Honda CB300R Vs KTM 390 Duke Vs BMW G310R: Spec Comparo

Update - Honda CB300R Launched In India

Can the Honda CB300R hold its own against its competition on paper?

Say hello to the new Honda CB300R, a bike that’s expected to take the sub-400cc segment by storm. Honda has finally decided to up the ante by introducing a performance-oriented street naked into its current lineup. With a host of features, a reliable engine and an affordable price tag, the bike has a lot going for it. However, the segment has some stiff competition and a “not so easy to break” fan following. To find out how well the CB300R performs, we stack it against its competition on paper, and here’s what the results say.

Design and Features

Thanks to Honda’s “Neo Sports Cafe” design approach for its street fighter lineup, the CB300R looks akin to its elder sibling, the CB1000R. Similarities run from the circular all-LED headlamp, LED turn indicators, a muscular fuel tank with tank extensions to the minimalistic rear end which holds a split seat and the cutaway tail light. The bike also features an all-digital instrument console with readouts for speed, revs, temperature, fuel gauge, trip meters and time. It also gets a belly pan and a chunky exhaust end can which goes well with the overall design of the bike.

Much like the Honda CB300R, the KTM 390 Duke draws its inspiration from its litre-class sibling, the 1290 SuperDuke R. However, the design language on the 390 Duke is a lot more aggressive and flashy. The sharp bodywork and the quintessential splash of orange make it look the part, while segment-first features like an all-digital colour TFT instrument console and LED lights give it the upper hand. Well, at least until now. Oh, did we mention the console also gets smartphone connectivity which can control your music player and answer or reject incoming calls via the switchgear on the left-hand side of the handlebar? Aside from this, the TFT console reads out practically everything under the sun and is the most feature-rich console in its segment. 

A glance at the BMW G 310 R and design cues from the BMW S 1000 R is pretty evident. Though the baby Roadster strays away from the typical BMW asymmetrical design language, it still retains its aggressive and bold lines. The G 310 R gets a sculpted fuel tank, which when paired with sharp tank extensions, give the bike more visual mass. A butch headlamp and stubby tail section make up for the rest of the design. As for the bike’s digital instrument console, it reads out almost the exact same information as its Japanese rival but looks trivial compared to the 390 Duke. Moreover, it also misses out on an LED headlight which the other two get. 

It’s difficult to pick a clear winner here as both the KTM 390 Duke and the Honda CB300R will garner attention wherever they go. However, purely based on features, the KTM takes the cake here followed by the Honda and then the BMW. 

Powertrain

Despite having the smallest engine, the CB300R manages to dish out some pretty good numbers on paper. While we haven’t ridden the bike yet, we could say that the bike isn’t that far off from the G 310 R in terms of power on paper. In fact, the CB300R manages to make its power slightly lower down the rev range compared to its competition, which could make for a perfect city dweller. On the other hand, it could run out of steam sooner than its competition on highways. 

As for the KTM 390, well, it’s in a league of its own when compared to its competition. Also, with the addition of ride-by-wire, the throttle inputs are a lot shaper while the slipper clutch enables you to push the bike to its limit in corners without worrying about wheel locks during hard downshifts. However, the Duke does tend to cook your legs when it heats up, be it in city traffic or out on the highway. The BMW’s heat management is on point and we can only hope that the Honda is equally good at it too.   

The KTM wins, no contest! However, being a Honda, the CB300R will have reliability going for it, which reduces maintenance costs in the long run. As for the Roadster from BMW, it gets a quick and tractable little motor but loses out on charm due to its vibey nature.

Underpinnings