Honda unveiled the Rebel 300 as part of their major product offensive for the Indian market. Just yesterday, Honda launched Rebel 300 in the country starting from Rs 2.22 lakh (Ex-sh). In both cases, Honda did not reveal the full spec sheet for the India-spec Rebel 300, so a lot of attributes are still in the grey.
However, it is expected to be almost similar to the global model while packing more features just for India. At that price point, Honda Rebel 300 directly takes on other special single-seater cruisers like Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350 and Jawa 42 Bobber. In this post, we will go through how Rebel 300 fares against rivals, while not diving deep in the specs.
Rebel 300 vs Rivals – Pricing
Indian motorcycling enthusiasts were probably not expecting to put ‘Honda Rebel 300’ and ‘sensible pricing’ in the same sentence. However, Rebel 300 breaks that stereotype. For context, CB300R without E-Clutch has been priced up to Rs 2.77 lakh, while Rebel 300 with E-Clutch costs Rs 2.62 lakh. CB300R’s last recorded price is Rs 2.19 lakh and Rebel 300 starts at Rs 2.22 lakh, while adding more features like TFT cluster and Honda RoadSync (all prices Ex-sh).
Goan Classic 350 costs between Rs 2.25 lakh and Rs 2.28 lakh without liquid cooling for the engine with radiator, DOHC 4V/cyl head, 6-speed gearbox, TFT screen, traction control and more. Jawa 42 Bobber feels like it is priced appropriately in this trio as it costs between Rs 2.05 lakh and Rs 2.2 lakh. It does come with a liquid-cooled engine with DOHC 4V/cyl head along with a 6-speed gearbox (all prices Ex-sh).
Design & Form Factor
While all three bikes have a wow factor, they are slightly different genres from one another. Rebel 300 is a textbook cruiser with a single-seat layout, Jawa 42 Bobber is a textbook bobber with stretched wheelbase and Goan Classic 350 is a roadster / cruiser with a taste of a bobber. All three bikes can be used as a cruiser on longer rides, though.
Rebel 300 looks unlike anything that is sold in India at this price point. It has the lowest 690 mm seat height which gives it the sofa-like seating and has slightly forward-set footpegs. 42 Bobber has 740 mm seat height and the foot pegs look like they’re set further ahead than Rebel 300. Goan Classic 350 has the highest 750 mm seat height and has slightly forward-set footpegs too.
Weight is another aspect which could be a deciding factor for these bikes. Honda has not revealed weight of India-spec model, but global model weighs 172 kg. Goan Classic 350 weighs around 197 kg and 42 Bobber is in the middle weighing 185 kg. Fuel tank of global Rebel 300 is 11.2L, it is 13L with Goan Classic and 12.5L with 42 Bobber.
Performance, Features
Both Honda Rebel 300 and Jawa 42 Bobber come with modern liquid-cooled engines with DOHC 4V/cyl head along with a 6-speed gearbox. Rebel 300 has a 286cc engine with around 31 PS and 27.5 Nm, while it is 30 PS and 30 Nm with 42 Bobber’s 334cc engine. In comparison, Goan Classic has an air-cooled SOHC 2V/cyl 349cc engine with around 21 PS and 27 Nm, mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
In terms of features, Honda Rebel 300 aces the competition with traction control, TFT instrument cluster, modern switchgear, projector LED headlights, fatter tyres wrapped on 16-inch wheels and more. Goan Classic 350 gets a Tripper screen, while 42 Bobber is more retro. Honda is the only one to offer E-Clutch system with auto clutch engagement for stress-free riding in the city.
