Honda Unveils 10 Motorcycles And Scooters For India In Its Most Aggressive Launch Campaign In Years

Rebel 300 - one of the 10 models that Honda will be launching in India in the coming months. Like the others, this will be made in India.

Big News - Honda has just unveiled a huge lineup of 10 motorcycles and scooters to be launched in India in a phased manner in the coming months. The Bigger News - all of them will be localised or made in India in some capacity. And The Best Part - almost all of them are targeted towards the discerning buyer.

This makes it possibly the most aggressive launch campaign by Honda’s two-wheeler division ever in India. I don’t remember Honda pulling a move like this one ever before.

Historically, Honda has had too few affordable offerings for the Indian buyers in the 250cc-500cc segment to get excited about, other than the discontinued CB300R (the best single-cylinder naked up to 400cc as far as I’m concerned). The NX500 and the Rebel 500 were always on the expensive side due to them being the CBU.

And in recent years though, it has been all about the CB350s and nothing else. It appears that Honda has been hell-bent on taking on Royal Enfield’s strongest. And they’ve been fairly successful at that too. But the CB350 attracts only a certain kind of rider and not a larger enthusiastic crowd who are willing to explore more options depending on their motorcycling needs.

This needs to change. And it might finally be happening!

Honda has very recently unveiled the following 10 two-wheelers for the Indian market - CB500, XR 300 L, XR 300 Rally, Rebel 300, Rebel 500, ADV 160 scooter, QC3 electric scooter, and the refreshed CB350, CB350C, and CB350 RS.

This is quite a news for Honda fans in India but the crux during a launch is always the pricing. And while the pricing hasn’t been announced yet for any of these two wheelers, the good thing is all of these will be made in India. 

That said, I’m assuming that a few of them, like the Rebel 500, could have some essential parts imported from the outside. It’s just my assumption though at this point. We will know for sure as the launch gets nearer.

And now, I’ll highlight the motorcycles that I’m personally looking forward to the most:

XR 300 Rally - My top pick from the unveiling. I have fancied the Honda CRF 300 Rally for a long time, that it would come to India and be the motorcycle that I would most likely buy. But it seems though, now more than ever, that the CRF will not make its way here. Instead, we are getting the XR 300 L and the XR 300 Rally. Good enough, I say.

The XR 300, like the Kawasaki KLX 230, is an extremely simple motorcycle mechanically and technologically. It gets an air-cooled 293.5cc air/oil-cooled, single-cylinder, SOHC, 4-valve engine. As it seems, the engine is the same from the CB300F and shall make around 25 horsepower and similar torque figures as well. It will be interesting to see how this engine is tuned for this motorcycle. But I expect it to be lively with a distinctive exhaust note given the bike’s dual-purpose nature.

These bikes might be tall but they’re light, thin, and hence, manageable. And for people who can use them properly, they’re probably the best options over heavy and big adventure motorcycles.

I love it because I have never ridden anything like it. But that alone isn’t enough to spend my money on it. I would like to believe these are extremely fun motorcycles to ride. They’re lightweight and though they are purpose-built, they’re still very versatile and can serve multiple purposes.

But most of all, I just really like it and want to experience it!

Rebel 300 - I have always loved the CB300R because of its engine. That 286cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valve engine is tiny and brilliant! It is the best single-cylinder up to 400cc as far as I’m concerned. Yes, I like it over 390 Duke’s.

The Rebel 300 has the same engine and perhaps the same power figures as the CB300R, which means probably 31 PS of power and around 27 NM of torque. Other than the engine, however, the Rebel 300 shares nothing with the CB300R. The former can be described as a modern-cruiser, sort of!

But the biggest talking point on this motorcycle is likely the e-clutch technology which allows the riders to change gears, in both directions, without using the clutch. Even the transition from neutral to 1st gear doesn’t require the clutch and riders can choose to move at their will in 1st gear when the e-clutch function is enabled. Like a gearless scooter. That said, you can choose to use the clutch traditionally anytime you want alongside the e-clutch functionality.

The Rebel 300 will be a very interesting motorcycle with or without the e-clutch. It’s highly approachable for shorter riders, male or female, and it has a distinctive style, the one that shall not go unnoticed on the road.

Ideally, the Rebel 500 is a better choice for anyone looking for more performance, including myself. But the Rebel 300 looks a bit too playful to me. It’s lightweight, has a great single-cylinder powering it, and a unique design language.

CB500 - I loved the CB350 RS when we reviewed it some years ago. While the motorcycle has remained the same mechanically, it remains a fun and involving motorcycle to ride as a modern-retro roadster.

The CB500 will be better than the CB350 RS in every way, as it should be. It seems to have a similar riding stance as the RS with very slightly rear-set foot-pegs and a flat handlebar. This should provide an engaging riding stance while remaining perfectly comfortable for short and long rides.

The newly developed 501cc single-cylinder, air/oil-cooled engine makes a very impressive 43 NM of torque and around 27-28 PS of power. This engine should take care of highway riding with ease (because the CB350 is already quite good enough).

I also like the visibly more bulk this motorcycle has over the CB350, especially due to its massy exhaust. The fit-n-finish and the overall build quality looks exceptional as always. I’m looking forward to this motorcycle with huge anticipation.

And I just have the feeling, by looking at the pics and the videos, that the CB500 looks a touch more proportionate than the CB350 and the CB350 RS. It is a better nod to the iconic CB750 design.

Pricing is awaited and Honda is serious this time

Everything in this unveiling event will be made in India - this is a huge thing than what people may realise. This means that the pricing will be accessible even for the Rebel 500, for example. At least it will be better than before. The XR 300 L and the XR 300 Rally will clearly give a tough competition to Kawasaki’s KLX 230 and the KLX 230S. I honestly cannot believe that India will be witnessing proper, beginner dual-purpose bikes competing in the domestic market. It will be great.

I think, since the sub-500cc segment grew exponentially with the KTM 390 Duke, this is the first time Honda is looking truly aggressive with their strategy in India. Sure, there is more in this segment that Honda can bring. I would personally love to see the new inline-4 500cc/400cc motorcycles Honda has released in Japan and China.

Wishful thinking…