Following the recent sighting of the Honda XRE 300 being tested against its rivals, it would be a good time to dive deeper into what sort of a motorcycle the flex-fuel-capable XRE 300 actually is and who it would rival in our market.
Here are five things you need to know about the dualsport motorcycle.
Honda XRE 300: engine
Powering the XRE 300 is a 291.6cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine making 25.4hp at 7,500rpm and 27.6Nm of torque at 6,000rpm, when run on petrol. Running this engine on ethanol (which is widely used in Brazil) bumps up output figures slightly to 25.6hp at 7,500rpm and 28Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. Contrary to most rivals in this category, the XRE 300 features a 5-speed gearbox as opposed to a 6-speed unit. The XRE 300 features an air-cooled engine compared to the liquid-cooled units, suggesting that the engine is geared more toward durability and peak output figures aren’t the ultimate objective here.
Honda XRE 300: underpinnings
Continuing the trend of simple and old-school on this bike are its underpinnings. Its semi double cradle chassis is a far cry from the more modern trellis frames. The suspension and braking hardware echo this theme as well. You’ll find a simple telescopic fork and monoshock on duty here with 245mm and 225mm of travel, respectively. This long-travel suspension endows the XRE 300 with a massive 259mm of ground clearance.
All this does come at a cost though, with a vertigo-inducing 860mm seat height. Braking hardware is simple as well, with a 256mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear, paired to dual-channel ABS. The XRE 300 runs on wire-spoke rims with sizes 21/18-inches, making it more than capable of handling whatever the road presents or rather doesn’t.
Honda XRE 300: features
The XRE 300 is a very simple motorcycle that keeps equipment to a minimum. However, it's not as basic as an actual off-road motorcycle. The XRE 300 gets LED lighting all around and a simple negative LCD display (the display misses out on a gear position indicator though). Fuel capacity at 13.8 litres is par for the course and the XRE 300 also features a small luggage rack at the rear.
Honda XRE 300: pricing and India launch
In Brazil, the Honda XRE 300 retails for the equivalent of approximately Rs 3.7 lakh. To give us an idea of what it will command on our shores, we have compared the prices for the Yamaha FZ25, which is sold in Brazil as well. The FZ25 costs Rs 1.48 lakh in India and Rs 3.2 lakh in Brazil. However, the Yamaha FZ25 is completely made in India and it is unlikely that the Honda XRE 300 will be. We expect the XRE 300 to be positioned slightly over the Rs 2 lakh mark if it does make its way here.
Considering the fact that Honda has patented the XRE 300 moniker in India and that it has been spotted testing, it could possibly be launched soon, especially with the festive season coming up.
Honda XRE 300: rivals
With the number of rivals present in this heavily contested segment, the XRE 300 will have its work cut out. The Royal Enfield Himalayan, Yezdi Adventure, BMW G 310 GS and the KTM 390 Adventure all pose a threat to the XRE 300, along with upcoming bikes such as the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and Hero’s 300cc adventure bike.
Would you pick the Honda XRE 300 over its rivals? Let us know in the comments section below.