[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by theredliner

The point you are making would have made sense if Honda City in India had very competitive pricing, but everyone can agree that the City, especially in the ZX trim is ridiculously overpriced (and is still selling).

I think the point that was being made was that the price end consumer pays is not a reflection on the money the manufacturer is making because a lot of it goes into taxes to sponsor the largesse of the 544 elected members in the parliament. Besides, isnt "ridiculously overpriced" and "selling well" an oxymoron? Ofcourse there is something that Honda knows and you do not i.e. the price the consumer will pay for their car. I am sure if the same car was priced at 25 lakhs it wont sell and therefore people do see the value and pay the price for it and buy it. Its a free market. If a product is ridiculously priced, there will be a company selling a product which is in the same ballpark for a sensible price. No one is putting a gun to the end consumer's head.

Originally Posted by theredliner

If Honda is complaining about the Indian people not being ready to pay more for it, then the problem is with them and their greed, not with the Indians. May be they should just shed some of their Japanese arrogance of considering themselves on par with BMW, Merc etc. and look at the reality (as a maker of Brio, Amaze and Mobilio).

They also make Honda NSX which is far more accomplished, more complex and more refined and importantly more reliable than anything Germans can ever build and your point was? Besides I want to see a Mercedes/BMW/Audi which you can buy at the price of a top end Honda City in India. Isnt that the definition of "on par".

[theredliner]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I think the point that was being made was that the price end consumer pays is not a reflection on the money the manufacturer is making because a lot of it goes into taxes to sponsor the largesse of the 544 elected members in the parliament.

Aren't taxes the same (in % terms) for all the vehicles that come under the same category? Didn't know Honda was charged higher.

Besides, isnt "ridiculously overpriced" and "selling well" an oxymoron?

Not at all. Case in point: Apple products. Just because people are buying something due to some kind of an attraction or cult following, doesn't mean it is not overpriced.

Ofcourse there is something that Honda knows and you do not i.e. the price the consumer will pay for their car. I am sure ...

Honda has eaten the mud many times overestimating their ability to overprice their products.

Its a free market. If a product is ridiculously priced, there will be a company selling a product which is in the same ballpark for a sensible price. No one is putting a gun to the end consumer's head.

Why are you even bringing unrelated stuff here? No one talked about anyone forcing anyone to buy anything. If anything, it was the opposite that was implied here.
Anyway, the fact that Verna and Ciaz have eaten into the market share of the once invincible City shows it.

They also make Honda NSX which is far more accomplished, more complex and more refined and importantly more reliable than anything Germans can ever build.

My point was clear. Honda simply doesn't have a brand value to expect the same premium as a Mercedes/BMW. The fact that they came up with a separate brand 'Acura' and that it is nowhere near as popular as a BMW/Merc supports it.

Besides I want to see a Mercedes/BMW/Audi which you can buy at the price of a top end Honda City in India. Isnt that the definition of "on par".

Because, they do not sell a product in India that is of the same quality as a Honda City. You need to re-read the post once calmly. I never said Honda 'City' was priced on par with Merc. Go through the post again and think through (hint: Accord).

[am1m]

Originally Posted by nirvanaguy19

Picked up the cb300r last week. Will share more detailed feedback soon,

Really looking forward to this one!

How smooth is the engine? And any thoughts on how easy/tough it would be to maintain/service availability? Might be too early to tell I guess, since you've just picked up the bike.

[starter]

Guys, could we restrict this to just CB300R please?

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by starter

Guys, could we restrict this to just CB300R please?

+1 Let us stick the topic at hand.

Going all over the place with a larger brand of Honda is not really helping and I for one would not even compare the Honda brand between the 2 and 4 wheel category in India.

[imp!]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Its all fine and dandy asking for "beautiful lineup" from international markets but are you ready to pay international pricing and then some(taxes) to buy one?

We all saw the overwhelming enthusiasm when Yamaha showcased the R25 with Rossi riding one, the enthusiasm furthered more when it was launched in Indonesia, ridden by some of our auto journalists on track. The hype was so high people asked Yamaha to bring the bike to India at whatever the cost. A year and half later, Yamaha brings an even more powerful R3 to India and we all know the story next. The overwhelming petitioners where nowhere to be seen. A mere 1000 units sold in its first year while the hype would have you believe they'd sell more or less 1000 units a month atleast.

