Fun Size!

FINALLY, WE GET A DESIRABLE SMALL HONDA

- Kartik Ware

It’s not very often that I take a knife and a fork to my own words. But sometimes, there’s nothing else on the menu,’ This is thought to myself as I return the Honda CB300R to the dealership. This bike has played chef with my preconceived notions which I wash down with a big jug of relief. Note to self: never judge a motorcycle by its manufacturer’s local history. Honestly, I thought the CB300R would be little more than a naked CBR250R with a slightly bigger piston, and I’m not a big fan of that motorcycle, though I know lots of people who swear by it.

Actually, I’m not a big fan of any of the sporty bikes Honda makes in India. They’re all decent enough, but certainly not the best in their respective segments. Yet, Honda is successful, and that’s because of its sheer brand value and the way in which the company goes about its business of plotting world domination. The fact remains that Honda doesn’t quite treat India fairly; the quality of their Indian bikes has gone down several notches over the years as has their riding experience. As you can probably tell, I’m not exactly its biggest fan, though I do have a 2010 model of the second-gen Unicorn parked in my garage. That’s no contextual balm, mind you.

So, it is with a big fat sack of prejudice that I walk up to the CB300R with. And immediately, even in the waning evening sun, I think, ‘Hmm. That doesn’t look bad at all.’ It’s the tiniest thing, this CB, and it seems like it was designed by a bonsai master rather than a motorcycle designer. Honda says the CB’s appearance carries ‘neo sports café DNA’, but that’s probably a phrase cooked up by a fanciful marketing committee. But that doesn’t change the fact that the CB is quite a good-looking motorcycle.