Why I Bought the Honda CB300R Rather than an MT03, Ninja 400 or HD Sportster
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- Опубліковано 15 гру 2022
- I recently bought a 2020 CB300R and since they seem to be fairly uncommon in the USA, I thought I'd do a little video on why I picked it and some thoughts on the bike. The bikes listed in the title were all things I looked at or strongly considered, among many others. But finances, available units, style and service hassles eliminated a lot of options. The Honda was one of my early preferences when I decided to start this journey, so it's only fitting that it was my final choice.
It's no touring bike. It's no supersport, and it's certainly no MT09SP. But, it has a charm all its own.
Total side note. I swear I had that camera adjusted higher. It's cranked down TIGHT, too.
#boerne #boernetx #youmeettheworstpeopleonahonda #honda #motorcycle #motorcycles
instagram : moto_remy
Bike: 2020 Honda CB300R
Gear:
Jackets - REV'IT! Eclipse or Scorpion Exo Optima depending on weather.
Helmets - Icon Airform Lycan or Scorpion Exo T510 in high vis.
Gloves - AlpineStars SMX-1 Air V2 or REV'IT! Cassini H2O
Boots - AlpineStars SMX, Either the S boots or 1-R vented low boots
If you have any suggestions for a comfy and practical waterproof option that's affordable, lemme know. I plan to commute on this so I need waterproof footwear at some point.
Pants - Riding jeans from a few companies. REV'IT! Acid 3 H2O over pants for the wet.
Camera - Insta360 X3 and I will be adding a GoPro and audio once I sort it out. - Авто та транспорт
Great vid. This bike is on my short list, along with several others, in no particular order: Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Yamaha MT-03, Honda Rebel 500, Kawasaki Z400... I even thought about about more egregious choices for a first bike: Kawasaki Z650, Honda Rebel 1100, Honda CB650R.
I realized I am a leadfooted driver who enjoys more technical roads(twisties), especially climbing up US276 towards Caesar's Head in my Honda Fit 6MT. I want a motorcycle I can really learn how to handle in those challenging environments, and speed is not necessarily the best thing when you're starting out in this skill. The CB300R seems to tick all the boxes I want in a bike, and it's super light to boot.
You may want to consider those Jap 650's strongly, even though they've got power to spare. It's not in your face or super demanding like a 600 but it's there to make highway time less of a hassle. The larger bikes also handle the highway and wind better just in terms of stability. The little bikes are SO responsive that it's a weakness for just getting where you're going. Personally, I really do like the CB650R. I also considered the 500 version. You get better brakes, a bit more weight helping it stay planted when you don't actually want to maneuver...
I'm going to be replacing my brake fluid shortly, just need a decent day off. So I'll be reporting on how much of a difference that makes. Right now I'm pretty sure the fluid is old and I don't know if the dealer even bled them, but the brakes are not great. They work, obviously, but certainly are the weakest link for the bike. In the real twisties you want to be able to go WOT, then brake hard, make your turn and be powering out of it. You can moderate that as you learn, but if your brakes are not up to the more aggressive performance you're limited. The overall quality of the bike tends to be better for the 650's too. You just have higher upkeep and insurance costs to match.
@@Remymoto Nice video. Thoughtful. Made in Thailand is the only detractor however that would prevent me from buying one, however as many Mazda's are also made in Thailand I guess this is where we are heading. Thailand is the next Japan. The Detroit of the Asian region. The only part that freaked me was the mention of a Harley. Just please never buy one of them. lol. Personally I feel you made the right choice! They are selling very well in Australia and even at 31 bhp @ 317 lbs wet weight, the 300R is still quite enough to get oneself killed in short order. But so then is a 9 bhp Honda Super Cub. Enjoy is what I say!
CB300r is an excellent choice for what you seem to be looking for. It’s best to think of it as an 80-90% urban bike. It’s just not made for the highway. As long as you’re not on the highway too much, it’s freaking great. Flightweight, very fuel efficient, low/cheap maintenance, cheap insurance, looks great, well built, good ergonomics and sizing, etc. can’t remember, but it ABS isn’t standard, you should consider it. It’s a great idea to learn to brake without it, but it can save your bacon as well. Can probably disable or remove it once you’ve got the other basics down(and then put it back on after “mastering” hard braking without it). Curious to know what you end up going with.
@@sterlingroberts6240 100% agree. It's fun in the twisties but not really meant for extended highway use. I've got a video coming soon about how it is handling my daily use, including highway to and from work. The answer is, just fine, but if highway was the intended activity there are many better choices. When you're at 75 you're already at the end of it's real power.
I had a cbr 650f, really good motorcycles
I am 68 years old. I have been riding since I was 16. I sold Triumphs for a couple of decades. Yes, I was used to liter class bikes. The CB300R is my retirement bike. I was looking for a "goofy" 250, because they are so much fun to throw into corners. At 286cc, I did not overshoot the mark by much. But, CB300R is so much more motorcycle than I expected.
Liter ?
Liter class? 1000cc - 1200cc (or litre class, if you prefer the French spelling, eh?).
@@Michael-yd5ry
I live in Thailand and bought a new Honda CB300R.
