EXCLUSIVE: Honda CRF300L Spotted In India

Could Honda launch this lightweight trail bike next month?

The Honda CRF300L has been spotted at one of the Japanese marque’s dealerships in India. With adventure bikes gaining massive interest, especially in the sub-400cc segment, it makes perfect sense for Honda to ride in the CRF300L into the country.

The Japanese manufacturer filed a design patent for the ADV in the country last year and is also gearing up to launch a new offering on August 8. While we did speculate that Honda would launch the Forza 350 maxi-scooter, this new development leaves us salivating at the prospect of witnessing a thoroughbred Honda adventure motorcycle making its way into India.

The CRF300L is a dual-purpose motorcycle that shares its heart with the CB300R, but the motor here is tuned to push out a respectable 27.3PS and 26.6Nm. This peppy pupper is linked to a 6-speed transmission with a slip and assist clutch. 

It is definitely on the hardcore side of the adventure spectrum, fairly similar in hardware spec to the newly launched Hero XPulse 200 4V Rally edition, featuring 21-/18-inch wire-spoked wheels, Showa long-travel suspension with 260mm travel at both ends and off-road-friendly ergos. Also, the motocross-style body, small headlamp, compact LCD dash and high upswept exhaust are all the makings of a great trail muncher. 

Don’t let the off-road biased specs fool you into thinking it wouldn’t be good on tarmac. The Thai-spec model has got a pretty accessible seat height of 830mm, which is also narrow and hence would not scare shorter riders too much. The ground clearance on offer is a whopping 244mm, 24mm more than the Royal Enfield Himalayan. 

Moreover, it weighs just 138kg, 20kg lighter than the stock Hero XPulse 200. Even after fitting the mandatory accessories to pass Indian homologation laws, its weight shouldn’t go up massively. The only chink in the armour, when you think of it from a touring perspective, is its puny 7.8-litre fuel tank.

Will Honda BigWing actually take the plunge and bring in the CRF300L on 8th August? Well, only time will tell. What we can tell you is that in South-East Asian markets, the CRF is priced lower than the CB300R. The engine of the CRF300L is made in India, and even if it’s priced slightly higher than the CB for India, we think it would find a lot of takers. So Honda, will you please bring the CRF to India? Pretty, please.