[FlankerFury]

Honda might soon launch a new neo-retro roadster in India. We have got our hands on a patent image of this motorcycle which gives away a lot of details about it.

The upside-down forks, alloy wheels, and the petal-type disc brake with a Nissin caliper look identical to the Hornet 2.0 that has been on sale in India for a long time now. Similarly, the single-cylinder, air-cooled powerplant, along with the single downtube chassis, bears a close visual resemblance to the Hornet 2.0 that is powered by a 184cc motor. What’s more interesting is that a closer inspection reveals that the crankcase looks more similar to the CB190R that has been on sale in select markets. Moreover, the USD forks look chunkier than the Hornet 2.0 and the tyres seem wider and a different tread pattern.
Honda will certainly take on the affordable, neo-retro segment which currently comprises the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and TVS Ronin. Even if Honda pegs it a little higher than the Hornet 2.0, which costs Rs. 1.43 lakh (ex-showroom)

Bikewale | Honda's Ronin rivaling roadster

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by FlankerFury

Attachment 2716241



Bikewale | Honda's Ronin rivaling roadster

This is more of an XSR155 rival than a Hunter rival. Ofc, don't have the XSR in India. They should've used the 300F motor and slotted this in between the cb300F and cb300r. I guess they are looking for volumes.

[gops619]

Looks closest to CB300R to me. Unlikely but hope it actually is the much needed updated/2025 version of it. For me, its the best looking bike in segment. Needs better ground clearance, bigger tank, and lot other upgrades.

[hikozaru]

Originally Posted by gops619

Needs better ground clearance, bigger tank, and lot other upgrades.

Sorry mate, had to reply to this. No, just no. This is just spec sheet fighting. It is a fuel efficient bike, has enough ground clearance. I hope Honda does not ruin it by giving stupid doodads like a TFT dash, keyless unlock, dual horn, etc. Proper suspension would be welcome especially because fork upgrades are hard to find for the CB series, OEM crash guards and sliders and maybe an option to disable rear ABS would be a much more sensible update.

[Deamon0508]

Originally Posted by hikozaru

Sorry mate, had to reply to this. No, just no. This is just spec sheet fighting. It is a fuel efficient bike, has enough ground clearance. I hope Honda does not ruin it by giving stupid doodads like a TFT dash, keyless unlock, dual horn, etc. Proper suspension would be welcome especially because fork upgrades are hard to find for the CB series, OEM crash guards and sliders and maybe an option to disable rear ABS would be a much more sensible update.

Ohh, and some fundamental logics too!
Like how to turn off the headlamp when turning the engine off with the kill switch and with ignition as 'on', and letting the radiator fan run in the same condition. It's the other way around right now it drives me absolutely nuts
A better headlight would be welcome as well. The suspension on the current CB300R is good too, albeit a bit stiff at the front, adjustable suspension would be too good to be true, Honda being Honda, wouldn't be in for that sort of malarky.
To me personally, the current LCD dash is good enough, suits the minimalist character of the bike, doesn't distract with trivia or messages.
Switchable ABS is probably unlikely given cost consciousness and product myopia (especially the premium offerings) of Honda.

[FlankerFury]

ACI's Instagram post carries a clearer image of the patent along with the Chinese market CB190TR roadster.




ACI Instagram | Honda CB190TR patented in India
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I like the looks of it but it's too similar to the CB300R, not sure how buyers of the R would feel like.

Originally Posted by b16h22

They should've used the 300F motor and slotted this in between the cb300F and cb300r. I guess they are looking for volumes.

They are likely avoiding the use of the 300F motor because it would make it harder to differentiate this model from the R. Since the design is already quite similar, giving this model an engine capacity of ~300cc could further confuse buyers and potentially kill the R.

If the 300F engine should be used in anything, I'd say it should be for an India spec Sahara ADV.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by FlankerFury

ACI's Instagram post carries a clearer image of the patent along with the Chinese market CB190TR roadster.

Attachment 2716778

Attachment 2716777
ACI Instagram | Honda CB190TR patented in India
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Love how this looks. Just that the motor will be gutless for the really good looks. As I said, a good alternative to the XSR155 which Yamaha isn't going to bring here.

[DarthFader]

The tank shape in greyed out image reminded me of svartpilen/vitpilen.
As a CB350 H'ness owner, I do not have much expectations from Honda except another safe bike.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Looks like halfway between the CB300R and the Mavrick 440 to me, and that may not be a bad thing in person. As others have mentioned, could have been a machine with a larger displacement though - atleast the motor from the CB300F for example.

[amyntor]

I wish they would launch the CB150R with liquid cooled engine.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by b16h22

Love how this looks. Just that the motor will be gutless for the really good looks. As I said, a good alternative to the XSR155 which Yamaha isn't going to bring here.

Are buyers in this segment that picky with design? Especially considering 'neo-retro' is nothing but a round headlamp here? The lines don't look that distinct to me between the popular Nakeds and this.

XSR155 in India would've been nicer, but the MT15 is here; which seems to be doing fine with its stupendous power-to-weight figure, and competing against native 200s (like NS and RTR) while bringing 'Japanese reliability' to the table. So, looks like Yamaha already pulled a CB300R in the 150-200cc segment. Now, if all Honda is bringing this 'mini CB300R' is a round headlamp, I'm not too sure about the volumes that they're seemingly hoping either.

Originally Posted by amyntor

I wish they would launch the CB150R with liquid cooled engine.

The CB150R I think is what we/they exactly want here. An equally powerful AND lighter motorcycle than the MT15.

[t3rm1n80r]

Originally Posted by hikozaru

Sorry mate, had to reply to this. No, just no. This is just spec sheet fighting. It is a fuel efficient bike, has enough ground clearance.

Originally Posted by gops619

Needs better ground clearance, bigger tank, and lot other upgrades.

Off topic, but I agree with @hikozaru on this.
I've gotten as low as 23kmpl on a quick 250kms ride, and as high as 40kmpl+ on a 100kms leisure ride. These figures were on low tyre pressures. The engine can either be fuel efficient or fun depending on how one rides it. Given the suspension stiffness and the seat padding, a break for every 200kms is reasonable enough, might use it to refuel and stretch a bit as well. As for the GC, the Dominar 400 & the CB300R have similar figures ~155mms, yet the D400 owners use it for touring. Also, CB300R has a shorter wheelbase as compared to the D400 for the similar GC. You do the math. The underneath has never scraped during its ownership on the deepest of potholes or the tallest of speed breakers. For reference, I've scraped my H'Ness on very deep potholes few times. Suspension stiffness and laden weight matters. And trust me when I say this, I've ridden the CB300R hard at times on mild off-road trails and didn't have any issue. So much so that I can already imagine how fun riding a CRF300L would be.