300cc motorbike is considered a big bike in Thailand.
It is a very impressive motorbike.
I’ve been eyeing this bike up…
Thanks for the commentary, it helps with making a more educated decision.
💥🇺🇸👍🏼🇺🇸💥
My pleasure. 8500 miles on it for me and I'm still enjoying it. Just put my windscreen back on for the winter, changed the oil and did the air filter. Ready to go for the colder months.
My first bike was a CB300F, then I bought a Z900. I found the 300 a lot more fun for the riding I do (similar to you, backroads in north Texas) so I sold the 900 and bought a CB300R. Such a fun bike!
I think I would love the bigger bike on my commute, but get so annoyed with it around town running errands or in the back roads. But not getting bumped around as much by turbulence at highway speeds would be nice sometimes. Lol
absolutely correctly pointed out, that's why im planning to go for cb650r also its maintenance cost is way less than ninja 650 or z900
How’s the power between the 300f and 300r ?
@@24BLUEELMO not a huge difference but the 300r feels a bit peppier, it weighs quite a bit less
Im debating cb300r and 300nk. I think its a 2 grand difference where I'm from@@alexp6409
congrats bro! Such a great bike!
I have this bike and a cbr600rr and I still prefer to take the 300 out for many situations. easy to ride, easy to park, easy to flick around. Love it a ton!
Enjoy and stay safe!
Thanks. Loving it. I think that light weight is such a huge feature. It makes so many aspects of riding more pleasant. Of course, it also has a downside on the highway in swirly winds, but such is life. As someone using a motorcycle as a daily driver, that trade off is worth it. If I spent more time highway riding obviously I'd have made a different choice.
I don't call that good .I did Nothing to my 71 Triumph 650 .Year after year .And i have owned many hondas with no use of oil .water pumps are just looking for trouble. Air cool was good for many years .
As a beginner rider myself I'm loving this video, very well done, I started on a 200cc chinese dual sport and absolutely love it, I traded my tahoe for a cbr600 f4i so I'll be learning that this year I subscribed and look forward to more videos ride safe
That's one hell of a change in bikes. Stay safe.
For other possible future owners. I do a daily 60mile highway commute. My 2022 cb300r is pegged around 88mph the whole time . Aside from some oil consumption due to the commute and a water pump seal under warranty I’ve got 8k miles done. It’s a great bike. For it’s class I think it’s the best looking tied with the 401
do you think the engine would still be consuming oil if you drove it at lower cruising speed (60 mph max on highways) and while staying at around 4000-5000 rpm across city?
@@tomaszskowron2981 riding at high rpm tends to consume some oil, not a lot--just something to keep an eye on.
Everything you said is why I want this bike. Thanks for the confirmation.
I have a new honda cb300f and after riding cb300r ...
Its a fun bike man....what a machine man...
I like suspension and breaking in this bike ...
I chose this bc it’s such an easy bike to ride, low risk, Honda, pretty cool styling, easy maintenance on my own
100% agree
I returned to riding after a number of years and bought a Z400. I like the light weight and it has enough power. I live in a hilly area, so the Z400's power is welcome when going uphill on the highway and holding 75mph. The Z's low seat height was important to me. I did not have a chance to try a CB300R, so I don't know if the higher seat would be an issue for my 28" inseam. It is tough to tell how comfortable a motorcycle will by just by looking at the spec sheet. The Honda DOES look better, I think, but I am happy with what I got.
Enjoy your motorcycle and stay safe.
They're both pretty narrow so you'd probably have been ok either way. I agree, the extra power in an uphill highway (particularly with a headwind) would be nice. The CB300R will do it, but I've had times when I was trying to maintain just a BIT more than that and realized I was WOT already. That's why I'm so hesitant to go up a tooth on the gearing like many folks suggest. In a scenario like that, you're already maxing out the engine, it's not a gearing issue. Bumping up the gearing is just adding strain to the engine.
I will say, I'm a bit jealous of your easier lower chain access for cleaning. lol
I've only sat on one, never rode it, but they were high on my list if I bought new. I don't see many around here, just a ton of NInja's, but the dealers do get a few in. I'll have to see if there's a demo day this spring to try one and the 650.
Great video! What height are you?
I went from Honda ctx700 dct and really liked dct. Being at 515lb I missed lighter ride having dual sport in past. I'm a 1000 miles in and having so much fun. Rode 70 miles yesterday with some gravel and secondary state roads which I rather. Here 55mph is speed limit on state highways and it is fine doing that. I did place 15 tooth front sprocket which lengthen gears and slowed engine braking. I personally like that better. I noticed lets say at 55mph it feels like 70 on a bigger bike which helps riding slower. For me single cylinder and light is where it's at and Honda sure did a good job with CB300r.
I think I need to do the sprocket change. That’s my biggest complaint on the bike. Cruising at 55-65 would be better and it would make better use of the engine. As it is I spend a lot of time shifting just to drop back down for the next stop sign or light. It would be nice to skip one of those shifts each time.
I guess I should look into which sprocket to get and lookup the exact process.