If customers aren't showing interest to line up for R3 and Ninja 400s in our market, what incentive do other manufacturers have to risk losing a lot of money in bringing similar products to the country? This is why Yamaha experimented with the old Brazil model aka the FZ250 and Kawi decided to localize the now discontinued N300 here. If you want newer tech, you should be ready to shell out more for it. Manufacturers study each other's performance.

For the moment, let's ignore the difference between e fines having one, two or for that matter three or four cylinders in varying types of geometry. The simple truth of the matter is that in a market where the KTM 390 is manufactured locally, in current generations has a relatively impressive build quality, is quick, good on power in real world conditions that matter to a motorcycle rider and turns like a top, not to mention cheap as chalk to maintain and is a naken with an incredie amount of texh to boot. Bikes like the Ninja 300/400 Honda CBR00, Yamaha R3. BMW 310R which feel like morbidly expensive, older generation bikes are dead in water to most of us. I'd love to consider many of these, but, the KTM won't let me, despite its shortcomings.

[ashwinprakas]

Hey guys, just a FYI, spotted a CB300R earlier today at Pothencode, Trivandrum when I went to visit the mechanic who has undertaken our ZMA rebuild, had a brief chat with the owner and he said that the OTR here is 3.10 Lakhs.

Regards,
Ashwin.

[starter]

Anyone took delivery of the li'l CB? Any initial impressions from tbhpians?

[driveup]

Saw CB300R in Bangalore today morning, looked small from the front. Could not get enough of the views of snaps as I was hurrying to drop kids to school. But the bike itself looks interesting, nothing like anything on Indian roads so far. I'll wait for few ownership reviews before putting new bike inquiry.

[NoSugarNoSpice]

Originally Posted by starter

Anyone took delivery of the li'l CB? Any initial impressions from tbhpians?

I'm a frequent lurker who made an account for this, so buckle up

I took delivery of mine on 13th July. So far I've done daily office commutes and some bursts on the NICE road. It is my first bike and I am fairly new to biking. I bought this for the design and I was looking for a bullet-proof do-it-all bike, mainly for commutes and weekend getaways.

My initial impressions are that it's a really really nice bike. Kind of reminds me of an iPhone(so says my brother but that's because he calls the Dominar the android). It feels solid yet lightweight and the build quality is simply the best. The switches have a nice weighted clickety-clack. RVMs are solid and immovable by the wind. I do get troubled by the indicator and horn button placement. There are some plastic body panels that are thinner than I'd like but I will take it for the weight savings.

The engine is loud and exhilarating from 3000 rpm and the exhaust growl is very addictive around 6000 rpm(Also causes people people nearby to race you, requires restraint on my part). The bike has a "magic-carpet" mode when you are in 6th gear, 70-75 kph, doing 4000 rpm, there are absolutely no vibrations, just a faint thrum of the engine and the wind whistling past. This is FLG. Push it and the bike will go to 130s at which point the wind blast threatens to eject you. Wind blast is a particularly big problem post 90 kph and any higher speeds are not sustainable unless determined.

The ride is amazing(at least compared to the rental Activa I was using during the waiting period). The suspension and tyres(Michelin Pilot Streets) give supreme confidence in the dry. I can brake, accelerate and turn very aggressively and the feedback still eggs you on. On wet roads, there is a hint of a communication gap from the tyres, but it's because I am so used to feeling it in the dry. Bengaluru road construction and bumps never hurt and I have never scraped the bottom, even with a ~85 kg pillion.

The transmission has never failed me but shifting to 2nd gear from 1st always has a loud click. I must say the 1st gear has a violent throttle response, so you will have to half clutch it. Second gear sometimes feels a bit too tall when I am crawling in traffic in teen KPHs. In traffic handling is easy due to the light weight and the train-like engine, you always have the power to rush ahead, dual abs backed brakes for emergencies, featherweight agility to move aside and the panoramic RVMs to keep you aware. The blind spot is kinda around my elbows. It is literally a piece of cake to manage the bike with a single foot down even for a novice like me.

Ergonomics are very comfortable but don't encourage very sporty riding. The pegs are beneath you and scrape your ankles if you are waddling in parking. It is a more sporty position than fzs and hornets but for me, at 6ft and 82 kgs, when I extend my legs and place myself on the back edge of the seat,thigh-gripping the tank and reaching out with my weightless arms, I am transcending to bike-nirvana, alongside Rossi I feel cramped when trying to fully tuck, a half tuck is where it's at. The seat is firm and fairly pliant but people of greater girth might find it a bit thin and narrow. Pillion comfort is ok, but they're mostly too busy being rocked around on the first floor seating and my impulsive driving.

