2016 Honda CBR 300R Motorcycle Review

Back when I was in my early twenties and had been seriously bitten by the full leathers race replica bug, there was a wonderful batch of small displacement motorcycles that that you could buy that were perfect for new riders who wanted to look cool and go fast. Recently, a whole wave of small displacement sport bikes arrived at your local dealership and they appear to have picked up on that trend that first appeared back in the late seventies and early eighties – bikes such as Yamaha’s R3, Kawasaki’s Ninja 300 and KTM’s RC 390. Added to that list is Honda’s CBR 300R. Now, I know what you’re thinking, hey, that’s a CBR 500, right? But you would be mistaken, at the heart of this beauty is a liquid cooled, fuel injected, dual overhead cam, two hundred and eighty-six CC single cylinder engine mated to a slick shifting six speed transmission. Upfront, you’ll find a thirty-seven millimeter, non-adjustable fork, a two hundred and ninety-six single disc brake and a seventeen inch radial hoop. ABS is available as an option.  While out back a single adjustable pro-link shock soaks up the bumps while riding on another seventeen incher.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking, hey, that’s a CBR 500, right? But you would be mistaken, at the heart of this beauty is a liquid cooled, fuel injected, dual overhead cam, two hundred and eighty-six CC single cylinder engine mated to a slick shifting six speed transmission.”

We invited riding instructor Cathy McCracken to sample the CBR 300R alongside the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the Yamaha R3.  At first glance, the 300R is an attractive bike, and considering the affordable price has great body work, and from what Cathy experienced, flawlessly finished.  According to Cathy, the 300R is light and nimble and although the suspension wasn’t extremely soft, it handled well on the curves and didn’t “skitter” on the rougher roads.  Cathy expected the engine to sound like a “sewing machine” but was pleased that the single cylinder 300 had a satisfying growl.  And this modest displacement engine delivers on the power too, although Cathy thought she would hesitate to do a lot of major highway riding on it where you might need more power to accelerate suddenly. Overall, Cathy recommends the bike to novice riders of small to medium height, saying it would be great for someone who was still trying to determine the type of riding they do most frequently.