@@Remymoto Found sprocket on eBay. There's a chain guard inside sprocket cover . Will need to grind about an 1/8 inch off to fit over 15 tooth. Snaps off of cover for grinding. Some leave off rather than grind and chance keeping chain going into engine case if loose or breaks.
If/when I do it I'll probably leave the guard off. Let's be real, it's not even 300cc's and we're actually REDUCING the torque. The chains are usually rated for almost triple that, which is well over triple the torque. Seems like a safe bet. Not saying I recommend it or anything, but that's odds I'm personally willing to play if it's a hassle to avoid.
I'd get some saddle-bags if that back-pack is a bit of an issue on windy days... plus there are hard-shell backpacks that catch the wind far less if you are determined to use one.
I went with a tail bag for the commute and bringing things on casual rides. The backpack works great around town since the speed isn’t high enough for it to matter. Saddle bags are tricky on this thing. Not many practical choices that are big enough to bother. It’s actually easier to put a big top case on than even a useful sized set of saddle bags. I almost went that route but wanted to be able to easily return to the sleek clean look when I don’t need luggage space for the day.
I did look at those slimmer packs, and have a couple already I can use, but here in Texas folks have pointed out that a backpack during the summer is just a fast way to soak your back in sweat within a few minutes on the bike. Thus the tail bag as my primary choice for anything more than grocery runs and such.
I do wanna try one of the hard shell ones just to see what that is all about. Seems neat. Just not neat enough to buy one myself. If I was gonna commute daily with a backpack that would probably be the best option.
it's no touring bike, but I think you can cover any distance as long as you don't rev the engine to the red zone and keep the maintenance as it should be. I know that 60-65 mph is an acceptable cruising speed for this bike. I find this motorcycle very interesting - very light, manouverable, I only regret a little bit it has a slightly short piston stroke, some 70-75mm instead of 63 would make it rev less at cruising speed and with such a light weight it would be still responsive enough to drive across traffic in cities.
Ride safely !
I'm still a beginner with a MT03 2yrs in
Love the bike its very forgiving and can handle highway speeds easy
BUT my ego wants a bigger bike like a MT07, Ducati Monster 880, Kawasaki Z650, or Aprilia 660. Love the HD Lowrider St 117 but way too expensive
BUT I realize I require experience time on my MT03 till then
Love your CB300R though. I was on the fence of getting that one.
Same with the MT for me. If the CB had fallen through there was an MT03 calling my name. Like you, the bigger bikes are calling my name, but I know it’s like the sirens calling me to the rocks.
👍
Oh, & appreciate your content
I own a 2019 CB1000R and a 2016 GSXR600 for the track. I’m thinking of getting the CB300R or MT-03 as a bike to go mobbing around in.
Go for it. I bet you have a ton of fun with it around town. I'd go MT just so you have the trifecta of brands. Then you need to find a Kawasaki you want. Maybe a dual sport or super moto?
I don't waste time telling people why I got the CB, just hand friends the key. It's so light and the suspension/chassis are perfect.
The motor is... adequate. The Z400 definitely has it there - especially on the highway. But the ride doesn't come close.
What makes the ride better on the CB compared to the Z400. I was considering buying one of them, or the Yamaha MT03
@@RofLmaonnaise 50lbs lighter which is significant in this class, very stiff chassis, and suspension geometry that feels intuitive and confident after the first corner.
But really we're spoiled with how good naked beginner bikes are across the board. Both are great, the CB is much better zipping around the city, but if I had more highway usage the Z400 would have been a much closer contender. There is also the MT-03 which is very good and matches the Honda's fit and finish.
I've narrowed it down to the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and the CB300R. I'm going to test ride both in spring or get whichever is available then.
The Svart is a much more sophisticated machine. But the tank is even smaller and it’s got a bigger engine. That look is polarizing too, but the couple people I have talked to who own them have a lot of fun on them. One has beefy dual sport tires on it and says it’s a lot of fun using it on dirt roads and such as well as for commuting.
Get the svart.. mucb better bike
Both look great. Svart uses the KTM 390 engine which has been known to go pop from time to time. If the Honda was available in my country I’d get it, but the Svart is a not bad either.
I'm in my third month in line waiting for the bike to reach the dealer. Honda is taking its sweet time making and sending it from Thailand to Malaysia here......
That's no fun. I waited a long time but once I was fully ready to go I lucked out that a barely used one was sitting at a dealer I liked. I basically paid new pricing, but without some of the extra fees and such, and my insurance is lower due to it being older. If I'd missed this one though... Yeah, hard to get. Hopefully yours shows up soon.
Love your avatar, I'm a bit Tom and Jerry fan.
@@Remymoto Thanks. There are quite a few of owners letting go of them in the local Facebook group but I decided to wait for the new 2022 model with several upgrades over the 18 model. My crash bars and exhaust are all sitting in storage waiting for it (underestimated the waiting time lol). At least I still have a 125cc moped to ride around.
