Honda CBF 190R patent filed in India: Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS rival

Japanese two wheeler manufacturer Honda has a line up of commuter and higher capacity motorcycles in the country. Honda has now filed a patent for their naked street motorcycle CBF 190R in India. It is a motorcycle that is already on sale in international market like Latin American countries and China. Patenting the CBF 190R in India could mean that Honda might consider launching it in our market. However, the Japanese two wheeler giant has yet to make an official announcement about the same. If Honda launched the CBF 190R in India, it will be Honda’s first motorcycle in 200-cc segment.

Design-wise the motorcycle looks quite aggressive. It has a well defined street fighter design with sharp and muscular character lines all over the place. Starting from the front, it gets a sharp looking headlamp which will probably have LED headlamps. The international version gets upside down forks but if the CBF 190R comes to India, it is not known whether the same would carried forward. It gets alloy wheels, disc brakes both at the front and the rear along with ABS.

Side profile of the CBF 190R will remind some of the CB Hornet 160R motorcycle. The fuel tank of the CBF 190R is more muscular and looks aggressive too. At the rear, the 190R gets monoshock suspension which is very common in many other Honda motorcycles. The engine on this motorcycle is a 184-cc, single cylinder, air-cooled, fuel injected engine that generates a maximum of 16 Ps of power and 15 Nm of torque.

There is no word on whether Honda will launch this naked motorcycle in our market or not. If launched, the CBF 190R motorcycle will compete with TVS Apache RTR 180, TVS Apache 200 4v and Pulsar 200 NS in the segment. Currently there is a huge gap in terms of price between the Honda Unicorn 160 and the Honda CB 300R in their line up. The CBF 190R if launched will help as it is likely to be placed above the Unicorn and priced lower than the CB 300R motorcycle. Honda is known for manufacturing refined engines and we expect the CBF 190R to be no different. The motorcycle could help Honda finally break into the entry-level premium motorcycle segment of India – a space where it traditionally has been quite weak. The motorcycle does have the looks going for it. A sharp price tag will be something that a lot of prospective buyers will be eagerly hoping for from Honda.