The 2022 Honda CB300R gets some big upgrades for the new model year with improvements to the suspension, clutch and more as it continues to provide an option between the CB125R and the larger CB650R. Plus there are two new paint colours to choose from.
There are a number of reasons to consider the 286cc liquid-cooled 4-valve DOHC single cylinder motorcycle as more than a stepping stone to larger motorcycles. With a seat height of 799mm and weight of just 144kg, it’s light and manageable, which is great if you’re smaller, or looking at mainly urban commuting, as well as for newer riders. And along with being Euro5 compliant, it’s also been designed to have the minimum of moving parts, reducing maintenance costs.
You get 31.8 bhp (22.9kW) power and 27.5Nm of torque, and the new addition of an assist/slipper clutch means it’s easier to ride, especially as it will manage the rear wheel hopping under rapid downshifts or hard braking. And that’s on top of the Inertial Measurement Unit-controlled ABS, linked to the 296mm hubless floating front disc and Nissin 4-piston caliper, and a rear 220mm disc and single-piston caliper. Wheels and tyres are a 110/70R-17 at the front, and a 150/60R-17 at the rear.
Another change for 2022 is the upgrade to 41mm Showa Separate Function Big Piston USD forks, the same as the larger CB650R, and giving you a pressure separation damper in one fork tube, and a spring mechanism in the other. Which means better damper performance and lighter weight. And you get 5-step pre-load adjustment at the rear to make the most of the tubular and pressed steel frame.
From a styling perspective, the Euro5 rules mean a new underslung side exhaust. But you also get tapered steel handlebars, full LED lighting, and an updated LCD instrument panel which is lighter and thinner, but gives you speed, engine rpm, fuel level and a gear position indicator. And the 10 litre fuel tank gets an aircraft-style filler cap under the angular cover and shrouds, giving a claimed range of more than 320km.
Valerio Aiello, of Honda’s Rome R&D Department: “The entire current Neo Sport Café range from Honda is the result of the CB4 Concept model presented at EICMA in 2015. Our desire was to explore the world of the café racer and reinterpret it in a modern key. All the models of this CB series are not simply retro-vintage motorcycles, but rather neo-classics – that is, modern motorbikes showcasing classic design styles combined with modern techniques. We wanted to create a new stylistic dimension, different from the muscular streetfighters of the last few years, and at the same time, far from the simpler café-racer style.
The colour choices for the 2022 Honda CB300R are the existing Mat Gunpower Black Metallic and Candy Chromosphere Red. But the new options are Pearl Dusk Yellow or Mat Pearl Agile Blue.
The 2022 Honda CBR300R Neo Sports Cafe will cost you £4,899 on the road. For more on new, custom and classic Honda motorcycles, click here. And older models are available secondhand from various sites, including eBay.
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