Yeah, that new one does look nice. If I was a few years in with mine and wanted to stick with the same type of machine I'd be real tempted to buy the new one. I figure my next bike will be big enough to get locking storage without looking stupid but for now I'm loving the light weight and agile design. My thoughts on the next bike are the same as I had before I got this, it's just being realistic about what I'll want as my skills and experience increase. For now I'm trading off some utility aspects for an more beginner friendly machine and cost savings. I didn't have a particular one in mind for the other bike and figure I'll wait until I really do AND I'm otherwise ready to move on from this. That might be as simple as the bike being due for an expensive bit of service and the right bike is sitting there on the showroom floor or someone's driveway.
Sure, u have bigger/faster...
But what u need is ~300cc & ~300lbs wet.
My KLX230SM is so much fun. I think it only makes ~20hp or so but at 296lb wet is stupid fun to rev thru all 6 gears & putt around town.
Even a little air-cooled 230 can be surprisingly sporty.
I just got my CB300R last week. Love it for sure. Its my first full size motorcycle. I have a couple smaller ones. Got the Hionda Navi and a custom Honda Ruckus with a 150cc.. So been riding for a few years and I do all my own work on my bikes. I test drove a bmw 310 G something and I didnt like it at all, was super twitchy for me. I got on this cb300r and it just felt right for me. I have no interest in speed so didnt want a fast bike. Very happy so far with my purchase. Now I got 3 Hondas lol. Ill haver fun have with each of them.
It's funny. Everyone NOT somehow motivated to be nice to it seems to have a negative opinion of the little BMW. I looked at it but never test rode one. It looked better on paper but there were too many hassles when I looked at actually living with it.
I totally agree, the CB300R just feels right. It's never going to be a powerhouse, and the brakes are underwhelming (but may improve after a fluid change and maybe upgrading pads), but with the engine braking on hand you almost have three brakes not two. It's such a confidence inspiring machine for me. I don't feel like I need to worry about overdoing things by accident. My little goofs as an inexperienced rider aren't magnified. On the other hand, in town, while running errands... the smaller size and weight is great. Way easier than a bigger heavier bike.
@@Remymoto Well for me the bmw didnt fit me I guess. The tank was alot wider the foot pegs were further back and started giving me a cramp in my hip. And the worst thing was the bmw stalled on me 5 times during the test ride. The clutch was so over sensitive I couldnt get it just right. So all that made me nervous riding it and I dont think I could ever be comfortable on the bmw. Maybe a more experienced rider on bikes like these wouldnt have any problem but for me it was a no go. Absolutely beautiful bike in person thats why I wanted to test ride it before I bought the Honda. The Honda just performs so smooth and checks all the boxes for me.
And the clutch on the honda is the exact opposite. Super forgiving. I routinely start from a stop or near stop in second or third and barely notice. Third I notice but it's perfectly doable and is my usual if I'm on a downslope or am doing a bit of a rolling stop and then powering straight ahead. A gearing change is definitely in my future, but I'm in no rush.
I meant to ask, how do you like that Navi? I have a friend who’s curious about them and looking for a little in town machine.
@@Remymoto Oh I absolutely love the Navi. I did a bunch of mods on mine and it does about 55 or so. Not a speed demon or for the hwy but its perfect for in the city. I spend the whole day on sundays riding that thing around.
“ I need enough speed “… am staying with that
It’s a nice vague term, easily adapting to changing conditions. Very handy.
How is the hand vibration around town? 30 to 50 mph. Lighter weight and single cylinder, create too much vibration? I've had hand vibration problems in the past. Thanks for the good real world perspective. Good details.
If you're sensitive, it's not gonna be great, but it's a SMALL single, lol. So it's not bad. You definitely notice it, but it's not rough. It's not like one of the larger singles where you feel like you're holding a paint shaker.
@@Remymoto I see. Thanks. Also, what do you mean by packpack throws you around. Backpack is slang for a bike part, or an actual backpack, like NorthFace backapack?
@@Frip36 Actual backpack. The one I use a lot around town is a bit too wide and catches wind on either side of my back rather than fitting into my slipstream.
How’s the comfort of this bike for longer rides? I had a triumph t100 which was a lot of bike for a beginner and with shorter arms and height 5-6. I felt uncomfortable riding freeways.
The main issue is that you have zero wind protection and at 70mph+ it is a bit buzzy. At 50-60 though it is quite nice. I usually commute on the access road rather than the highway because I get better fuel efficiency and it’s a more comfy ride. 75 or so on the highway here is perfectly doable, but even on a larger naked bike, it gets old when you aren’t in a hurry.
what did u get
Yeah..yes it does want to do something..Bougth this bike a month back. Just want to ask if have you encountered an issue with the front alloy?
Nope. Other than being annoying to clean because they aren’t actually a slick finish, the wheels have been fine.
@@Remymoto okay cool
@@Remymoto I just got my front rim replaced.
@@HimanshuSharma-ht8iq What was wrong with it?
@Remy Moto It was losing air pressure in the front wheel
Exactly why I was thinking about cb300 but in India Royal Enfield launched their new product Super Meteor, it's 650cc twin cylinder bike and its base mode is not much expensive than CB 300. And now I am confused.
Can’t blame you. I considered a regular Meteor and will consider the 650 version in a year or two. I hate buying the first year of anything. Classic look, enough power…
@@Remymoto wise person you are. Definitely one should wait for couple of year so that he can get a refined product. And a brand specially like RE improve their products over some time. Thanks for your comment man I really appreciate it.
