Honda Bikes

Honda’s CB300F displaces around 7.52cc more than CB300R but makes 7.3 bhp and 1.9 Nm lessNew Honda CB300F vs RivalsWe saw the Honda CB300F launch in India after a long tease from the company building up incredible hype. Motorcycling enthusiasts were expecting it to be the Forza 350 maxi scooter. But what we got was the CB300F which is sold exclusively from Honda Big Wing premium dealerships across India.But looking at the product, it does come off as a little uninspiring. Okay, very uninspiring. It looks like a generic motorcycle from Honda with a gold USD fork at its front. Honda India has stuck to the “Just Fit Fun Gear” concept philosophy while designing CB300F. If you think that it didn’t make any sense, ask Honda because that’s exactly their official statement.Even the presenter once mentioned it as CB300R in confusion. That’s exactly the theme with this launch, confusion. Especially with the Rs. 2.26 lakh (ex-sh). Honda CB300F is dubbed as an “Advanced Street Fighter”. So, let’s see how advanced it is when compared to bikes with similar pricing.Honda CB300F Vs Bajaj Dominar 400Dominar 400 is around Rs. 4,000 cheaper than CB300F and offers incredible bang for your buck. Dominar 400 gets mostly everything that CB300F offers and packs a fire-breathing 373 cc engine from KTM 390. Similarities between CB300F and Dominar 400 include, LED lighting, slipper clutch, 6-speed gearbox, 4V head, Dual-channel ABS, USD front forks, digital instrument cluster, 110/70-17 tyre at front, and a fat 150/60-17 tyre at the rear.Bajaj Dominar 400 Vs New Honda CB300F Vs KTM Duke 250CB300F gets Bluetooth connectivity with smartphone integration via an app and also traction control dubbed as Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC). But Dominar strikes back with triple spark plugs, a wide range of touring-friendly accessories and a highly performant and high-speed touring-worthy engine.Speaking of its engine, Dominar 400 makes 39.42 bhp at 8,800 RPM and 35 Nm at 6,500 RPM. Which is 15.62 bhp and almost 10 Nm more than CB300F. But where CB300F strikes back is weight. At 153 kg, it is 40 kg lighter than the thicc boi Dominar 400’s 193 kg. But owing to its power-cruiser genre, the weight and its long wheelbase offer it stability.Honda CB300F Vs KTM 250 DukeWell, if you think Dominar 400 is not a fair comparison because of its heft, we have KTM’s 250 Duke which is just Rs. 4,000 more expensive than CB300F which is just 16 kg heavier. It gets a 248.8 cc engine that makes 29.6 bhp at 9,000 RPM and 24 Nm at 7,500 RPM. Just like Dominar 400, 250 Duke and CB300F have LED lighting, slipper clutch, 6-speed gearbox, 4V head, Dual-channel ABS, USD front forks, digital instrument cluster, 110/70-17 tyre at front, and a fat 150/60-17 tyre at the rear as common.Bluetooth connectivity and app integration and traction control are not offered on 250 Duke which CB300F gets. Looking at bikes in the same price segment, we also have a lot of classic bikes from Royal Enfield, Jawa and Yezdi offering scramblers and also ADVs. But as bland as it may look, Honda still has the weight advantage.The proof of the pudding is in the taste. So, Honda might surprise us on road while it slightly disappoints on paper. Honda may have created something unique as KTM’s already light 200 Duke is 6 kg heavier than CB300F. We can only say for sure after getting our hands on it, of course. More

Honda is currently the leader in ICE scooter segment with Activa smashing sales records like clockworkImage for illustration purpose.Honda electric scooters were thought to be a distant possibility as Honda had mentioned before. The Japanese company had even started development of flex-fuel technology for low-cost Indian commuter motorcycle segment. Right now, Honda is the undisputed leader in ICE scooters in India.We were all under the impression that Honda would probably step its foot into electric scooter segment in 2025 or later. But, this is a big but, Honda has now revealed that they have considered electric scooters and will launch their product in early 2023. This decision was revealed by Atsushi Ogata, MD, President and CEO, HMSI.This decision was made right after the company launched a street fighter CB300F which we were all hoping to be a Forza 350 maxi-scooter. So, there is finally something good that followed the CB300F launch, huh? This is big news and let’s break it down.Honda Electric ScooterBeing a mainstream manufacturer like TVS and Bajaj, we can expect Honda’s electric scooters to be safe and impervious to EV fire hazards that some EV startups are prone to. Honda has already initiated a new vertical named Honda Power Pack Energy India. Its task is to locally produce swappable batteries for two and three-wheeled EVs in India.New Honda Activa 7G TeasedHonda conducted a thorough pilot study in 2021 at Thane, Maharashtra. It clocked 2,00,000 km and 7,000 battery swaps in total. Honda has partnered up with HPCL and Bengaluru Metro to establish swapping stations, starting from Bengaluru. It was expected to start operating in May of 2022. That might be