Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) unveiled the CB300R BS6 at the recently concluded India Bike Week 2021. The motorcycle was pulled off the shelves when the industry transitioned from BS4 to BS6 norms and the pandemic delayed the updated model's arrival further. Nevertheless, the Honda CB300R is coming back and this time, there's even more good news. The Neo Sports cafe racer will be locally built instead of being locally assembled in the country. In a big move, Honda announced on the sidelines of IBW 2021 that it now plans to produce the CB300R in India. This is should help make the motorcycle a more competitively priced proposition compared to its previous iteration.
Also Read: India Bike Week 2021: New Honda CB300R BS6 Unveiled
HMSI management team with the newly unveiled Honda CB300R motorcycle at IBW 2021
The Honda CB300R BS4 was priced at Rs. 2.41 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and it will be interesting to see where the BS6 version is priced at. Do note, since the transition, two-wheeler prices across the market have gone up substantially and it will be interesting to see where the locally built CB300R is positioning over its rivals. To give you perspective, the more comparable BMW G 310 R is priced at Rs. 2.60 lakh, while the KTM 390 Duke is priced at Rs. 2.88 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom Delhi). Honda would certainly have an ace up its sleeve if it manages to undercut both offerings by locally building the CB300R BS6.
Meanwhile, it's unclear if there will be any mechanical changes to the Honda CB300R BS6 over its predecessor. The motor will draw power from the upgraded 286 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor. The engine previously produced about 31 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 27.4 Nm at 6,500 rpm, while paired with a 6-speed gearbox. Honda has announced that the bike does get an assist and slipper clutch this time to make gear changes more seamless. Visually, the 2022 Honda CB300R BS6 gets golden USD front forks instead of silver, while the radiator cover is now finished in matte black instead of silver. The bike continues to sport the highly likeable styling.
Also Read: Honda CB300R BS4 First Ride Review
The Honda CB300R BS6 will come with an assist and slipper clutch as part of the upgrade
Clearly, the Honda CB300R did well enough for HMSI to green light local production. The company though is yet to share details on when production begins. The launch is slated for January this year. More details on the Honda CB300R BS6 will be available closer to the launch.