Wish we paid Indian prices.
The 650 is going to cost too much for me. Fantastic looking bike but 3k more than the Hunter 350 for the base model.
The cb300 is a similar price to the scram 411 in the UK . Which is much more in my price range
@@letni9506 I just googled. Price of Super Meteor in India is less than the price of CB300r in UK.
Brought mine in November after trading in my street triple 675, miss the sound of the triple but the CB is more suitable for my style of riding.
Damn, that's one heck of a change. From an ego/style perspective, I would love a Street Triple, but yeah, I'd just get stupid on it because none of the places I'm riding are suitable. I'd get to actually use it maybe every other week and the rest of the time I'd just be fighting the urge do do 60 between stop signs in a neighborhood. I really like that I can feel like I'm riding this fairly hard without it actually being stupid speeds. It's a lot of fun in the real world not trying to play street Rossi.
I do think I'm going to put the 15 tooth front sprocket on it though. Most of my power related complaints are really gearing and that should do it. Not in a rush though.
@@Remymoto the problem was being stupid on it, I felt it was just to powerful for me, even though I'm in my 40s now there's always that little devil on my shoulder egging me on, once I'd got used to going through the gears very quick on the CB it definitely seems to be more my style, and still quick enough to keep up a group ride.
Yup. It would take one heck of a group to make it an issue as long as you are willing to rev it out like it can. I am 2/3 through a nice ride and the bike was 1000% more capable than I am through a lot of it, and just racing through the straighter parts would miss the scenery.
I have a 2021 Yamaha MT-09 and a 2019 CB300R. I love both of them, but I honestly can't tell you which bike I enjoy more.
Highway, I'd go MT09. Those moments traffic has me stuck between gears because of how short they are on the CB, the MT09. But the rest of the time? Why would I want a ton of power I can't use, which takes weight I don't need and costs money I didn't wanna spend? lol
But yeah, every time I get to 6th gear and go to shift again to drop the RPM's...
Something to be said about an MT-09's arm-ripping low end power.
I trained on an MT-07 and I can say with certainty that few things compare to that thing attempting to pull my arms out of their sockets up a slip road, I can only imagine what the 09 is like!
My CB650R has more power at the top end (than the 07!), but I sometimes do miss the low to mid range punch of that 700(ish) crossplane twin. That and the sound it made :D
@@233kosta Yeah. A buddy has the MT07 and loves it. I see a few MT09's around and sat on one last year. It's a beast. I haven't ridden either yet. At some point I'll get a chance with the MT07 at least. That torque is definitely gonna be fun, plus the overall massive jump in power. They were on my list, but the only one I saw in my price range sold very fast and was pretty modded. It made me nervous that they'd been really beating on it even though they hadn't dropped it. Since reliability and cost of ownership were high on my priority list, I'm kind of glad it sold before I could convince myself it was worth it.
@@Remymoto Yeh, if you can get a bone stock one that'd be good. I did find it a bit bouncy and uncertain though, especially compared to my CB650R. I seem to recall a bike tuning channel advising exactly how to fix that (something about different fork oil and spring adjustment), but I don't remember the exact details. Anyway, apparently it absolutely transforms the bike's handling into what it should have been from the plant. Probably be less good at wheelies after that though :P
@@233kosta I've heard the same thing, the front forks are not right and just changing to a heavier oil goes a long way if you don't want to get into a full suspension tune just for street riding.
How practical did you find the "trunk" on the CB650R to be in practice? In theory that seems like a really handy feature for a daily driver kinda ride.
duke 390 abd bmw 310r should have been mentioned as an alternatives. Did you consider those?
Also no explanation why this over those others, as in why mt03 does not do everything you mentioned :)
Whine whine whine. lol. The MT03 has higher service costs long term and requires you rev it out further to get the better performance it offers in terms of the engine. Different strokes for different folks. The BMW and Duke both have reliability/service related issues, basically if you plan to work on it yourself you better have a full garage, plenty of time and experience. I did consider them, but when I decided I was going 100% bike they got tossed. I really like the Duke and MT03 in this size bracket, and the cost difference for the MT03 is minor, but there when you talk about servicing the engine. Two not one for nearly everything adds up over time, particularly when you add in the extra man hours. If I WANTED the slightly better highway performance, fine, it's not a big difference after all. But since I was more concerned with the mid range performance it didn't make sense.
Oh, and the title might be a bit click bait in terms of naming... Gotta hit certain keywords.
I'll also point out that the Duke and BMW are both way more popular with people who don't do their own upkeep and have money to burn. The BMW is also way less popular with real people than industry folks who ride it for ten minutes and read a spec sheet.
@@Remymoto the Gen1 Duke 390 had issues. Gen 2 is pretty bullet proof.
I know many people who damn near live at tracks that run the Gen 2 390s as their fun on the backroads machines when off track.
I see your condescending response so decided to give one in kind as someone who has probably been on 2 wheels longer than you have been sucking wind.
In that time I have owned everything from CR & KX500s to liter bikes from close to all of the euro manufacturers, as well as the Japanese producers.
