Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) has unveiled 10 products for the Indian market, in a single event. These include all-new products and refreshed versions of existing. The lineup includes both motorcycles and scooters.
Honda has confirmed its intention to launch the XR 300L dual-sport motorcycle in India. The motorcycle has now been revealed officially and the launch will happen later- we will have to wait for the price and delivery timeline.
The XR 300L has an adventure-centric nature and will compete with popular rivals like the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, TVS Apache RTX, and KTM 390 Adventure, when launched. Honda plans to manufacture this motorcycle in India. Due to the heavy localisation, it is likely to get an attractive price tag.
The XR 300L will be powered by a 293.5cc single-cylinder, oil-cooled engine. It will have an output of 26.9bhp and 26.6Nm. It will be mated to a six-speed transmission. It will use a 21-inch wheel at the front and an 18-inch unit at the rear- both spoke units. The Showa suspension at both ends will deliver a travel of 260mm each. The ground clearance will be around 244mm and the seat height will stand at 830mm. It will have 256mm disc brake at the front and 220mm disc at the rear. Honda is likely to give the XR 300L minimal equipment- switchable dual-channel ABS, LCD instrument cluster, and more.
Meanwhile, the braking setup includes a 256mm disc up front and a 220mm disc at the rear. Feature-wise, the XR 300L gets minimal equipment such as a switchable dual-channel ABS, LCD instrument console, and a 7.8-litre fuel tank.
The XR 300 Rally is the more rugged version with an even sharper focus on adventure riding. It can handle trails and mixed terrains better than the 300L. It will likely offer suspension travel than the XR 300L.
The manufacturer will also launch an adventure scooter in India, sometime soon. Called the ADV 160, it will be a maxi-adventure scooter, powered by a 156.9cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine. Mated to a CVT gearbox, this unit will make 16.09bhp and 14.9Nm, and will also come with an idle start-stop system for better fuel efficiency. More interestingly, this engine is claimed to be E85-compliant.
The ADV 160 will have an adventure-inspired styling. It will have a tall, adjustable windscreen, muscular body panels, hand guards, dual LED headlamps, stepped seat, and a rugged overall stance. It will have high ground clearance as well. The front end will get telescopic forks and the rear will have twin shocks. Both wheels will have disc brakes and there will be dual-channel ABS on offer, as well.
On the features front, this scooter will get a TFT display with Honda Roadsync, turn-by-turn navigation, USB charging ports, 27-litre underseat storage and electronics like traction control. When launched in the near future, the ADV 160 will compete with models like the Hero Xoom 160, Yamaha Aerox 155, and Aprilia SR 175.
The manufacturer has revealed two cruiser bikes as well- the Rebel 300 and Rebel 500. The Rebel 500 was, in fact, previously on sale here. It has now made its return. The Rebel 300 will be powered by a 286cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine producing 30bhp and 27.5Nm. It will be available with both standard and e-clutch options.
The Rebel 500 used to be sold in limited numbers previously. It will be powered by a 471cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine and will have standard and e-clutch variants. The output in this case, is 46bhp and 43.3Nm.
Both motorcycles continue to boast the bobber-like cruiser designs and low seat heights. They have minimal equipment levels and deliver old-school cruising fun.
Honda has rolled out cosmetic updates (including new colour options) on the CB 350 range. The lineup now has three models- CB350, CB350C and CB350RS. There are no mechanical changes though. These continue to use the same platform and engine as before.
Honda also unveiled the CB500. This motorcycle gets the design and nature of the CB family and a bigger, 500cc engine. The heritage-inspired roadster will be positioned above the CB350 in Honda’s India lineup and will be powered by a 501cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine, with an oil cooler. There will be three variants- with alloy and spoke wheels.
The company has also announced its plans to introduce the QC3 as a pilot project in select cities. It will be a family-oriented electric scooter powered by a 3kWh battery pack. It will have a claimed IDC range of 151km. 0-80% charging can be done in 2 hours and 40 minutes. It will come with features like a 5-inch TFT instrument cluster with connected features, smart key and more.
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