Honda XR 300 Rally Vs Honda CRF300L Rally: Top 5 Differences

Honda, while having a large adventure bike portfolio internationally, never had a proper entry-level adventure bike in India. While we got the NX 200, it was not a proper adventure bike. However, Honda has recently unveiled the XR 300 Rally, an entry-level adventure bike. While we would have liked the international-spec CRF300L Rally, it is a step in the right direction. Here are the top 5 differences between the XR 300 Rally and the CRF 300L Rally:

Design: Similar but not identical

The CRF300L Rally gets rally-inspired styling, with a tall windscreen, all-LED lighting, a long single-piece seat, and an upswept exhaust.

The XR 300 Rally follows a very similar design language, with a tall windscreen, single-piece seat, rally-style bodywork and an upswept exhaust, but it gets a different headlamp unit which is more conventional-looking than the unique oval-shaped headlamps of the CRF300L Rally. Overall, it's a good-looking bike which is sure to get a lot of attention.

Engine & Gearbox: Different engine

The CRF300L Rally is powered by a 283cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine making 27 PS and 26.7 Nm, paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The CRF300L Rally essentially gets the same engine as the Rebel 300, which will be made in India. 

The XR 300 Rally, on the other hand, will be powered by the same engine as the Honda CB300F, which made 24.4 PS and 25.6 Nm, paired with a 6-speed gearbox. While that might seem like a slight downgrade on paper, we feel like this engine would work well in an adventure/dual-sport format, as it has good low-and-mid-range torque, which should make the XR 300 Rally easy to ride in the city as well as on trails.

Features: More tech on the XR 300 Rally

The CRF300L Rally gets a simple LCD instrument console with a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and odometer; however, it misses out on modern features like smartphone connectivity. It gets all-LED lighting, dual-channel ABS and traction control.

The XR 300 Rally, on the other hand, gets a TFT console with Honda's RideSync, enabling Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation, and call and SMS alerts. It is essentially the same console as we have seen on the Activa 125 and other Honda bikes. It also gets all-LED lighting, a hazard light switch, dual-channel ABS, and switchable traction control.

Overall, the Indian-spec bike gets more features than the international-spec bike.

Underpinnings: Full specifications yet to be announced

The CRF300L Rally gets a Showa inverted fork and a linked monoshock with 260mm wheel travel at the front and rear. Braking is handled by discs at both ends. Being a proper adventure bike, the seat height is quite high at 885 mm, as is the case with ground clearance at 275 mm. However, despite having a 12.8-litre fuel tank capacity, the bike has a low kerb weight of just  153 kg.

The XR 300 Rally gets long-travel suspension at both ends with spoke wheels and disc brakes as well. However, Honda has not yet announced the specifications of the bike.

Price: The XR would be much more affordable

The CRF300L Rally is priced at IDR 90,099,000 in Indonesia (approximately Rs 4.56 lakh), while the XR 300 Rally is expected to be priced at Rs 2 lakh (ex-showroom). The XR would be significantly less expensive than the CRF300L Rally, as it will be made in India and will use the same tried-and-tested engine that we have seen on the naked bike.

BikeDekho Says

The CRF300L Rally was a highly anticipated product in India; however, we got the XR 300 Rally instead. It retains the rally-inspired design and offers a good set of features. While it won’t be as capable as the international-spec bike, it will be a lot more affordable and beginner-friendly, as it will be made in India. However, all things depend on how Honda prices the bike. If the brand manages to price it somewhere near the Hero Xpulse 210, then Honda might have a chance to turn the tide in its favour.