The Honda CB300R was Honda’s entry into the premium ~300 cc neo-retro naked bike segment in India. Introduced in early 2019, it aimed to offer a stylish, lightweight, fun-to-ride package — but after several years in the market, it appears to have been quietly discontinued.
Launch & Specifications
- The CB300R made its Indian debut in February 2019 via the CKD (completely knocked down) route, with a launch ex-showroom price of around ₹ 2.41 lakh (Delhi).
- Under the hood: a 286 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine producing approximately 30–31 bhp and about 27.5 Nm of torque.
- Lightweight at ~146 kg kerb weight, giving it a respectable power-to-weight ratio and making it among the lighter bikes in its category.
- Features included inverted front forks (USD type), monoshock at the rear, dual-channel ABS, all-LED lighting, a digital instrument cluster, and a neo-retro “Neo Sports Café” design ethos.
What Made It Interesting
- The CB300R stood out for blending Honda’s build quality with a modern retro aesthetic — minimal yet premium in styling, with exposed frame, sculpted tank, upswept exhaust, and sporty ergonomics.
- Its light weight made it nimble and more user-friendly, especially in city riding or for those stepping up from smaller capacity bikes.
- In an Indian market dominated by high-volume commuters, the CB300R offered something more aspirational and niche.
Why It Fell Short
Despite its potential, several factors limited its success in India:
- Limited sales reach & availability: According to multiple sources, the CB300R was only available in select cities/dealerships, which impacted its market penetration.
- Competitive landscape: By the time it had its BS6 update (January 2022), the segment had heated up, with rivals offering more features, performance, and/or better value for money.
- Price vs value perception: After the BS6 update, the price increased to around ₹2.77 lakh (ex-showroom) in 2022. While localization later helped drop it back to ~₹2.40 lakh, the perception of being dated (in features) hurt it.
- Features gap: The CB300R lacked some modern conveniences (e.g., full TFT instrument cluster, Bluetooth connectivity, riding modes), which had become more expected in the segment.
Discontinuation / End of Run
- While Honda has not officially announced a cessation of production of the CB300R in India, multiple credible reports suggest the model has been silently discontinued or delisted from website listings.
- To illustrate: one report noted that only one unit of the CB300R was sold in the March–May 2025 period, per SIAM data, and Honda dealers indicated it was already withdrawn.
- Listings still show the bike priced at approximately ₹2.40 lakh ex-showroom in some cities (as of mid-2025), but this may reflect leftover stock or outdated listing information.
- As per AutoX and BikeWale, the CB300R [2020-22] model is marked as “discontinued” and “out of production.”
- In short: While Honda hasn’t made a formal press statement, multiple independent sources, dealer feedback, and website delisting suggest the CB300R’s production run in India has ended.
Legacy & What It Means
- The CB300R leaves behind a niche but interesting chapter in Honda’s Indian story: a company traditionally focused on high-volume mass-market bikes venturing into the premium mid-displacement niche.
- For buyers, this means that servicing and parts should still be supported through Honda’s BigWing network for some time, but availability of new units may be limited or restricted to stock clearances.
- The discontinuation also signals that Honda may shift focus away from ~300 cc single-cylinder bikes in India, likely in favour of larger displacement models (e.g., CB 500F, Rebel 500) or alternative segments. Indeed, some reports speculate about Honda introducing other models instead of replacing the CB300R.
Conclusion
The Honda CB300R offered an appealing blend of light weight, premium styling, and Honda engineering in India’s ~300 cc segment. However, constrained availability, rising competition, and feature expectations meant it never quite achieved mass success.
With sales dwindling and production apparently halted, the CB300R quietly exits the Indian market — leaving behind a stylish but under-appreciated bike. Enthusiasts who ride one will appreciate its strengths, while the wider market moved on to more overtly feature-rich alternatives.