel the complete opposite actually; just look on the internet, people have started to talk about bike “features” as if it’s a smartphone!

The real problem of the CB300R is how good it has been from day one when others weren’t or that they simply didn’t exist (Apache RTR 310, for instance). The CB300R’s engine already had an extremely proven base (CBR250R), so there was little doubt about how it would turn out. But the bike’s chassis and suspension were completely new and even today, they are second to none. Same goes for its engine - I personally consider it to be better than the 250 Duke’s and especially the Apache RTR 310’s unit (that engine is just terrible).

Although the CB300R has received subtle updates since 2017 (and a major one being a redesigned exhaust), its chassis and suspension have remained largely the same. That’s how good the bike is. Just replace the mediocre stock MRF tyres on it with something nicer and it might still be the best handling motorcycle against its closest rivals.

Other companies have some really good motorcycles as well, especially the latest generation KTM Dukes, they’re fantastic machines with one of the best chassis and suspension combination and engines that don’t compromise on performance. The TVS Apache RTR 310 also has great chassis and suspension, but its engine is the worst. To me, it seems the bike is overloaded with features and none of them make the bike any better.

So while the CB hasn’t progressed much, other motorcycles have been introduced and upgraded massively during this time and they still can’t trump the CB in performance alone. But it has, sort of, become a case of getting used to seeing the CB300R majorly unchanged in all these years, and so people may have this perception that it might not stand up to the competition today, which is just not true.

I am not saying that the CB300R can’t be improved, of course it can be. In fact, I would like Honda to go back to Showa SFF-BP that were there originally and some better rubber. I just don’t care how effective the current Endurance forks are, but Showa is simply overall better.

As I’m writing this article, the CB300R is due for an update. One of the updates will be the compliance to the OBD-2B norms, others I’m not sure of. But it is possible that the bike’s LCD might get replaced by a TFT screen (which the CB125R in EU already got last year as a 2024 update).

The CB300R has been retailing at INR 2,40,000 and it’s a competitive price. I don’t really care about the current wave of modern-day features like phone connectivity, riding modes, switchable electronics, etc., on such a small street motorcycle. The bike doesn’t need them, it doesn’t require them and neither do we. I’m happy with the ABS.

I would like to believe that Honda made the CB300R on a simple universal philosophy - of building a good motorcycle with a strong foundation that doesn’t need complicated electronics to highlight how good it is. And this is why I love the CB300R… just like the Ninja 300.