It has been officially confirmed that the Honda Africa Twin’s train assembly has commenced in India and we could hear more details about the launch of the dual purpose motorcycle in the coming days. But Honda is also reportedly working towards offering a dual purpose product that will be more accessible for the Indian consumers. The Indian arm of the Japanese two-wheeler maker is reportedly considering the launch of the XRE 300 for the Indian market. While we’re yet to hear any official comment on that front, folks at TeamBHP suggest to have spotted the motorcycle on Indian soil. The report suggests that the ‘Honda XRE 300 has been spotted on the company’s shop floor’.
There is no concrete evidence that the photograph was indeed snapped in India, but if earlier reports are to be believed, this new model is expected to join Honda Motorcycles and Scooter India’s portfolio by October 2017. The reports also suggested that the motorcycle will be priced around the INR 2 lakh rupee mark and will target products like the Royal Enfield Himalayan in the Indian market.
The XRE 300 is not an all new product and is currently sold in Brazilian market. The dual purpose motorcycle is said to be a part of the four new products that Honda 2Wheelers has planned for India. The XRE 300 which is sold in the Brazilian market draws 25.4 PS of power at 7500 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 6000 rpm from its four valve, DOHC, 291.6cc single-cylinder FI engine.
The motor is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Fuel tank capacity stands at a healthy 13.8-liters. The motorcycle spots a ground clearance of 259 mm which should be sufficient to tackle most of the obstructions that one may face off the tarmac. The motorcycle isn’t too heavy either, tipping the scales at 146 kg (non-ABS) and 153 kg (ABS). Stopping power is provided by a 256 mm single disc upfront and a 220 mm disc at rear. The 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wired-spoke wheels are wrapped in 90/90 and 120/80 section tyres respectively. Other bits include electronic instrumentation, a high mounted exhaust, long travel forks up front, and a aluminum box-type swingarm bolted to a monoshock.
Wouldn’t you want to swing a leg over this and ride to Ladakh, or probably do some off-roading over the weekend? Let us know your views about the Honda XRE 300 through the comments section below.
Image Courtesy : TeamBHP