Honda Forza 300: Same Price, Other Options

What else could you get for around the same price?

Honda has finally confirmed the arrival of the Forza 300 maxi-scooter in India. It will be launched in 2020 itself via the CKD route. Though the brand has kept the price of the scooter under wraps, we expect it to be priced between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 2.8 lakh (ex-showroom). That’s a whole lot of money for a 300cc scooter. If you aren’t convinced but have around Rs 3 lakh to splurge, take a look at the following options that make a compelling case for themselves.

Honda CB300R - Rs 2,41,989

If Honda’s maxi-scooter isn’t cutting it for you, check out the CB300R, a proper neo-retro streetnaked with looks to kill. It follows Honda’s ‘Neo Sports Cafe’ design language and looks like a watered-down version of the litre-class CB1000R. There’s plenty of power to play with -- 30.45PS and 27.4Nm and a chassis that supports its corner craving nature. Plus, it weighs just 147kg wet! If that's not enough, the bike comes with LED lights all around and a full-digital instrument console. What’s not to like, eh?

KTM 390 Duke BS6 - Rs 2.52 lakh

KTM set new benchmarks with its Duke range here in India. Affordable, powerful, and corner cravers were three works that perfectly described the bike’s DNA. The 2017 390 Duke stepped things up and how! It was sharper, more aggressive (styling wise), and packed with features usually seen on bikes in much higher segments. For 2020, KTM gave the 390 Duke a bi-directional quickshifter and new colours to up the ante. All this for a price hike of just Rs 4,716 over the BS4 model. Simply put, the 390 Duke is the best value-for-money proposition in this price bracket and makes for an excellent alternative to the Honda Forza 300.

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 BS6 - Rs 2.65 lakh

There’s no replacement for displacement! You get a 650cc parallel-twin engine powering a retro motorcycle with just the right amount of modern components. All for just Rs 2.65 lakh! Besides, the refinement on the Interceptor 650 is unbeatable in this price range. And that’s high praise considering it’s a Royal Enfield. Other notable features include dual-channel ABS and a slipper clutch. 

Kawasaki Ninja 300 - Rs 2.98 lakh

Here’s yet another parallel-twin, although, this time around it comes from the land of the rising sun. The Ninja 300 has reeled in numbers for the brand ever since it started localising the product. It also means spare parts are relatively cheap and easy to replace. As for the bike, it’s a supersport with plenty of power on tap to keep you grinning for a couple of years. The ergos are sporty but fairly relaxed so spending more saddle time won’t be a problem. Another plus for the bike is its full fairing, which cuts through the wind while its windscreen negates wind blasts. In essence, it’s the most affordable way to hop onto the green bandwagon.

KTM 390 Adventure - Rs 2.99 lakh 

KTM 390 Adventure loves touring, just like the Forza 300. However, it can get its hands dirty if need be by hitting the trails. The bike features long-travel suspension, LED lights, a full-colour TFT screen, traction control, cornering ABS, a bi-directional quickshifter and much more! That said, the bike does have a couple of drawbacks. This includes its tall seat height of 855mm, which could easily intimidate riders shorter than 5’6”, and alloy wheels that could give in when you push the bike too hard off-road. 

Each alternative here has its pros and cons, so it all boils down to your needs and choice of genre with around Rs 3 lakh on you.

All prices ex-showroom, Delhi*