Honda CB300 gets TT treatment

Honda’s retro 300 TT Racer concept machine has been unveiled under the radar but is now attracting a lot of attention.

Like the CX-02 it was the work of one of Honda’s outlying R&D subsidiaries. In this case, it was the firm’s Thai arm that developed the bike and revealed it at the Bangkok show in March. And like the CX-02, it’s just been subjected to the full design patent treatment by Honda Japan.

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However, unlike the Indian-design CX-02, the 300 TT Racer is a long way from being road-ready. While the underpinnings are pure Honda CB300F, including the same single-cylinder engine and tubular steel frame, the bodywork lacks a lot of the parts that would be needed for a production machine. As well as missing out on vital organs such as indicators and mirrors, its short tail would be illegal as it doesn’t extend beyond the tyre, and the exhaust lacks a catalytic converter or much in terms of a silencer.

While that discounts a production future for the bike in this state, Honda’s decision to patent the design suggests bosses are taking it seriously enough to want to avoid copies. While the café-racer look of the concept is a step too far for production, elements like the fuel tank look eminently production-suitable. Given the craze for retro machines at the moment, a naked 300cc single with old-school looks – there’s a hint of CB1100F to that tank shape – could easily be marketed, with the potential to sell bolt-ons to convert it to café racer or scrambler styles.

So don’t expect to see the 300 TT Racer in a showroom in the future. But don’t be surprised if Honda provides the building blocks to create something very similar yourself.

 

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