Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1012061
2019 HONDA CB300R FIRST IMPRESSION P102 I can't comment on the claim of increased acceleration because I rode the 300F and 300R back-to-back and they felt very, very similar—although the 300R does have nicer initial throttle response. There's ample torque for such a little engine and the 300R had no problems cruising along at 65 mph in traffic with enough grunt to overtake cars with only one downshift. It's a very unintimidating engine and one new riders will love, although in total, not a big difference compared to the 2017 edition. Where the big difference lies is in the lack of weight and the better suspension and brakes. The 300R feels so much slimmer and lighter than the 300F, and with those inverted Showa forks and repositioned shock, the ride is much firmer and more taught. The result is the 300R doesn't wallow back and forth in corners, especially when you grab a hand- ful of front brake when leaned over. It's about as light as I would want a bike of this size to be, be- cause any lighter and you'll begin to lose stability under braking and over bumps. The Nissin caliper that graces the 300R has less initial bite than before, but its power is more progressive and will be nicer to use for inexperienced riders. The master-cylinder is the same, and it's surprising how much stopping power there is on offer from one caliper and one disc. One area I'm not sure about is the seat padding. The 300F has a much plusher seat and after riding it for a half an hour and then switching back to the 300R, you notice just how much firmer the pew is on the 300R. That may make the 300R a hard argument for longer rides but as far as commuting goes, it'll serve you just fine. The CB300R will serve anyone that wants to get into riding well, and may yet prove an excellent machine for people living in built-up urban areas. Honda's Keep It Simple method has worked for years, and with a few careful mods and new clothes, the CB300R looks set to follow in this path. CN New exhaust sounds great and helps with mass centralization. 2019 HONDA CB300R ($4649/ $4949 ABS) ENGINE: ..Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, single DISPLACEMENT: .........................286cc BORE X STROKE: ...............76 x 63mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ................ 10.7:1 CLUTCH: .......................Wet multi-plate TRANSMISSION: ...................... 6-speed CHASSIS: ......................... Tubular steel FRONT SUSPENSION: ................. 41mm Inverted fork REAR SUSPENSION: ...Pro-Link shock, preload adjustable FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ...............5.1 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ................ 4.2 in. FRONT BRAKE: ......................... 296mm floating disc, radially mounted Nissin 4-piston caliper, ABS optional REAR BRAKE: ..................220mm disc, single-piston caliper, ABS optional FRONT TIRE: .................... 110/70-17 in. REAR TIRE: ...................... 150/60-17 in. RAKE: .............................................24.7° WHEELBASE: ............................ 53.3 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ........................... 31.5 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ....................... 2.7 gal. WEIGHT: .............. 317 (curb, claimed). COLOR: ..... Chromosphere Red; Matte Gray Metallic S P E C I F I C A T I O N S