CBR300r

I'm not surprised to see Honda make this. I'd love to see a shootout between the Ninja 300, the CBR, and the RC390.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/news/new-cars/honda-cbr300r-new-small-displacement-weapon

I saw this this morning, but didn't post because I don't always want to be that guy, but since nobody else did...

Sorry Honda. Too little too late again. They had 30 years to come up with something better than the best selling motorcycle in the world, the Ninja 250, and introduced a boring, underpowered single cylinder 250 just in time for Kawi to render it surplus with the release of the Ninja 300. So what do they do?

I like it. And I think we should be welcoming of more entertaining small-displacement motorcycles. Personally, I just think singles are cool. I have been tossing around the idea of a CBR250R or a Ninja 300.

I'm pretty sure a ninja 250 would walk a CBR300

I'm just waiting to see how badly the RC 390 makes them both suck vapor trail.

Appleseed wrote: I'm just waiting to see how badly the RC 390 makes them both suck vapor trail.

Possibly, but ouch

KTM said:

the 2014 KTM RC390 will be available in the summer next year, with pricing set to be under €6,000.

I like it, although I would most likely to wait a few years until they start showing up used for $2k.

What I would really like to see is a 400 class sportbike with all the good stuff - fully adjustable suspension, slipper clutch, radial mount brakes, etc., etc. I think they sell bikes like that in Japan but not here. The problem is they probably couldn't sell them for that much less than a comparable 600 to convince American buyers it was worthwhile.

I think you can buy a Ninja 400 in Canada. Not sure what kind of a bike it is, though.

In reply to SEADave:

I think the RC390 will come close to everything you just said.

In reply to Appleseed:

It will still be around $8000 before import tariffs though.....damn conversion rates.

SEADave wrote: I like it, although I would most likely to wait a few years until they start showing up used for $2k. What I would really like to see is a 400 class sportbike with all the good stuff - fully adjustable suspension, slipper clutch, radial mount brakes, etc., etc. I think they sell bikes like that in Japan but not here. The problem is they probably couldn't sell them for that much less than a comparable 600 to convince American buyers it was worthwhile.

I don't think that they have made real 400cc sport bikes in decades. I am pretty sure that the tax on larger displacement bikes in Japan is long gone.

I had a FZR400 way back when. I would love them to come up with a new small bike, but it won't happen without government regulation. It cost just as much to develop a small bike as a bigger one, and there would never be the market for it.

In reply to Rusnak_322:

I think the smaller sport bikes died out with the two stroke racers in that regard. My friends old honda 2stroke 500cc would probably have walked my zx10......the little 250 he had before it absolutely raped the sv650 I had at the time though.

Since then, I think the only small displacement bikes have been from Europe(KTM, aprilia,etc) and they aren't really "fast"

The four strokes were in the same class as the 2 strokes, but ther 4 strokes had tech that was above and beyond what even the 750 cc bikes had at the time. There were 250 and 400 cc four cylinder 4 strokes with sky hi red lines and top shelf components.

The 2 strokes were much simpler tech motor wise. They got killed off by Enviromental regs, the four strokes were left behind when the licensing and taxes were changed. Why pay the same for a small high strung, high maintance bike when you could have a bigger bike that was easier to ride and that had a bigger aftermarket.

Small 2 strokes were fun, but they wouldn't stand a chance against a modern 600 much less a liter bike, even on the track.

I don't think that Honda ever made a street 2 stroke 500, the NSR400 was like 60 hp and 370 lbs and a short powerband. I raced against those and 250 cc 2 strokes like the TZR250 and Aprilia RS250 cup bikes on my FZR400. I was faster still on my first gen SV650 with a slip-on and jet kit.

In reply to Rusnak_322:

Both of his were former race bikes......and idk how the hell he had them plated. His current toy for the street is a Muzzy's stage 3 turbo zx10.

yamaha wrote: In reply to Appleseed: It will still be around $8000 before import tariffs though.....damn conversion rates.

Considering the 2014 CBR600RR is around $12,000, that price still doesn't look too bad.

yamaha wrote: In reply to Rusnak_322: His current toy for the street is a Muzzy's stage 3 turbo zx10.

Oh.my.god.... I want to turbo my Z1000 so bad, But its so new its hard to get into like that, and money, that E36 M3 is hard to find

In reply to Blitzed306:

Yea, he finally tracked this one down with some help of the guy who originally bought/competed with it. Found it disassembled as a shell and a bunch of boxes. I don't even think it weighs signifigantly more than my stock first gen.

In reply to Appleseed:

Yea, I know they keep getting more expensive, but you have to think.....the 650r is right at the same price, granted if someone wants it, they'll get it anyways. Probably why I still lust for an MV.

Or an FZ-9.