[wangdu]

Originally Posted by wangdu

..The red looks attractive a perfect flick able machine in the urban set up and I'm being told 2nd week of March delivery by the dealer.

Red it is then, booked. Pretty hopeful that there's nothing disappointing so as to cancel the booking when I see it in flesh.

Soon the Orange will give way to Red in the garage. It was good fun while it lasted.

Cheers!

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by wangdu

Red it is then, booked. Pretty hopeful that there's nothing disappointing so as to cancel the booking when I see it in flesh.

Soon the Orange will give way to Red in the garage. It was good fun while it lasted.

Cheers!

Wow man you're on a roll with two wheels. So the baby duke goes in place of this?

[//M]

Honda CB300R India launch scheduled on 8th February.

Source : ACI

[vittalnrv]

A promising ride indeed. I have ridden Yamaha FZ25 extensively and can just imagine how better a bike the CB300 will be.

The 250 iteration of Yamaha already feels so silky and torquey with that 5 speed gearbox, this am sure is a step ahead. Waiting for full blown review.

[bigben]

Good move Honda. Glad to see this segment hotting up with so many manufacturers launching bikes in this segment and this obviously means more choice for the consumer and better pricing and options.

Lets hope the bike does well!!

[rohitoasis]

Guys,

I was looking for a "What bike" section to pose this question. Have put it here, because this is the bike which has caused the dilemma.

Having never experienced a twin cylinder, but having understood it is a generally better experience than a single; I have been on a lookout for a twin cylinder alternate to my Duke 200 for a while now. Just finding it difficult to go through the change in my life because the buzz of the Duke and running through the short ratios is just so much fun even now.

But off late, some niggling issues with my bike has made me wanting a more reliable alternate and what better alternate than the Japanese.

Recent changes in work would require me to commute from my hometown in Palakkad to Coimbatore L&T Bypass (So basically a mixture of super smooth roads and the Bumpy Bypass) on a daily basis So my criteria would be.

1) A decently comfy ride
2) Suspension unfazed by bumps
3) Generally unstressed motor would at decent road speeds of 80-120
4) Though fuel efficiency would not be a problem for me now. I know it would help if i dont burn a hole in my pocket with this.
5) I realize none of the bikes as a direct upgrade of Duke 200 have a comfortable pillion experience. So that is a downer.

The options i had in mind were
Yamaha R3 : There is not much to fault in this package. I was hoping i would have sales and service support from my hometown as well. But from speaking with a showroom in Palakkad, i feel i will not have this advantage considering barely a few numbers roll down these showrooms. This iteration of R3 looks like it would be the more comfortable version with the 2019 version now having more committed riding position. But then again, who would not want a newer version.
Ninja 300 : Again not much to fault in this, but my concerns lie with the fact, it is too long in the tooth. Again sales and service would require me to come to Coimbatore
Ninja 400 : I realize this is a more committed riding position and too goddamn costly(The classifieds in team BHP would get me much better pre owned bikes at that cost). But smashing looks make me just want one. With Kawasaki, I am not sure if we need to beg to get their attention going by various threads.

Now coming to this beauty Honda CB300R : The riding position seems to better than the rest above. I know it would easily be more fuel efficient in the speeds i would do. Wind Buffeting i could live with. The service costs when you look at the CBR650F vs the Kawasaki seems reasonable as well. But then service again would need me to come to Coimbatore. I have not experienced the CBR250R, but i feel a single would never match the smoothness of a twin.

Torn between these options and i know i could get even more polarizing views in this thread. But then every bit of info helps.

I would really appreciate if i could get to know what behavior to expect from the Honda Wings and Kawasaki showrooms and service staff here in Coimbatore or Yamaha showroom/service in Palakkad/Coimbatore.

Mods : If there is a more appropriate thread where this can be pushed, please help push it there.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

Having never experienced a twin cylinder, but having understood it is a generally better experience than a single;

CBR300R is a single, not twin as far as I have read. I would be happy to be proved wrong though.

KK

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

But off late, some niggling issues with my bike has made me wanting a more reliable alternate and what better alternate than the Japanese.

Recent changes in work would require me to commute from my hometown in Palakkad to Coimbatore L&T Bypass (So basically a mixture of super smooth roads and the Bumpy Bypass) on a daily basis So my criteria would be.

1) A decently comfy ride
2) Suspension unfazed by bumps
3) Generally unstressed motor would at decent road speeds of 80-120
4) Though fuel efficiency would not be a problem for me now. I know it would help if i dont burn a hole in my pocket with this.
5) I realize none of the bikes as a direct upgrade of Duke 200 have a comfortable pillion experience. So that is a downer.

The options i had in mind were -

Why not the CBR250R over CBR300R? That addresses your concerns on the service aspect as well - though the bike is old in the market, just like the Ninja 300.

I doubt it would be replaced by the CBR300R though, and will continue to soldier on - the latter being CKD and considered only through Wing World dealerships.

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

CBR300R is a single, not twin as far as I have read. I would be happy to be proved wrong though.

286cc single cylinder.

[rohitoasis]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Why not the CBR250R over CBR300R? That addresses your concerns on the service aspect as well - though the bike is old in the market, just like the Ninja 300.

Thank you CD. Good question, but this is why CBR250R was not included in the list. The incremental gain in performance by shifting to CBR250R from my Duke 200 is not much. When i bought the Duke 200, CBR250R was still available and i have been a pillion rider in it, i felt that it fails to give more smiles per mile than a Duke. Riding the Duke first time was like the first time you had the "Popping candy" on your tongue. A feeling not many bikes are capable of delivering. Only now when i am old enough do i realize that u sometimes need a calming reassurance from your bike like the Japs do. But then going back to CBR250R is still a mental block.