the reason for Honda Benly e electric scooter that we spotted in India.For development of its first electric scooter, HMSI is formulating a team of engineers from Honda Motorcycles, Japan. Ogata also said that HMSI had been in touch with Honda Japan for six months where they already have expertise in electric scooters. Ogata also mentioned that HMSI is creating a “futuristic Activa” hinting that Honda’s maiden EV in India might have the name Activa in it. This is different from Activa 7G which was teased recently.It makes sense too. As Activa is already the de facto choice in scooters. A maiden EV with this legend’s name might make it a de facto choice in electric scooters. Millions of Indians already associate themselves with Activa brand. Like Bolero Neo, because TUV300 name was the drag. Okay, Mahindra has a weird naming strategy by using letters and numbers instead of words.Honda Activa Electric – What To Expect?For starters, Honda’s first EV might adopt the swappable battery tech mentioned above. This basically means that a user is not owning the battery and just renting it. So, the initial high costs that are associated with EVs might be negated this way. Hence drawing more and more people towards EVs.Familiarity seems to be Honda’s priority and hence the hints of a “Futuristic Activa”. It is likely to get the Activa name. Honda will also make sure that it has decent performance and range needn’t be very high as the battery can be swapped to a fully charged one in a jiffy, hence reducing range anxiety and slow battery charging hassles. When launched, Activa electric will compete with TVS iQube, Ola S1 Pro, Ather 450X, Simple One and a lot more.According to industry experts, the Indian EV market is likely to expand at a CAGR of 77% by value sometime within 2017 and 2025. Honda may have bought the ticket late, but catching this EV train is paramount. Yamaha, you next?Source More

Honda Two Wheeler sales increased 15.07 percent YoY and 15.57 percent on MoM basis in July 2022Honda Activa No 1 Scooter Of IndiaHonda Motorcycle and Scooter India gears up to launch a new two wheeler in the country on 8th August 2022 and teasers have been released. This upcoming launch could be the Forza maxi-scooter. HMSI is also planning to launch the new Honda CRF300L which has also been spied at a company dealership.Honda 2W Sales July 2022HMSI has released their sales numbers for July 2022. Sales stood at 443,643 units in July 2022. This was a YoY growth of 15.07 percent as against 3,85,533 units sold in July 2021 relating to a 58,110 unit volume growth. MoM sales saw an increase of 15.57 percent from 3,83,882 units sold in June 2022.In July 2022, the company posted positive growth in domestic markets with an 18.40 percent increase to 4,02,710 units, up from 3,40,133 units sold in July 2021. This was a 62,568 unit volume growth with a 90.77 percent share.MoM growth was at 13.26 percent from 3,55,560 units sold in June 2022. Honda’s domestic sales are marked by the Activa scooter that has always stood at the top of domestic sales charts. Top sellers for Honda continue to be the likes of Activa, CB Shine, Dio, Grazia, Hornet, CB350, Livo, Dream, etc.Honda Two Wheeler Sales July 2022Honda 2W Exports July 2022Exports on the other hand dipped 9.82 percent to 40,942 units in July 2022 from 45,400 units sold in July 2021 relating to a 4,458 unit volume de-growth and a 9.23 percent share. MoM exports grew by 44.56 percent from 28,322 units shipped in June 2022. This was a 12,620 unit volume growth with 7.38 percent share.In July 2022, the company also expanded its export markets with the 125cc motorcycle SP125 shipped to Australia and New Zealand. HMSI has also expanded its dealership networks. Added Honda BigWing dealerships have been inaugurated in Warangal (Telangana), Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Thodupuzha (Kerala) and Malappuram (Kerala).The two wheeler maker also conducted a road safety awareness program along with the Rajasthan Police for the newly recruited police officials in Rajasthan. Awareness campaigns were also conducted at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Arakkonam (Tamil Nadu), Bongaigaon (Assam) and Ambala (Haryana) while HMSI celebrated 6th anniversary of Children’s Traffic Training Park in Ludhiana (Punjab).Coming back to the upcoming launch of Honda Forza scooter, it is expected to be launched at around Rs 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom), this making it significantly cheaper than its rival BMW C 400GT which comes in at Rs 10.40 lakh (ex-showroom). It is slated to be powered by a 330cc, single cylinder, liquid cooled engine offering 28.8 hp power and 31.5 Nm torque with dual channel ABS. Suspension will be via telescopic fork at front and twin shock absorbers at the rear and braking via front and rear disc brakes. More