Also owned a 2012 Hayabusa and a 2017 Kaw H2.
...and well north of 1000 track days over that 40yrs.
I am well versed at working on bikes. You do enough track time and you would be as well.
Think you are making claims in regards to Euro bikes that you personally have zero experience with.
You just regurgitate what you have heard and pass that on as knowledge.
The KTM is for people who don't do their own upkeep or the spec sheet comment basically puts you in the very class of people you make the claim against.
Well done.
On the BMW comment well I suppose you never heard of the S1000RR.
Owned one. Phenomenal bike.
@@rivercityrambler7751 You read way more into that than intended, but that's fine. I also did mention that the newer Duke 390 seems to have fixed the original issues in terms of reliability. As for the S100RR, I'm not sure why you'd mention it as related to the 310, do they share ANYTHING other than a badge?
And yes, I'm repeating what I've heard, from many very experienced folks, who own and use both types of bikes and have no reason to BS me. It's not an insult to the brand or design, it's just a fact of life that certain design choices will increase the time and hassle for service. Usually there's a benefit in some other aspect such as weight, cost, performance or overall longevity. I made a choice to go for ease of service by a less experienced wrench (me). I'm well aware that in doing so I gave up some features and perks that the two Euro options offered and that the actual difference may only be measured in single digit hours per year for the labor if done by someone who's got experience with it. The inexperience multiplier makes that days of frustration. By the time I gain the experience to reduce that I'm guessing I'll have moved on to a different machine.
My wise crack and then semi serious reply to the prior poster was just that. He commented that I had ignored certain bikes which I had in fact considered and discarded. I'd mentioned it in other videos but not that one. Heck, technically I considered almost everything from a Grom to a Road King, with a detour through the Jap and Euro sport touring bikes. If money was no object I'd probably be using one of the mid sized BMW GS machines since they match up almost perfectly with my actual riding needs.
This is the internet, if you want 100% serious all the time, good luck, I've yet to find such a thing here.
@@Remymoto I mentioned the 1000RR since you want to slam BMWs as a brand for people who have large wallets and no mechanical skillset.
You know, those who pay to have worked on and not do the work themselves as you alluded too.
I've had my cb300r for a little over a year now and even though I'm saving for a bigger bike I know I'm gonna miss it
Keep it dude. Great bike, and it won’t cost hardly anything to run.
@@sterlingroberts6240 Not financially stable enough to have both atm, but if I only have one I'll be able to have my dream bike.
@@izzy8609 why not just wait till you can have both? That dream bike’s surely going to be more expensive to run, likely by quite a bit.
What bike is that?
@@sterlingroberts6240 Either an mt09 or a cb650r, and realitively speaking the service intervals between either option are close to my current bike.
@@izzy8609 both great bikes in my estimation! That said, I’d go with the Honda. It’s just a better bike all around. The 09 has A bit more power, torque, and a few electronic features, but it’s not quite as good in terms of a perma or forever bike. Fun to mess around with, but she’ll dump you😉 if she gets bored. Not the kind of gal you take home, so to speak.
The 650 engine will have smoother power delivery(especially at lower rpm), vibrate less, rev higher, make its power higher in the revs, and be much more manageable at lower speeds. The 09 will make doing wheelies much easier, especially at lower speeds, but that may not be what you want, and it could bite you in the ass.
The cb650r is a bit heavier(
The bike is twitchy at high speed because of the tires, when it comes time to replace them, don't go for the cheap option. But the best ones you can afford !
Planning on Road 6’s when the time comes. Figure it’s worth every penny.
I'm looking at this for my first bike!!! Thoughts!!
As long as you don’t want a speed demon, or do a ton of highway, great bike. It’s too light to be much fun on the highway, you just get bashed around by the turbulence caused by other cars. Being even well back from a semi at 70 feels like your bearings are shot. Around town, back roads… awesome both as a beginner bike and not beginner.
@Remymoto I think the only motorway I need to go on is to see family speed limit is 70. The other roads on London are 60 and below.
And probably a lot fewer big trucks. Should be great
I was considering this bike but its $1000 more than an MT-03 where I am :( thanks for this review though
Youch. That would probably be enough to sway me too, even if I am not a fan of the MT looks. Assuming it’s the CB costing more than normal and not the MT being cheaper, I would also consider some of the other options. Maybe wait for the new Triumphs.
I also have one ❤
So she's twitchy. But does she feel solidly planted when you're in proper control?
Yup, it is just very ready to reply to any input, whether from the road, wind, you… it hasn’t been an issue, but it can make for an interesting ride when you are on a bad road in swirly wind. Lol
@@Remymoto Reminds me a bit of my 125. Light, nimble, responsive, bit of a pain when it got windy :P
Yup. It’s not a design flaw, just life with a lightweight and responsive bike.
I got a cbr1000rr….
Last 6 months in Asia I’ve been riding 110 &125 both are stable if the rider is balanced.
