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2018 Honda CB300R Review on Total Motorcycle:

Honda has a new presence in its line-up for 2018: the CB300R. Part of a new ‘sport naked’ family – which includes the CB1000R and CB125R – it distills all of the excitement of two wheels into a distinctively-styled, lightweight form.

Representing a major stepping-stone for any young or new rider, the CB300R is very much a first ‘big’ bike after a 125cc machine, offering impressive and engaging sensations from both engine and chassis without the weight, cost and licence implications of a larger capacity motorcycle. It’s the ideal machine for newer riders to develop their riding skills and enjoyment, and is also a great introduction to Honda, with the brand’s engineering prowess, design philosophy and high build quality firmly on display.

Fun to ride, a joy to own and representing a bold new direction for smaller displacement machines, the CB300R has many of the premium features found on its larger capacity siblings. It also injects a fresh new style on to Europe’s city streets, with its ‘Neo Sports Café’ minimalist, bare-boned attitude shared with both its 1000 and 125cc stablemates.

Subtracting weight – the CB300R tips the scales at just 143kg wet – gains Honda’s new lightweight star a performance advantage. And mix in a free-revving 286cc liquid-cooled single cylinder engine, plus a unique new style and presence, and the CB300R’s intention to excite and inspire young riders is clear to see.

A brand new frame mixes pressed and tubular steel for a tuned rigidity balance that gives great feedback. The CB300R also features 41mm USD forks with radial-mount 4-piston caliper, hubless floating front disc, IMU-based ABS and Dunlop radial tyres.

Valuable features more usually found on much larger machines such as the tapered rubber-mounted aluminium handlebar, LCD instrument display and full LED lighting, exude quality and add to the pride of ownership.

2018 Honda CB300R Totalmotorcycle.com Key Features

Honda unveils a stylishly stripped-back new ‘sport naked’ for new riders looking to take the next step in their motorcycling career in style. The lightweight ‘Neo Sports Café’-styled CB300R features a responsive 286cc liquid-cooled engine, six speed gearbox plus brand new chassis comprised of tubular/pressed steel frame, 41mm USD forks, radial-mount 4-piston front caliper and floating disc plus preload adjustable monoshock. An enhanced specification includes full LED lighting, LCD display and IMU-based ABS.

Chassis & Styling

• Industrial minimal styling takes cues from the 2018 CB1000R
• Lightweight frame mixes tubular and pressed steel
• 41mm USD front forks and irregular-cross section steel swingarm
• Radial-mount 4-piston caliper and hubless 296mm floating front disc
• Full LED lighting and LCD instrumentation
• IMU-based ABS

The CB300R’s frame – which helps underpin its minimalist style, drawn on the same Neo Sports Café lines as the new 2018 CB1000R – is constructed with tubular and pressed steel; the swingarm is manufactured from steel plate, irregularly shaped in cross-section. Both are designed to achieve high longitudinal rigidity and control torsion from wheel deflection without excess rigidity or weight.

The chassis’ core strength is anchored by the pressed steel swingarm pivot plates and swingarm, allowing the tubular steel lattice frame to deliver agile handling with stability and feedback. The 41mm USD forks also complement the CB300R’s handling, with compliant damping and supple spring rate.

The single rear shock offers 5-step spring preload adjustment. A 49.6% front/50.4% rear weight bias provides a positive feel for front-end grip and easy steering which is also helped by the low, 143kg wet weight and compact 1352mm wheelbase.

The aluminium fat bar-style handlebars turn through a 40° radius and the 2.3m turning radius guarantees easy passage in jammed city traffic. Seat height is 799mm.

The front 296mm hubless floating disc is worked by a radial-mount Nissin 4-piston caliper; the rear 220mm disc a single piston caliper. Both are modulated by 2-channel ABS. The high specification system works through an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) to give precise front to rear distribution of ABS operation depending on the vehicle behaviour The 150/60R-17 Dunlop radial rear tyre is matched to a 110/70R-17 radial front.

Styling is a deliberate reduction, putting the machine’s blacked-out hardware on display. It’s also brutally neat and brings a new hard-edged attitude to the naked bike scene. The cutaway tail unit is barely there, and supports separate rider and pillion seats plus the nylon rear mudguard mount. Both rider and pillion footpeg hangers are aluminium.

A thin (23.5mm) lightweight (230g) full function LCD instrument display provides speed, engine rpm, fuel level and gear position simply, with warning lights arrayed across the top. Full LED lighting – including indicators – adds a premium feel and contributes to mass centralisation. The headlight uses a dual bar light signature, upper for low beam and lower for high beam and the taillight is the thinnest ever mounted on a Honda motorcycle.

The 10L fuel cell is hidden underneath an angular cover and shrouds and houses an aircraft-style filler cap. With fuel economy of 30.2km/l (WMTC mode), the CB300R can cover over 300km from full.

2018 Honda CB300R Totalmotorcycle.com Features and Benefits

Engine

• Responsive single-cylinder DOHC 4-valve engine
• 23.1kW peak power/27.5Nm peak torque
• Underslung side-exit exhaust
• 6-speed gearbox

The CB300R’s compact 286cc DOHC 4-valve liquid-cooled single cylinder engine – shared with the CBR300R – is a diminutive jewel that has won many fans for its free-revving and responsive nature. And while that free-spinning character can get the adrenaline pumping as revs rise, it’s also an engine that works well in ‘real-world’ road riding conditions, both around town and out on the highway.

Peak power of 23.1kW arrives @ 8,500rpm, with peak torque of 27.5Nm  delivered @ 7,500rpm. The 6-speed gearbox offers an even spread of gears for strong acceleration – the CB300R will cover 0-200m in just 9.2s

Bore and stroke is set at 76 x 63mm, with compression ratio of 10.7:1. PGM-FI fuel injection – with 38mm throttle bore and straight-shot intake path – delivers crisp throttle response across the rev range. The exhaust is underslung and exits on the right side through a dual-chamber muffler.

To reduce maintenance costs – an important factor for younger riders – the engine is also designed with the minimum number of moving parts. Details like the low-friction piston rings, high-density core radiator and iridium spark plug help increase fuel efficiency.

2018 Honda CB300R – Totalmotorcycle.com USA Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: $ USD

All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice

** Please note that the figures provided are results obtained by Honda under standardised testing conditions prescribed by WMTC. Tests are conducted on a rolling road using a standard version of the vehicle with only one rider and no additional optional equipment. Actual fuel consumption may vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.

2018 Honda CB300R – Totalmotorcycle.com Canadian Specifications/Technical Details
Canada MSRP Price: $ CDN

All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice

** Please note that the figures provided are results obtained by Honda under standardised testing conditions prescribed by WMTC. Tests are conducted on a rolling road using a standard version of the vehicle with only one rider and no additional optional equipment. Actual fuel consumption may vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.

2018 Honda CB300R – Totalmotorcycle.com European Specifications/Technical Details
Europe/UK MSRP Price: £ GBP (On The Road inc 20% Vat)

All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice

** Please note that the figures provided are results obtained by Honda under standardised testing conditions prescribed by WMTC. Tests are conducted on a rolling road using a standard version of the vehicle with only one rider and no additional optional equipment. Actual fuel consumption may vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.

Manufacturer Specifications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice on Total Motorcycle (TMW).