2019 Honda CB300R review

The 2019 Honda CB300R will capitalise on a major trend in motorcycling in this country at present. You see, while there are no shortage of lambs at this time of the year to keep food on the table, similarly LAMS (Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme) riders are the main source of road bike revenue for motorcycle dealerships in the southern states during winter.

In fact, eight of the top 10 models to date this year are learner approved.

Riders are still happy to fork out for an adventure or off-road bike to get wet on; they're less inclined to throw a leg over a commuter bike that involves suiting up over their work clothes on days when it's raining and blowing a gale.

Learners typically have no choice. A bike is their only set of wheels, not a discretionary spend.

That's not to say LAMS riders don't exercise discretion: their finances are typically more tightly scrutinised than the person who can afford to cruise out on a $20,000-plus machine.

Related reading:
2018 Honda CB300R on sale
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EICMA 2017: Honda CB300R and CB1000R

Enter the Honda CB300R. It's a single-cylinder learner-approved naked motorbike that's so honest it could be accused of peddling 'fake news' in today's society.

It isn't trying to be a pocket racer, but there's enough power to launch ahead of the cars at the lights.

It doesn't look like a street fighter, but the minimalist design is still stylish and the neutral handling lends itself to building confidence.

Finally, the fit and finish on the Thai-built machine is generally impressive for the price.

That price is $5999 plus on-roads, making the Honda competitive in a field packed with quality rivals – rivals all looking for an edge on price, performance or pure looks.

A lot of LAMS-approved bikes have anti-lock brakes.

Very few have a linked front/rear system like that found on the Honda, which uses accelerometers and gyroscopes in an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to help maximise braking force while stopping the bike from pitching forward under full-panic stops.

It's a handy bit of reassurance in a bike that lists at $5999, which should equate to $7000-$7500 on the road depending on your state.

The four-pot Nissin front brake is, like most learner machines, progressive. That means riders of bigger-capacity machines will find they need to pull the lever closer to the bars than they initially expect.

As a result it takes a fair tweak on the lever to activate the ABS in the dry, though slick city streets quickly illustrate the ABS is there if you hit the anchors too hard.

Other features you mightn't expect at this price include full LED lighting and an LCD display, though that screen can look dull in direct sunlight with a set of polarised sunglasses on and – bewilderingly – doesn't have a gear position indicator, though it does have a programmable gear-shift indicator light.

The panels around the fuel tank are also a smart – and well-finished – touch.

The rationale presumably is if (when) the bike does hit the tarmac, those panels can be replaced far cheaper than it would cost to repair and repaint the tank.

Honda touts the CB300R as a 'neo sports café' design. If that translates to a good-looking naked bike with a passing resemblance to the round-headlamped CB models of old, I'd agree.

The uncluttered look does come at the expense of tie-down points at the back of the bike, so if I was regularly looking to carry gear I'd be looking at aftermarket bags.

I'd also be looking at a gel seat. There's not enough padding on the standard unit, though the 799mm ride height will be appreciated by smaller-statured riders.

The CB300R rolls along on a single-cylinder against a raft of 300cc parallel-twins. Lighter weight and low maintenance work to the Honda's advantage here.

At 145kg the CB300 doesn't have to haul much around and with 31hp (23.1kW) and 27.5Nm to play with, acceleration is brisk at speeds up to 80km/h.

Take the Honda out of its preferred urban environment on a 110km/h highway and momentum becomes more measured but we're guessing the Honda is good for just on 130km/h on a straight bit of road.

At that speed expect a thrum rather than any major vibration from the 286cc counterbalanced single-cylinder engine. This is a refined engine with a linear delivery that perfectly suits riders looking to acquaint themselves with the craft.

The inverted front Showa suspension feels a touch firmer than many learner bikes, presumably to help the ABS stop the fork from squatting under hard braking.

The back in contrast is soft enough to soak up speed bumps without jolting the seat and together with its short wheelbase, this is one nimble companion on which you can thread your way through the mass of sole car occupants stuck in gridlock on their way to work.

Until the engine revs rise above 4000rpm the Honda is late-night suburban-street riding docile in terms of aural emissions. That exhaust note picks up as the digital tacho heads to the 10,500rpm redline, but there’s not much point pushing beyond 8500rpm, given you’ve just passed peak power and are right on peak torque.

The even spread of gear ratios means the engine is spinning at 6500rpm at 100km/h in sixth.

Find a back road and the CB300R is suddenly in its element. The upright riding position means it is a decent glance down to see the digital speedo but the same stance does provide good leverage on the bars.

Find a set of corners and the package becomes unpretentious fun. The steering is communicative, the brakes are solid once you apply enough lever and, if you can keep the gears ticking up and down, the engine will rev with a halfway decent soundtrack (by the standards of modern LAMS-approved machines).

In practical terms, the mirrors didn't vibrate under acceleration, the switchgear was easy to use with a definite click as the various switches and toggles engaged and the starter motor was a one-press affair even on two-degree mornings.

The Yamaha MT-03 bikesales.com.au reviewed recently is an obvious rival on price and performance. The parallel-twin packs 42hp (30.9kW) … but is also more than 20kg heavier, so the performance edge isn't as pronounced. It also lacks the linked ABS system the Honda runs.

As a value-for-money proposition the CB300R makes supreme sense.

The heart may yearn for a KTM 390 or a Honda CB500F, but the head and the budget see the logic in the lightweight Honda.

Consumption of around 3.1lt/100km is easily achieved, it won't cost a ton to service and represents one of the smarter ways to tackle urban traffic without undue risk to limbs or licence.

I'd personally want a small screen on the front as a wind deflector if I planned on doing much highway running but that's an observation you can apply to most naked bikes.

If one of my children rolled into the drive aboard the Honda CB300R, I'd nod approvingly. And then check my credit card balance.

For returning riders who aren't planning on doing much more than the daily work run, it's also a perfectly acceptable and amenable commuter.

Squint and you might even convince yourself you're aboard the CB1000 … at least until you hit the trigger.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled single-cylinder
Capacity: 286cc
Compression ratio: 10.7:1
Bore x stroke: 76mm x 63mm
Fuel system: Electronic fuel-injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 31hp (23.1kW) at 8500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 27.5Nm at 7500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch Wet, multi-plate
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Pressed and tubular steel trellis
Front suspension: 41mm fork, 130mm travel
Rear suspension: Monoshock with preload adjustment, 107mm travel
Front brake: 296mm single disc with radial-mount four-piston caliper
Rear brake: 220mm single disc with single-piston caliper
Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax 110/70-17 front, 150/60 17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed kerb weight: 145kg
Seat height: 799mm
Wheelbase: 1352mm
Fuel capacity: 10 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $5999 plus on-roads
Colours: Candy Chromosphere Red, Matte Axis Grey Metallic and Graphite Black
Web: hondamotorcycles.com.au
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres