The CB300R isn’t much of a hit in North America, but Honda has announced an update that’s at least making it to Euro markets, where the beginner-friendly naked bike is more popular.
Like the previous CB300 model, the new bike is powered by the same 286 cc single-cylinder that Big Red uses in the CBR300 sportbike (sadly, not updated for 2018, it seems).
Styling is similar to the new CB1000R unveiled today, which is itself the final evolution of the Neo Sport Cafe, a neo-retro that Honda has been teasing on the show circuit. Despite its beginner-friendly status, the CB300R does sport very mature good looks, along with 41 mm USD forks (with 130 mm of travel) and a four-piston caliper for its 296 mm front disc brake. Two-channel ABS is standard in the Euro market.
More surprisingly, the machine has an inertial measurement unit (IMU), something usually found on far pricier bikes. As far as we know, it’s limited to controlling the ABS system at this point, but its inclusion hints that Honda might have bigger plans down the road, although it’s unlikely a bike with 31 hp needs serious electronic interference for the sake of safety.
Curb weight for the CB300R is 143 kg; of course, wheels are 17-inchers front and rear,
Alternator output is a whopping 318 watts, which means this bike could power a fair bit of heated gear, making it a good commuter for our climate, if it ever shows up. It’s rated for 85 mpg (Imperial), so it ought to be a pretty thrifty mile-eater.
But, will Honda Canada bring it here? It hasn’t been officially announced yet; the previous CB300 model took its sweet time getting here, and although it was officially listed on the Honda Canada website, there was never a photo of it, and spottings in the wild were rare. Maybe this machine would have the panache that machine lacked, though? Its styling is less forgettable, for sure.
GALLERY
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