Honda CB300F

[Modene]

Has anyone owned or riden a Honda CB300f bike? I've been considering buying one but does it vibrate more, is it something I need for hwy speed. It only has value inspection/ adjustments every 16000 miles. Right now I ride a Yamaha SMax 155cc & love it, only drawback is not being able to or wouldn't want to ride my scooter on a 70mph + Road. Hum ,what should I do. As soon as dealer gets a 300F in I'm going to test drive it & see if I like it or really need it . The only benefit is higher Mph & value inspection intervals. The Honda CB300F is a naked version of the CBR300R. 289cc ,27 hp ,70 mpg, top speed 90 mph, seat hight 30.5".
110x70x17 front tire and 150x70x17 rear tire ,chain driven.

[wheelbender6]

I haven't ridden one. It's definitely a lot of bike for the money and will be more comfortable at freeway speeds than the SMAX. Same for the KTM Duke 390 thumper.
A few hundred opinions on the CB300F at the link.
http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...cb300f.993054/

[kz1000st]

The 300F is a bargain in dollar per cc sense. As nice as your SMax is, it lives in the same neighborhood pricewise but not in the same performance zip code. What it really comes down to is this, do you mind shifting? For the same money you can get twice the bike against any scooter but you have to shift. A bike requires less maintenance, is highway capable and will outlast just about any scooter.

[Modene]

My main concern is the higher center of gravity in crosswinds. I've owned 12 motorcycles and don't mind shifting. On the Honda forum they talk about the gearing & first gear is funky . Needs a 15 tooth front sprocket ,no problem I can change that. The extra storage under the seat of SMax is really nice for camping trips. With only 1100 miles on the SMax I would lose half of the price I paid for it on a trade in. I definitely will have to test drive the cb300f before making my finial decision. I do love this SMax, great Scooter. Great for 90% of my riding & great for going to grocery store ,top case & under seat I can carry enough groceries home for a week. The SMax even at 60mph drives & handles great and is quite. I think the Cb300 at 65mph & higher is going to get buzzy,vibrate & noisy. The only benefits Of 300f would be 16000 mile interval value adjustment,Freeway capable & longevity. I hope I make the Right Decision.
kz1000st Thanks for Sharing your thoughts.
Would be open to hearing others folks Ideas & thoughts ! Thanks.

[wheelbender6]

Modene - What specifically bothers you about the SMAX at 65-70mph? Just engine vibration? Does it feel unstable, wander and have a bumpy ride at that speed? Does the wind blow you around too much? All of the above?
My 125cc scooter is not fast enough to keep up with traffic on FM Roads, with a speed limit of 60 mph or so (most cars want to go 65mph on them). Would the SMAX do OK on those FM roads for 10 mile rides?

[Modene]

Wheelbender66
I love the SMax & have driven it up to 65mph with no problem it's a real enjoyable ride. The only reason I'm even considering a Honda Cb300f is the times I might have to get on a Interstate for 10-20 miles until I can get onto another less crowed/ 55-65 mph road. Just now have 1200 miles on SMax all Enjoyable except where road surface is uneven or under repair. This Scooter fulfilles 95% of my needs , just not the higher speed needed a few times a year.
Which I haven't needed since I bought my scooter . I can always find backroads just takes longer & more miles. One person here on this forum has said the 300f being a motorcycle with only having 16000 mile valve inspection with other services would be less & the Honda 300 would out last most Scooters.
I do love Scooters! No more big Bikes for me ! I would love it if the SMax was a 250cc 5-10 more hp than I've got with 14" wheels compaired to the 13" I've have. This is just nit picking, just dreaming of my Dream Scooter. Like a Yamaha 250 cc Yamaha XMax. I think the Honda would be buzzy & rattle/ vibrate over 65mph. I've owned a few other 650-700cc motorcycles that were great up to 65-70mph then starting the vibrate rattling.
Anyway just thinking if I want to take a chance on the Honda CB300F.

[cheapeto]

Just me, myself and I, if I was going to give up my 250cc BR, as I do feel a bit the same way, in certain areas, and when loaded for a 4-5 day ride from home, I can feel my scooter drag ass going up some of the inclines, slowing down to 55-60 mph, once I top it, it's all fine and dandy again.
I'm not going back gears, I've been changing gears since well before I was licensed, in cars, trucks, tractors, back here in the foothills.

When I first rode a Honda Hawk in the late 70's, I was amazed, as it was like a snowmobile, twist and go!! I so enjoyed that.
I had kids and obligations and did not ride until again, until 2007, when I got the hankering for a some cheap miles, found Scoot Dawg and others, and started reading.
I bought a china scoot, and really liked it.

Then my folks got sick, I was caregiving, as I'm an only child, and the china scoot needed more lovin to keep it going, then I had time for, and after it letting me sit along the road (once to many times) and after a 20 hour day, it became a garage ornament.

During some of my computer reading time as a caregiver, I started to see the BR, and reading about the issues they had over on TR. I found a used one, bought it, and about that time my caregiving ended.

When I started to take the BR loaded up with my fishing tackle, and day bag, sometimes a tent and bag, cooler, stove, it became very apparent I needed more power, or I needed to loose a lot of weight.

So, for me, I'm after a Forza, still twist and go, no tinkering to get a good off the line jump, no roller weight changing, to coax a bit more out the motor, it's all there.
BRed showed me his speedo, in a video, his going like 80 mph, still getting great gas mileage.
I dont give a crap about going 80, but it tells me, once I load it down, for a nice long trip, I'll have all the power I could ever want, climbing anything around here anyway.

I do NOT like the style of the Forza, but I could learn to like, as I've fallen head over heels in love with that engine size.
If I could afford it, I'd gut the BR, and replace the vitals from the Forza, and chuck all that plastic from the Forza.
Just my $.02.
Good luck in your decision, it's a hard one for sure.

[kz1000st]

Today's bikes all have counterbalancers to smooth them out. The reason scooters don't have the buzz is that the engines are rubber mounted. Believe me they shake as much you just don't feel it. The downside is that scooters also don't corner as well because the engine is also our rear suspension. I haven't read anything in any Road Test citing vibration on the 300F. Plus the vibration thing is overrated. I have a Honda Rebel with no counterbalancers and the vibration at 65 mph is negligible.

If there is a dealer around, you might want to consider an SYM Citicom 300i. Under $5000, big wheels and speed enough to tackle anything. Also reliability to match just about anything.