The Honda XR300L and XR300 Rally were arguably two of the models that enthusiasts were looking forward to most from the 10-strong line-up the manufacturer showcased in July. The brand has now announced that it has opened bookings for both models and revealed their pricing.
- XR300L priced at Rs 1.83 lakh
- XR300 Rally priced at Rs 2.08 lakh
- Both use the 293.5cc air- and oil-cooled engine from the CB300F
Honda XR300L and XR300 Rally details
Rally variant adds off-road-focused equipment over the standard XR300L
Both motorcycles share the same engine, closely related to the 293.5cc air- and oil-cooled unit in the CB300F, which produces around 24.3hp and 26.5Nm in international markets. Honda is yet to update its India website with specs and details, but we know that the India-spec bikes get revised exhaust routing over the South American XR300L, likely to comply with our emissions regulations. Both use telescopic front forks and a rear monoshock, which should offer substantial travel, riding on a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wire-spoke wheel combination.
For the Rs 25,000 premium, the XR300 Rally steps up with a 5-inch TFT display, a larger fuel tank, a taller windscreen, knuckle guards and unique rally-inspired bodywork, along with more comprehensive switchgear. The seat height on the Rally is expected to be marginally taller than the XR300L, with a slight increase in kerb weight owing to the larger fuel tank. Again, we’ll update this once Honda gives us the full specs and details.
The XR bikes bring Honda into a segment it hasn’t meaningfully participated in in our market but one that’s increasingly popular, with most major manufacturers now having a model in it. At Rs 1.83 lakh, the XR300L undercuts the Kawasaki KLX230 (Rs 2.19 lakh) by a fair margin while offering a larger engine and is only marginally more expensive than the Hero Xpulse 210 range (Rs 1.68 lakh-Rs 1.77 lakh). The Rally, at Rs 2.08 lakh, widens the gap with the Xpulse but still costs notably less than the KLX.
Ved Janve
Stephen Raj Antony