Mileage wise, the first 300kms were at around 28 kpl from XtraPremium at an IOC COCO pump, and I had a few instances of a jittery throttle. I switched to Shell V-Power and I am now at around 31 kpl for the next 300 kms. I think you can take it up to 35 kpl, but I am guilty of throttling out most of my 2nd Gears. The 10 litre tank is enough for commutes and quick escapades, I can't find an instance to complain about it.

Attention wise, the bike does get ogled and complimented a lot by men around 15-35, at signals to people pulling along side when riding, it is quite a novelty on the roads. Women seem to be intimidated and taken aback by the grunty exhaust, but a few do admit they were wowed by the design.

Everyone in my apartment complex knows how much I bought it for , and at 3.02L on-road Bengaluru, it is a big ask. I could have gotten a nice VR headset and an out of this world PC for the price or that European vacation I've been dreaming of. But now commuting is something I look forward to. No matter the distance, time or cost, I am always ready to ride with a grin.

Kudos to Honda for bringing such a great product to India. Thanks to Silicon Motors for a wonderful buying experience Please do excuse my outburst of an initial impression

[Shumi_21]

Hey man, welcome to the forum & congratulations on the CB300R! I too have made a booking for the Honda and have a few questions for you:

How does the LED headlight perform in the night/rains?

What was the first service cost if you have got it done? Any ideas about the spare parts cost?

Did you get any of the accessories like the radiator guard or the underbelly guard?

The fuel economy you are getting is insane! I was expecting 25 at best. A 300km tank range is acceptable for the kind of performance the CB offers. Please, please please also post as many pictures as possible of your CB!

Originally Posted by NoSugarNoSpice

I am transcending to bike-nirvana, alongside Rossi

Shouldn't it be Marquez on a Honda

[NoSugarNoSpice]

Hey Shumi, thanks and congrats on your booking.

Led headlight - It is impressive in the city and definitely is a looker, but I do not think it is as good as the dominar's on a highway night run. I am yet to travel in pitch dark to get a good comparison. In rains, again I have encountered them at dusk, and it does seem to work well without issues.

First service - Due in a few more days. Ayush did mention low spares cost and said services would cost around ~2000 at max. Seemed reasonable for the sticker price.
It is a bummer that the interval is 6000kms, but one day in 6 months seems doable.

I got the H2C rad guard for 5.1k at time of delivery, and I must say it has neither accumulated dirt not caught anything, so for sedate riding maybe not necessary, just get a cheaper one on Aliexpress and save for crash guards, tail tidies. It does look good in shiny aluminium.

The underbelly plate is a difficult buy for me at 15k, seeing as I intend mainly to commute, but I do like it visually and should I happen to chance upon a little extra bonus, I would grab it.

I have ordered a long list from ali express. namely:

a) bar end sliders - the h2c ones are around 3k , aliexpress ones around 1200, I dont intend to race and for any static drops I'd save the difference for repairs/touchups.

b) A rear tyre hugger - In my eagerness to take delivery, I had to ride it from the showroom in the rains. The massive rear tyre throws all sorts of muck all over the back end. I was spared most of this by the extending tail fender, which is unfortunately an eyesore. There is no official tyre hugger, so an aliexpress one and the h2c tail tidy(7k) is to be installed at 1st service.

c) Brake and clutch levers - Yes, a dubious choice replacing mission critical components, but I do like the colours on offer and they're fairly cheap

d)Fender extenders both front and rear, the front tyre throws up waste which sprays straight onto the exhaust and engine block and flash vaporizes leaving behind the finest dust which is really irritating to clean. The rear is to protect the monoshock from caking in mud as it is quite difficult to reach and clean.

[NoSugarNoSpice]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

Shouldn't it be Marquez on a Honda

Here's to Rossi starting out with his little honda

[starter]

Originally Posted by NoSugarNoSpice

I'm a frequent lurker who made an account for this, so buckle up

Thanks a lot bud! A very warm welcome to the forum.
Can totally relate to the iphone comparo.
Looking forward to some pictures.
Cheers,
Deepak

[bigron]

@Nosugarnospice ~ Congratulations on the 300 and welcome to the forum.
Good to know you are having a great time with it.
As a suggestion, I would avoid brake and clutch levers from aliexpress. They are just not nice to touch and feel and the quality is of course questionable. A very substandard product to be used for something so critical. I have seen way to many cases of these cheap levers failing.
Save up and get the Pazzos or the FP Racing Tactical. They last a life time.