Quick spin: Honda CBR300R

I was prepared for some ribbing. When I arrived at the Phillip Island round of the world superbikes a few months back, everyone would have been expecting me to take the brawny route and waltz up on a 1000cc sports bike. Not the case though, as I had make the trek from Melbourne on the Honda CBR300R, the smashing little single-cylinder machine which morphed out of the original CBR250R that came onto the scene in early 2011.

There was no need to be anxious, as the sharp-looking CBR gained credibility from the get-go, and reigning world superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli — who switched from Aprilia to Honda in the off-season — even wanted to have a play on it. Racers don't normally get too excited about commuter fare, so that was instant credibility right there!

The CBR300R appeared on the scene not long after Kawasaki introduced the larger version of its Ninja 250 in the form of the Ninja 300. Since then pair have been at it hammer and thongs, although the twin-cylinder Kawasaki has always managed to hold the upperhand. That's not an indictment on the torquier Honda though, which at 164kg (with anti-lock braking) is nearly 10kg lighter than the Ninja 300.
It's also an attractive bike. I really like its lines and, although it looks small, it's easy to fit into and reach the ground. Just as importantly, it's well balanced and not intimidating in the slightest, which are key attributes for learner riders. It’s all too easy to be scared if you can’t park it or feel nervous every time you have to make a tight turn, and this is an area where the light Honda excels.

The first time I rode the CBR300R it was drizzling in Melbourne — I hear the sniggers from my northern Australia friends! The conditions again reaffirmed an important lesson: you don’t need cubes to have fun. I’m used to riding the current crop of superbikes around where an extra millimetre of throttle can mean the difference between the speed limit or a monster fine. On the 286cc CBR300R I could actually twist the throttle and let the bike rev through the gears without breaking any land speed records. Quite simply, I was able to use 70 percent of the bike's attributes compared to five percent on a 1000cc machine.

Mind you, the Honda is still fast enough to leave cars for dead off the lights and, although I have heard of some people complaining of a lack of power in certain situations, I have no gripes at all.

The area where Honda has worked most to improve response is in the low to middle area of the power, and that is where the bike will spend 90 percent of its time. Don’t expect to blow past a Ninja 300 on the race track, but if you are a road rider and want to keep your license the little Honda does exactly what it needs to do.

Handling is very precise with a nice chassis that produces a solid feel. I haven’t ridden a Moto3 bike but I imagine it wouldn’t feel too much different to the CBR. The skinny 110-section front tyre and 140-section rear tyre make it the quickest-reacting machine I’ve ridden in a long time. I basically only had to think about changing my line and the bike responded with very little physical effort. The brakes are fantastic, matching the quality of the chassis. And with the addition of anti-lock braking as an option, there's an extra safety margin is lurking in the background.

The base CBR300R (ie non ABS) retails for $5699, the ABS version for $5999, while there are two SE versions: non-ABS ($5799) and ABS ($6099). For full details, click HERE.

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet multi disc slipper clutch
Final drive: Chain

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight : 160kg , (163kg ABS)
Seat height: 779mm
Wheelbase: 1380mm
Fuel capacity: 13 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $5699 non-ABS, $5999 ABS
Colours: Black, Red, Pearl White/Red/Blue, Matte Black Metallic/Yellow
Warranty: 24  months unlimited kilometres
Bike supplied by: Honda Australia, hondamotorcycles.com.au