Buy the new Triumph Speed 400 or the Honda CB300R?

I like the new Triumph Speed 400, but I feel like the Honda CB300R is a close rival and I am confused about which bike to go for. How come you have not conducted a comparison review? 

Ramesh Vaswani, Mumbai

Autocar India says: You’re right, the CB300R is quite a close rival to the Triumph in the way that it performs. Of all the bikes we’ve reviewed, the CB punches well above what the spec sheet may suggest. Even though it has just 30hp compared with the Triumph’s 40hp, our tests have shown that the CB can pretty much match the Speed in the 0-100kph run. That comes down to the magic of low weight as the 146kg CB300R weighs a full 30kg less than the Triumph. 

Nevertheless, the Honda cannot hope to compare with the Triumph’s exceptional mid-range performance. In that sense, the Triumph’s performance is much easier to use and it also happens to be a more spacious and comfortable bike, although the little Honda is not bad in this regard either. Given the extra performance, comfort and features the Triumph has to offer and its Rs 44,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi) price saving, it’s an easy one to recommend. 

Moreover, the CB300R is not currently on sale, likely due to the fact that it is not yet OBD2 and E20 compliant. That is also why we did not include it in our comparison review.

Also See:

Triumph Speed 400 vs RE Hunter 350 vs Classic 350 comparison: Retro rivalry 

Triumph Speed 400: How it compares to the REs