Honda eyes broader off‑road bike line‑up for Indian market, says CEO Otani

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India is evaluating an expanded off‑road motorcycle range for India, President and CEO Tsutsumu Otani told Autocar Professional. Until the launch of the XR300L and XR300 Rally, Honda had few capable off‑road bikes in India, only private imports. Earlier this year Honda announced entry into Indian off‑road racing and became title sponsor of the Honda BB Racing team in the Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL). The team fields the CRF250R and CRF450R, now officially supported by Honda. Otani said Honda is looking at both motocross and enduro categories, which could bring several models, road‑legal or not, to the Indian lineup. Globally Honda offers seven CRF off‑road models from the beginner‑friendly CRF50F to the professional CRF450R. There is also potential for the road‑legal CRF300L and CRF300 Rally, which use a 286 cc liquid‑cooled single‑cylinder engine already used in the former CB300R and current Rebel 300. Their aluminium swingarm, USD fork and liquid‑cooled engine could make them costlier than the XR300 range, and Honda may hesitate to sell two 300 cc off‑road bikes. Honda joins other Japanese brands; Kawasaki sells KX and KLX dirt bikes, Suzuki once offered RMZ models, and Bajaj‑owned KTM already has dedicated off‑road bikes. No specific models have been confirmed yet, and the number of bikes Honda will bring remains unknown.

Context

India’s off‑road market has been dominated by Kawasaki, Suzuki’s short‑lived effort, and KTM, so a Honda line would increase competition and options for enthusiasts.