Honda Dio shares its 110cc engine and frame with the India’s No 1 selling scooter, ActivaHonda Dio Sports Edition Launched Dio Sports is Honda’s attempt at providing a sporty experience to its customers. The Japanese brand may not be highest-selling motorcycle company in India, but is the highest-selling scooter brand. With 2,85,691 units sold in June 2022, Honda is the second highest-selling 2-wheeler brand in the country, after Hero.But if we break down Honda’s sales, it sold 1,84,305 Activa in June 2022. But Dio is not that high up the list with just 26,450 units sold in the same month. So, to spruce up sales figures, Honda has launched a new Sports limited edition of Dio.Honda Dio Sports EditionDio was already a swaggy alternative to the conventional scooter, that is Activa. But with the new Dio Sports, Honda is adding a little more swag. For starters, Dio Sports is a limited edition and comes in two colours, Strontium Silver Metallic with Black and Sports Red with Black. Both these colours are offered with both Standard & Deluxe variants. Aiming at the youth, Honda wants to revolutionize style for youth with an aggressive and sporty vibe.In terms of changes, Dio Sports gets a few. To begin with, it gets new funky and youthful graphics on body panels. The rear suspension springs for its twin shockers are now finished in red. Suspension hardware is the same, though. Next change in line is only applicable to the Deluxe variant and that is the new 5-spoke alloy wheels. Earlier Dio Deluxe variants used to get gold-coloured steel wheels. Take a look at the short walkaround video below, credit to Engineered Biker.[embedded content][embedded content]Specs & PricingMechanically, Dio Sports is identical to the model currently on sale. Both engine and cycle parts are identical except for the alloy wheels on Deluxe variant. It is powered by a 110 cc single-cylinder, fuel-sipping petrol engine making 7.65 bhp at 8,000 RPM and 9 Nm at 4,750 RPM. This engine also gets Honda’s proprietary eSP technology (Enhanced Smart Power & not Electronic Stability Program).Honda Dio gets 160 mm of ground clearance and weighs only 105 kg. Other notable features include an integrated dual function switch, external fuel lid, passing switch and side stand indicator (with engine cut-off). It gets telescopic suspension at the front. A glaring omission on a sporty scooter is the absence of disc brakes even as an option.It also gets a combi-brake system (CBS) with equalizer and 3-step adjustable rear suspension along with a 3-Step Eco Indicator for better fuel efficiency. The external fuel filler lid is a godsend feature that upcoming Hero 125cc scooter misses out on.In terms of pricing, Honda Dio Sports limited edition prices start from Rs. 68,317 for the base Standard trim and go all the way to Rs. 73,317 for top-spec Deluxe variant (prices ex-sh). Niceties like LED headlights, LED DRLs and alloy wheels are only exclusive to Deluxe variant. Dio Sports compete with other 110cc scooters like Hero Pleasure +, TVS Scooty Zest 110, TVS Jupiter 110, and Honda’s own Activa. More

Honda Big Wing dealer network is only found in select big cities exclusive to selling premium productsHonda Forza 350cc – MotoBikeHonda India has set to launch a new product in the country on 8th August 2022. As the launch is nearing, Honda has been generating good buzz around the product. Now, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India Ltd has released another teaser for its upcoming Big Wing launch. This new teaser gives out some speculations which favour our previous conclusions.Big Wing products don’t really contribute much to the sales charts. The current cheapest Big Wing offering is CB350 and it sold 2,120 units in India and exported 1,500 units to global markets. But Honda is set to launch a new Big Wing product on 8th of August, 2022. Described as the “Formidable”, let’s break it down to see what’s what.Honda India New Teaser – The FormidableHonda’s new teaser reveals some of the attributes of its upcoming launch. Since it is a Big Wing exclusive, we can discard budget and mid-range products altogether. Looking at the teaser, Honda is hinting us that its upcoming launch premium product will have a fierce design, fast acceleration, furious stance, a fighter attitude and fearless performance. It can’t be CB350 Brigade as registration status still says “Formalities check pass”.The teaser gives out urban vibes and stresses sophistication and power. We can also see a highway tribute too. The main highlight of this product will be city commutes and occasional highway stretches. It will also signify performance and presence. Looking at these attributes, we strongly believe that it will be a Forza 350 maxi scooter. Because the way Honda signifies the letter ‘F’ is reminiscent of Forza 350. Due to Urban vibes from the teaser, we can strike out CRF300L off-roader that was recently spotted in India.