Patented 2025 Honda CB300R? Or is this a new competitor to the RE Hunter 350?
Honda has patented a new motorcycle in India that follows the new roadster style. Considering Honda’s previous patent filings, one might think that this is just a global vehicle and the company is protecting its intellectual property here in India. However, it looks like this is an affordable motorcycle that the company might launch in India.
Patented 2025 Honda CB300R?
One look at this patented design, and anyone could dismiss it as a CB300R with a slightly updated design to make it even more retro than it already is. This could also be true. However, there appears to be more to this patented design than meets the eye. On closer inspection, one can see that it has an air-cooled engine.
For context, the Honda CB300R has a liquid-cooled engine, and does not have fins on the engine block for air cooling. However, the liquid-cooled engines in the Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles get these fins for aesthetic purposes only, which represents great attention to detail. We can expect Honda to do something similar with the 2025 CB300R.
If that’s true, we could be looking at a new CB300R with a much-needed refreshed design. It gets a new LED headlight, almost identical to the one seen on the global 2025 CB300R. There’s a new fuel tank with less clutter and simpler tank covers. There’s a beefier belly pan and more muscular body panels on the rear subframe.
The turn indicators are now circular, as are the instrument cluster and ORVMs. The main change can be seen at the back, where we get a new design with a tidy tail. The wheels and tires look the same and the brakes appear to be carried as well. The exhaust canister looks the same as the current CB300R, with a new heat shield. The USD front forks and mono rear shock are also carried over.
Is this the New Retro Hornet 2.0?
There is a high possibility that Honda will sculpt a new version of the Hornet 2.0 that takes on a new roadster design. Yamaha used this formula and created the FZ-X, based on the FZ street bike. If this is true, we could see the same 184.4cc, air-cooled single-cylinder engine generating 17.3 PS and 15.9 Nm, mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
Given the high performance ceiling, the new Honda Roadster will compete with the likes of TVS Ronin and Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Similar to the CB300F and CB300R, Honda can achieve an excellent power-to-weight ratio. For context, the RE Hunter 350 delivers 20.2bhp and 27Nm but weighs 181kg. We can expect it to be launched by the end of 2025.