And then exclusivity in riding these new mean machines is also something that is drawing me to these new guys. Just torn between practical difficulties and fun guys.

[mithun]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

Thank you CD. Good question, but this is why CBR250R was not included in the list. The incremental gain in performance by shifting to CBR250R from my Duke 200 is not much. When i bought the Duke 200, CBR250R was still available and i have been a pillion rider in it, i felt that it fails to give more smiles per mile than a Duke. Riding the Duke first time was like the first time you had the "Popping candy" on your tongue. A feeling not many bikes are capable of delivering. Only now when i am old enough do i realize that u sometimes need a calming reassurance from your bike like the Japs do. But then going back to CBR250R is still a mental block.

And then exclusivity in riding these new mean machines is also something that is drawing me to these new guys. Just torn between practical difficulties and fun guys.

Based on my 20 years of riding experience, any bike can be ridden sanely.

Why not buy a Duke 250(the ABS version is round the corner)? It has also got the best riding comfort among the Dukes and less aggressive when compared to the 390.

Also lots of Dukes that I know that are above 1 lakhs KMS are running without any niggles.

2nd, Honda 2-wheelers are known to have the terrible A.S.S and they will ruin any premium bikes because Activas/Dios are their cash cows and they don't give a damn about others.

[Joxster]

I got up close with the bike at the 2019 Brussels Motor Show. Here is a picture of it next to its sibling, the CB500F.
IMO it's quite a good looking bike. It's nothing close to the raw and aggressive design of the KTMs, but does have an appeal of its own.

Cheers

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by Joxster

I got up close with the bike at the 2019 Brussels Motor Show

Is it just me or is the rear number plate holder jutting out way too much (comparing it to the CB500F in the background) from an otherwise very compact and gorgeous motorcycle? It looks more maroon than red in this picture, while the ones that @CrazyDriver shared a few posts earlier looked on the redder side of the spectrum. What is your take on the colour after seeing the CB300R in person? Red or Maroon?

A couple of questions to the forum at large here. Please excuse me if they sound noob-ish:

When we talk about “build quality” of a motorcycle, what exactly do we look out for apart from the obvious such as rusting, poor quality switchgear & paint?

The CB300R comes with upside down forks, which by definition has the fatter (and heavier) end of the fork on top and the thinner, lighter end on the bottom. This would put comparatively more pressure on the fork seals. So, do we run a higher risk of a busted fork seal compared to a conventional fork setup? Also, the seals in the USD versions seem to be way too close to the front brake, so a busted fork seal will in all probability leak oil on the front disc. How do we avoid/rectify this?

[Joxster]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

Is it just me or is the rear number plate holder jutting out way too much (comparing it to the CB500F in the background) from an otherwise very compact and gorgeous motorcycle? It looks more maroon than red in this picture, while the ones that @CrazyDriver shared a few posts earlier looked on the redder side of the spectrum. What is your take on the colour after seeing the CB300R in person? Red or Maroon?

To be honest, this picture was taken in a hurry, and I didn't spend much time checking out the bike, so didn't observe what you pointed out until just now

• Taking a look at the picture again, I think that the rear number plate holder of the CB300R is jutting out so much in comparison to the CB500F, because the tank and seat are shorter, hence the end of the bike doesn't fully cover the rear tyre.
• The color of the bike at the show indeed looks maroon, and maybe it was a special color for the show, or a color option for a different market, but I did check the color options on the Honda Belgium website, and there is no maroon.

Cheers

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

Is it just me or is the rear number plate holder jutting out way too much (comparing it to the CB500F in the background) from an otherwise very compact and gorgeous motorcycle?

well there you have different riding ergos at play with two differently positioned and sized tanks, riding seat and rear subframe to blame.

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

When we talk about “build quality” of a motorcycle, what exactly do we look out for apart from the obvious such as rusting, poor quality switchgear & paint?

I guess in a bike that's all that matters. Then comes durability which one can only attest to in the long term. For example the inner side fairings of my RC390 have slightly cracked in the area that sustains most pressure from my knees gripping it. I find this to be either a design or a quality issue. Or even the way a switch or the mirrors or the ignition feel over the course of a couple of years, do they change in their physical feel? Also how resistant the paint and plastics including the visor are to our tropical heat and sunlight.

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

The CB300R comes with upside down forks, which by definition has the fatter (and heavier) end of the fork on top and the thinner, lighter end on the bottom. This would put comparatively more pressure on the fork seals. So, do we run a higher risk of a busted fork seal compared to a conventional fork setup? Also, the seals in the USD versions seem to be way too close to the front brake, so a busted fork seal will in all probability leak oil on the front disc. How do we avoid/rectify this?

In general I have found that any higher requirement for performance generally follows a higher requirement in maintainence. You want more road feel to add that sporty flavour, you got to go with USD forks. Which obviously run the risk of being busted a lot more than conventional ones due to the reasons you have stated as well as the simple fact that the seals are more exposed to the road and other elements and debris on USD forks which add the risk of turning them brittle and causing them to give up. As a result, you need to take whatever precautions in terms of maintainence like constantly checking whether they are okay, not riding too fast over unknown roads with potholes and asking for your suspension to handle as much as it possibly can, and at the end of the day, expect to shell out some money to replace them in the event of a failure.

[vittalnrv]

Wow, such a oozy bike! Sure will be a seller, but Enfield has made competition tuff pricing its newer products seriously.