Honda XRE 300 likely to be launched in India by 2017-end; to rival Royal Enfield Himalayan

The XRE300 is powered by an air-cooled 291cc DOHC four-valve single-cylinder engine that develops 25bhp of power 27Nm of torque mated to five-speed transmission.

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India has already laid out an aggressive plan for the ongoing financial year. The company has confirmed launch of two brand new automatic scooters and two new motorcycle models this fiscal. One among the motorcycle is rumored to be the XRE 300.

Also read: Honda CBR250R, CBR150R go missing from India website; discontinued?

The XRE 300 is a dual-sport motorcycle current on sale in Brazil. The XRE 300 will be following the footstep of Hero Impulse in India as the affordable adventure bike. Since the Impulse is discontinued, the XRE 300 will be the most affordable dual-purpose bike in India. It will go up against Royal Enfield Himalayan which is powered by a 411cc engine.

The XRE300 is powered by an air-cooled 291cc DOHC four-valve single-cylinder engine that develops 25bhp of power 27Nm of torque mated to five-speed transmission. Weighing in at 144kg, the motorcycle also comes with an ABS-equipped version with a three-piston caliper which adds 7kg of weight.

Being a dual-purpose bike, the XRE 300 comes with off-road friendly bits such as high-mounted mudguard, headlamp with bikini fairing, high-mounted exhaust canister for better water-wading capability, long-travel suspension, high ground clearance, spoke wheels, and dual-purpose tyres.

The fuel tank is slim and it can accommodate 13.8-litres of fuel. The XRE 300 comes with a fully digital instrument cluster that has speedometer, odometer, fuel-level marker, spokes, clock and spy lights.

The motorcycle measures 2171mm in length, 838mm in width and 1181mm in height. 259mm og ground clearance and 1417mm wheelbase makes it an ideal off-road bike. Suspension duties are taken care by telescopic fork upfront and Pro-Link set up at the rear.