Opinion - Honda Needs To Be ADVenturous In India!

The ADV segment in India has seen tremendous growth over the past few years. The first real mass market off-road machine to go on sale was the Hero Impulse in 2011, which was based on the Honda NXR Bros sold in Latin American markets. Fast forward a decade after the split with Hero, the Japanese brand still doesn’t have any affordable off-road offering, while Hero launched the indigenously developed XPulse 200, which to this date, remains the most affordable bike in its segment. 

On the other hand, Honda launched the CB200X, which is a cruel joke in the name of an off-road motorcycle, given how many great ADV and off-road bikes Honda has made globally. However, all that might change soon as Honda did a customer clinic recently in Bengaluru where they were given the opportunity to ride the CRF300 and the Sahara 300. Among both the bikes, we think the Sahara 300 makes better sense for India and here’s why. 

Basic Instinct

Unlike the Honda CRF300, the Honda Sahara 300 is a proper ADV tourer. This aspect is very critical for the Indian market as over 90% of the ADV buyers don’t go hardcore off-road riding as their focus is on touring, which means comfort and the Sahara 300 has the basics covered for the same. First up, the Sahara 300 looks like a modern ADV, which means imposing dimensions with functional styling. 

The suspension hardware is right up there, as the telescopic fork offers a massive 245 mm of travel while the rear suspension is good enough for 225 mm. This means the Sahara 300 has the capability to flatten most of the lunar surface-like roads our country has on offer especially during monsoon. Another aspect that works in its favour is the 149 kg kerb weight, which means it will be one nimble machine during commuting or while negotiating tight trails. 

However there is one rather tall obstruction challenging the Honda Shara 300 and that’s its towering 859 mm seat height, which will be intimidating for most Indian bikers. If Honda can engineer a solution for this, like a low seat version, then there’s no stopping the Sahara 300 from being popular among Indian ADV riders. 

Vocal for Local 

The Honda Sahara 300 can only be successful in India, if the Japanese brand can get the pricing correct. And in this regard, Honda does have an ace up its sleeve in the form of the Honda CB300F. One might think how the streetbike is of any relation to the Sahara 300 and for that one has to take matters close to the heart into consideration. 

The Sahara 300 is powered by the exact same 293.5 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine as seen on the CB300F. This means, one big cost component of the ADV offering is already being manufactured in India. Also, this engine wasn’t particularly impressive on the CB300F because it lacked the thrill one associates with a streetfighter but it could do speeds around 100-110 kmph in a calm manner, perfect speeds for an ADV touring on India roads. 

The Japanese giant will have to focus its attention on sourcing the underpinnings locally, which shouldn’t be much of a task given that the XPulse 200’s suspension, wheels and even brakes are similar to the Sahara 300. The only task for Honda India will be to see if they can get the seat height lowered, which is possible by dropping the suspension travel or running on smaller alloy wheels as seen on the Suzuki V-Strom 250. 

If Honda is able to manage the above mentioned challenges, the Sahara 300 has all the makings of a successful ADV for the Indian market. What will make the deal sweeter is a sub ₹ 2.20 lakh (ex-showroom) pricing, I can sense many ADV aficionados salivating at this prospect, come on Honda, be bold, be ADVenturous!