2020 Honda CBF190R Patented In India. Will It Be Launched Here?

Honda has patented a number of other international products in India before

The 2020 Honda CBF190R is sold in the Chinese market. It makes slightly more power and torque compared to its predecessor. It features a lengthier upswept exhaust system as opposed to the underbelly unit in the 2019 model.

Honda Japan has patented the CBF190R in India. The patent was filed in June 2019 but it is the 2020 iteration. Obviously, it begs the question: will it be launched in India? Well, Honda has the habit of patenting international-spec products in India quite often. For example, the Honda Scoopy as well as the CB150 Verza - both sold in Indonesia - have been patented in India in the past. 

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be launched in India. One of the reasons why international manufacturers patent products globally is that it keeps IP (Intellectual Property) infringements at bay, even for models that are not sold in a particular market.

That said, we can’t help but wonder what if it were the spiritual successor to the Honda CB Hornet 160R? The Hornet hasn’t received the BS6 treatment yet and launching the CBF190R could be the right direction for Honda, provided it adheres to BS6 emission norms. That way, Honda will be able to exploit the lesser-populated 180cc-200cc segment whereas the upcoming Honda X-Blade BS6 will compete against the 160cc nakeds like the Bajaj Pulsar NS160 BS6, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V BS6, Yamaha FZ/ FZ-S Fi V3.0 BS6 and the Suzuki Gixxer BS6. 

The Honda CBF190R is currently sold in the Chinese market. Compared to the 2019 model, the 2020 Honda CBF190R features a slightly more powerful and torquier engine. The 184.4cc single-cylinder air-cooled fuel-injected motor churns out 16.85PS at 8000rpm and 16.3Nm at 7000rpm. This makes it 0.81PS and 1Nm more powerful than the 2019 version. The ground clearance has also gone up from 138mm to 150mm and the kerb weight from 140kg to 142kg. 

Also Read: 2020 Honda CBF190X Adventure Bike Launched In China. Will It Come To India?

The rest of the components like the inverted front fork, rear preload-adjustable monoshock, single-channel ABS with petal discs on both ends remain the same as before. The feature list includes an all-LED lighting system, full-digital instrument cluster, raised clip-on handlebars with aluminium alloy footpegs and a single-piece seat. Another notable change in the 2020 model is the exhaust system. It is a lengthier, upswept unit compared to the stubby underbelly exhaust in the 2019 model.