[embedded content][embedded content]Because it is a Big Wing exclusive, the possibility of it being 150cc or lower, is pretty meek. But it is highly likely to be the Forza 350 that is sold in select markets globally. Forza maxi scooter is not exactly a new thing for Big Wing dealers in Gurugram. Forza 350 is the logical successor for Forza 300 which was sold in India too. Only four of them were sold to customers in India.What To Expect?New Honda Forza 350 made its first appearance at the Bangkok International Motor Show last year and looked mostly similar to the Forza 300. The new maxi scooter is powered by a 330cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine replacing the 279cc engine from Forza 300.This unit is capable enough to churn out 28.8bhp at 7,500 RPM and 31.5Nm of torque at 5,250 RPM. Honda has given it a lighter crankshaft, larger valves and a bigger throttle body. All these upgrades allow it to clock a top speed of 137 kmph.New Honda Forza ScooterIn terms of features, it gets a full LED lighting setup and an electrically adjustable windshield with a travel of 180mm. It also gets Honda’s Selectable Torque Control (HSTC). Forza 350 rides on a 15” front wheel and a 14” rear wheel and is offered with disc brakes on both ends with dual-channel ABS as standard.Suspension duties are carried out by telescopic forks in front and twin shocks at rear. Forza 350 weighs just a little over 180kg. Launch price could be in the Rs 2.5 lakh range. At this price, it competes with newly launched Vieste 300 and Sixties 300i premium scooters from Benelli Keeway. More

Honda Two Wheelers posted a 67.40 YoY growth in domestic sales while exports were up 41.30 percentImage for reference.Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) reported a 67.40 percent growth in domestic sales in June 2022 with 3,55,655 units sold, up from 2,12,453 units sold in June 2021. This was a 1,43,202 unit volume growth. Exports on the other hand increased 41.30 percent YoY to 28,322 units from 20,044 units sold in June 2021 relating to a volume growth of 8,278 units. Once again it was the Honda Activa scooter that led domestic sales charts, that too by a significant margin. It was the Honda Navi that found most buyers in global markets.Honda Sales Breakup June 2022Honda Activa scooter topped domestic sales lists in June 2022 with sales of 1,84,305 units. This was a YoY growth of 95.50 percent from 93,274 units sold in June 2021. The Honda Activa scooter commands a 51.82 percent share in the company lineup. Honda Activa also took a top spot on the list of best-selling scooters, followed by TVS Jupiter and Suzuki Access in 2nd and 3rd spot respectively. At no. 2 was the Honda CB Shine. Sales stood at 1,25,947 units in June 2022, up 75.25 percent over 71,869 units sold in June 2021, relating to a 54,078 unit volume growth and a 35.41 percent share.These were the only two models in the company lineup to post sales above the 1 lakh unit mark in June 2022. Honda Dio scooter was next with sales of 26,540 units in June 2022, up 39.81 percent from 18,983 units sold in June 2021. Honda Dream (11,625 units) and Hness 350 (2,120 units) also saw a YoY growth of 245.85 percent and 14.41 percent respectively.Honda Hornet 2.0 and X-Blade have posted the highest YoY sales growth. Hornet sales stood at 1,906 units, up 671.66 percent over 247 units sold in June 2021. X-Blade on the other hand has seen sales increase 901.10 percent YoY to 911 units from just 91 units sold in June 2021. Livo, which featured at No 7 in between Hornet 2.0 and X-Blade saw its YoY sales up 47.84 percent to 1,814 units.Honda Sales Breakup June 2022Honda also had the CB200X (168 units), its adventure motorcycle, launched in August 2021 on this list. Sales of the Grazia (131 units) dipped 96.07 percent YoY. It was followed by CB300R with 108 units sold in the past month. Thereafter, sales of Unicorn 160 (79 units) and Africa Twin (1 units) posted YoY de-growth while there were 0 units of CBR 650, CB500 and Gold Wing sold in June 2022.Honda Exports Breakup June 2022The company’s export list was headed by the Navi scooter. Even as sales have been discontinued in domestic markets, the Navi saw exports to the tune of 8,602 units in June 2022. This was a 699.44 percent YoY growth over 1,076 units sold in June 2021. The Navi scooter commands a 30.37 percent share. Exports of Dio scooter increased 11.72 percent YoY to 6,301 units in the past month from 5,640 units shipped in June 2021. It was followed by the X-Blade, of which 3,148 units were exported in June 2022, up 11.43 percent from 2,825 units sold in June 2021.Honda Dream also saw its exports surge by 301.75 percent from 684 units in June 2021 to 2,748 units in June 2022. Exports of the Unicorn 160 (1,880 units), Livo (1,800 units) and CB350 (1,500 units) all posted a YoY growth in exports. On the other hand, the exports of Honda CB Shine, which was at No. 2 in domestic sales, dipped in terms of exports by 74.25 percent to 1,150 units in June 2022 from 4,466 units shipped in June 2021.Honda Export Breakup June 2022Honda Hornet 160R exports increased 6.10 percent to 904 units while exports of the Aviator dipped 77.78 percent to 240 units from 1,080 units exported in June 2021. Hornet 2.0 had 48 units exported in the past month while there was only 1 unit of the Activa scooter sold in global markets in June 2022, down 97.50 percent from 40 units sold in June 2021. There were 0 units of both Honda Grazia and Unicorn sold in June 2022. More