These European are not relaxed and don’t ride properly. They lack skill and smoothness. 300 is plenty heavy to ride smooth
@@Max__apex I think lots of people confuse good, stable suspension with poor handling. My CB125F was very light and tossable, but still felt pretty well planted when handled right. The MT-07 I qualified on felt "stable", as in comparatively less responsive on the steering, but really bouncy and not at all confidence-inspiring.
KTMs are not hard to fix. Then again I've been riding for 4 decades and owned so many bikes of differing sizes I cannot remember them all.
Getting older so I am in the enough crowd when it comes to displacement.
My track days and all out straight line top speed assaults are behind me.
The word I was hearing on the KTM's was not so much that they were hard as time consuming. I don't recall if I said that properly in the video. I also get the impression that even the newer Dukes are still a bit less reliable than the Japanese machines. I did hear that they fixed the major issues they were having, so we're just talking minor stuff and low percentage lemons just being a hair more common, not anything serious.
The thing that really stood out to me for the KTM was the performance focus. I think the two aspects go together. They didn't compromise much, if at all, on the riding performance in favor of easier to construct or work on. Honda definitely made some decisions that kept the price and labor down but also potential performance. Easy examples being the quick shifter and adjustable forks that the KTM gets and the Honda does not.
@@Remymoto it is the same as you heard about Subaru years back.
For awhile on the ej 257 engine they were having large scale issues.
They have since not only remedied that problem but are now on a whole different series of engines.
But you will still hear people posting currently that Subies have the same problem when they do not.
Comparing the CB300 to a Duke 390 is apples to oranges. The CB is more in line with a Duke 250 from a power perspective which both bikes almost have identical numbers in both columns.
The CB makes a bit less power and torque than the 390. I've ran my 390 hard and never have had an issue with it. Granted I broke it in properly as well amd maintain it myself per required service intervals.
Many times when I hear people speaking of issues with bikes I ask how many times is it actually the user and not the bike itself.
Running a bike on boil straight from the dealer is a bad idea as you have to give many moving oarts the opportunity to sit properly.
I could get into the litany of problems I believe to be more of a user issue than a bike issue but I will leave that for another day.
Did you considered royal Enfield
I did. But I would have needed one of the 650’s to have enough highway speed here. I think that has changed with the new Himalayan but at the time the smaller bikes all had speed limiters.
The new Himalayan looks really nice though. I need to see if I can get a test ride on one.
Of course sir have a ride on new Himalayan it's a good machine
The BMW G 310 R should have been mentioned
Along with dozens of other bikes that I had already cut from my possibles list for various reasons. I mean, I didn't even mention the Z400, but the Ninja got in. In that particular case it was supply related, I didn't see any used ones. There was one used BMW but I'd already dropped it from my list earlier for other reasons. Plenty of great bikes weren't included, and it doesn't mean something that was on the list was better overall or even in any particular way. It could just be price point, availability, local dealer situation...
@@Remymoto I know man! You done good! Thanks for the video:)
is cb 300r beginner friendly
One of the best for a beginner. Right in there with the MT03, Duke 390, Z400 and Ninja 400, Rebel 300 or 500... All great first bikes for road use. Just have to figure out which one suits you.
@@Remymoto i’m not really looking for speed more so just to cruise and enjoy riding. i just finished motorcycle classes so i’m a novice i was looking at the honda rebel 500 do u have any insight or other suggestions
@@stewart296 You can look at the Suzuki Savage models, nice small engine cruisers. Personally if I wanted a more cruiser style bike as a beginner I'd go with the Rebel 500. Big enough to put some luggage on and a windscreen, but still small and light enough to be a good first bike. Reliable, modern design...
Even a Honda Shadow or the smaller Kawasaki cruisers. Just keep in mind, other than the Rebels, all the cruiser style machines are going to be significantly heavier, which makes any mistake at low speed tougher to save. Their extra momentum can be nice at times, but you have to be really careful about how the bike is oriented when you stop. All stuff covered in the class, but easy to mess up when in the real world.
I recently sold my CB300R and got a new Husqvarna Vitpilen 401.
Not a Svart? What made you decide to go more aggressive on the body position? Doing a lot of highway time?
@@Remymoto Nope, not a Svart, I love the "aggressive" body position. It's actually very mild. I never ride on the freeway, mostly on tight, twisty canyon roads.
@@georgekrpan3181 Makes sense then. And yeah, it's only aggressive compared to the upright stuff, not a true sport setup. If there was a clip on bike I could manage that'd be it, or maybe an older R3 before they changed the body position. I'm sure there are others, I just haven't gotten on them.
How do you like having the adjustable front suspension? Did you dial it in and how did that feel versus the CB's default setup. I've got my rear in the middle position and think it's a touch stiff for my commute, but good in more aggressive stuff and also when I'm carrying groceries or laundry, so it works out. I feel like the front could use a hair more rebound but is pretty good overall for me. But I can see where someone might want stiffer or softer depending on what they're doing with the bike. For ME it is darn close though, so whether it's luck or excellent engineering, I'm good. lol
I'm also a bit envious of your levers, but not enough to buy a set for the CB. I thought it'd be something I really wanted but. meh. I would prefer the LOOK of aftermarket ones, but day to day the stock ones are about right positioning wise for me and I'm not staring at my levers so I don't feel like it's money I need to spend.
@@Remymoto I actually haven't messed with the suspension settings but I'm going to. The way it is now it's a little too stiff. The levers of the Vit are great. I put adjustable CNCd ones on the CB and they were an improvement and only $21. Have a look at ZeedParts.
@@georgekrpan3181 They appear to be out of business. I'll look into other inexpensive options just to try it out. Normally I'd go with the TST ones, but since I'm fairly happy with the stock ones I'm ok buying something cheap to experiment with.
Why not cb500f?
More money, more service costs (and potential time when doing it yourself just due to the extra cylinder meaning there's two of many parts to deal with), not pretty, and not particularly available locally. Mind you, most of that is minor, and if the 500 had the NeoCafe styling I'd have been very very tempted. Given the price point I'd probably have gone elsewhere, but I'd have been tempted. It's just that once you spend a bit more the options open up.
@@Remymoto I was just mentioning it because I live in Germany and a2 allows up to 35kw 48ps and the cb500f is right on the limit. And looks is subjective :)
For sure. If I did the Honda 500 size I would probably go with the X and full dad mode with hard luggage.
please include some views of the bike for some bits of the video instead of totally road views
I am going to be sending in my 360 cam to get the lens fixed, but when it comes back I plan to do more of that. I am currently working on learning a new editing software that makes it easier to work with multiple cameras and keep everything synced for just this reason.
why do you need to work on an engine? it's a new reliable bike, it needs nothing.
too bad they don't sell it Japan
Really? That's nuts. Seems like it'd be a great bike for Japan. I assume they have something similar there, but still... Maybe an import/export thing.
@@Remymoto just the 250's not sure why! I was trying to decide between a cb300, crf300, or a gb350 and they only sell the gb350
Ok, that's just weird. It's not even the same engine. There has to be some regulatory aspect to that setup. Or a design partnership for that engine and they needed to make sure they would sell enough of them.
Neat looking bike though. I like the more classic look they used. Sort of a Honda take on the old Triumph design mixed with a look back at Honda's own history with standard bikes.
I would have a hard time with an air cooled machine during the Texas summers. How the Harley riders do it here I just don't understand. My feet are roasting just from the SUN, even while moving. Add a hot engine that's air cooled... My poor heels might catch fire at a stop light. lol
@@Remymoto maybe they don’t want the Thailand made Hondas in Japan 🤷♂️
Long throws
honda hornet750cc is more fun
I’m sure, but that’s a whole different class of bike. I’d probably go for a CB600R in the similar class. I used to ride a 500Four and 750Four in my younger days. I love the 4-cylinder sound. Since I’m now a geezer, CB300R or MT03 for now.
I mean, sure, and if you are buying… I wouldn’t even mind a test ride, but I haven’t so much as heard of one locally. My odds of getting to test ride cruisers and maybe adv stuff is way higher than sporty stuff.
@@Remymoto , you have a cb300r channel, correct?
@@rays9033 Well, I have a moto channel that is focused on the CB300R since that's what I have. But I wouldn't say it's a CB300R channel. I like bike. Every bike I considered would be a great option for someone, or lots of someones. Hell, the bike I picked is the LEAST common in the US, obviously it's not the best choice for everyone.
@@Remymoto you saying the cb300r the least common???
Right from the get go it's obvious you know nothing about Harley motorcycles......that probably goes for every motorcycle
Enlighten me on how you get that impression, oh wise one.
My choice to not do a HD basically came down to nothing I trusted without a lot of work being available in my price range. Maybe the market's different in your area, but I was buying local and my options were $10k 883's with a bunch of miles, old Sportsters of various generations for nearly as much money, or very beat on Sportsters in need of some real love before trusting as a daily rider for roughly what I paid out the door on the Honda. That's not a cut on the HD's, it's just what the market had right now. I don't expect things to improve in that regard, since with the recent changes HD made, any decent EVO sporty is not going to get cheaper unless it gets wrecked. Not anytime soon at least. A soft tail of some sort is likely to be on my list for the next one.
@@Remymoto well......maybe oh stupid one, you should listen to the words that came out your mouth in the video
Yeah, I did, still not seeing where that applies. The local options for sportsters were all either very expensive for what they were or very sketchy and in need of significant work. But hey, thanks for the engagement. Dollars per mile in upkeep on a HD, particularly an older one, is going to be higher than on most of the other options I looked at. Again, not a cut on HD, any bigger bike with a bigger engine and more weight is going to have higher costs to maintain than a smaller lighter one unless it's also a higher performance machine. No one is going to confuse the CB300R with being a race bike, unless you're racing someone on a Grom.
@@Remymoto again not a cut on hd......liar, that's all you've done because you know nothing at all about Harley, which probably goes for every other motorcycle made
still waiting for some clarification rather than a personal attack and repeating yourself. I never claimed to be an expert, but you have also not pointed out where I was wrong so I can hardly admit any fault either. You're not even at the level of the guy who got annoyed that I wasn't sufficiently in favor of KTM or BMW, he at least made clear what parts he thought I was wrong about and had some valid points. Anyway, off to know nothing after my ride while I wash the bike and do the chain service.