When buying a new motorcycle, lots of people forget they have the option of buying a 300 cc because they think that they are sure to be boring and ineffective, but let me shatter this view. 300 cc motorcycles can be the best option for beginner and intermediate riders.
I personally think you will have to buy a 300 cc motorcycle to work on your riding skills and to build on your experience before switching to bigger engines, especially when you first start riding.
There are lots of great 300 cc motorcycles that I will show you on this list so keep reading…
The best 300 cc motorcycles
| Motorcycle model | Price |
| Honda Rebel 300\500 | Between $4,749 and $6,199 |
| Honda CB300R\CBR300R | $4,649 & $4,699 |
| Yamaha YZF-R3 | $4,999 |
| KTM 390 Duke | $ 5,499 |
| Kawasaki Ninja 400 | $ 4,999 |
| Kawasaki Versys-X 300 | $ 5,399 |
| BMW G310GS | $5,695 |
| Suzuki GSX250R | $4,499 |
Honda Rebel 300\500 (For beginner riders)
- Price of between $4,749 and $6,199
- 286 cc engine or 500 cc engine
- Hydraulic disc brakes
- Very beautiful modern design
The Honda Rebel 300 is my favorite motorcycle on the list and it can be the perfect motorcycle for beginner riders.
In addition, the Rebel 300 has a very modern design that I think is great for a 300 cc motorcycle.
Notable features
The Honda Rebel has an excellent 286 cc engine, but if you want to get a stronger engine it also offers one at 500 cc. The 286 cc engine is excellent and easy to control and reaches 27 bhp, while the 500 cc reaches 40 bhp, so I’m sure you can enjoy this engine.
Both types of motorcycles have 6 different transmission speeds and excellent Hydraulic disc brakes that come with very advanced antilock technology, which is a very significant innovation that Honda has made to its brakes.
In addition, the Honda Rebel features a seat height of 27.2 inches and an excellent weight of 364 pounds, while the dimensions of the 500 cc model are slightly larger.
Price
You can buy the Honda Rebel 300 for $4,749 or if you want the Rebel 500 it will cost you $6,199, so that’s a pretty big difference you’ll have to take into account.
I personally would recommend the 300 for beginner riders and the 500 for more advanced riders.
Yamaha YZF-R3 (for races)
- 321 cc engine
- Can reach 41 bhp
- A seat height of 30.7 inches
- Price of $4,999
The Yamaha YZF-R3 is the best premium 300 cc motorcycle and is also among the most sold 300 cc motorcycles in the world.
The YZF-R3 can be excellent for intermediate riders, or especially those who compete in races.
Notable features
The Yamaha YZF-R3 has a 321 cc engine that can reach 41 bhp and has a 3.7 gal engine capacity. It works great and is well suited to races, and is definitely one of the best engines on this list.
The YZF-R3 comes in medium dimensions, the seat height is 30.7 inches and it weighs 167 pounds, which is surprisingly lightweight, especially for a Yamaha.
The thing that really surprised me is the comfort when riding. Yamaha knows how to do this superbly and to get the best comfort from it, it is very important that you sit upright.
Also, its design is very modern and sleek which makes it very beautiful, and you can buy it in lots of different colors so I’m sure you’ll love it.
Price
The Yamaha YZF-R3 is $4,999 which is a pretty good price, especially for such a premium motorcycle.
KTM 390 Duke
- 373 cc engine
- Light weight of 149 kg
- Very high-quality steel frame
- 32.7 inch seat height
The KTM 390 Duke is a very light weight and stable motorcycle, which is quite surprising because it has a steel frame which is quite rare among motorcycles.
Also, it can be great for beginners or even for racing, and is very similar to the Yamaha YZF-R3 so you’ll have to take both of them into consideration before buying one.
Notable features
The KTM 390 Duke has a 1-cylinder, 4-stroke engine with a volume of 373 cc. It might be a bigger engine size than the other motorcycles here but it is very quiet and stable, with a maximum speed of 43 mph.
In addition, it is great for tall riders with its 32.7 seat height. It is very light weight at 149 kg, which is considered to be one of the lightest motorcycles on the market.
Furthermore, the KTM 390 Duke has a great high-quality design and its frame is made of steel, which protects the motorcycle superbly.
Price
You can buy the KTM 390 for $5,499 and I would even recommend you buy it used, mainly because there are not many differences between used and new in this model. Because of the quality of construction you can buy a used one in excellent condition.
Kawasaki Ninja 400
- 399 cc engine
- Light weight of 166 pounds
- Priced at $4,999
- Classic design
The most special thing about the Kawasaki Ninja 400 is that it can adapt very surprisingly for both new and more advanced riders.
In addition, the Kawasaki Ninja 400 is a veteran competitor of the KTM 390 Duke and Yamaha YZF-R3 because the three of them are very similar to each other, so I think you better choose the motorcycle according to the company you like, and not according to the specification which is almost identical.
Notable features
The Kawasaki Ninja 400 comes with a 399 cc engine that can reach a total of 43.3 bhp. It may not be 300 cc but it is significantly similar to most other motorcycles so it’s pretty clear why it does need a place on this list.
The Ninja 400 comes has a very moderate 31 inch seat height and is very light weight at 166 pounds, and its dimensions are very similar to the rest of its competitors.
In addition, the design is quite classic and similar to most Kawasaki motorcycles, which I think is a big difference that separates it from the KTM 390 Duke and the Yamaha YZF-R3.
Price
The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is priced at $4,999 which is a great price and great for this kind of motorcycle and I highly recommend it if you like Kawasaki.
If you want to see a full review of the Ninja 400 I highly recommend you go and read it here – click here to view.
Honda CB300R\CBR300R
- 286 cc 4-stroke engine
- A seat height of 30.7 & 31.5 inches
- Power of 27.5 kW
- Price of $4,649 & $4,699
The CB300R and CBR300R are two 300 cc type Honda motorcycles that are very similar to each other except for some small details, mainly the look and dimensions.
The most significant difference between these models is that the CB300R has a more classic and standard design and the CBR300R has a much sportier design and dimensions.
Notable features
Both models have a 286 cc, 4-stroke engine that reaches a total power of 27.5 kW, which may be less powerful than the rest of the models on the list, but it still performs fairly well.
The most significant differences between the CBR300R and CB300R are their dimensions. The CBR300R has a seat height of 30.7 inches and a weight of 357 pounds, while the CB300R comes in at a lighter weight of 311 pounds and has a seat height of 31.5 inches.
In general, you should always remember that the CB300R is a classic motorcycle and the CBR300R is a sporty motorcycle.
Price
The price of the CB300R is $4,649, however, the price of the CBR300R is $4,699, which is only a price difference of $50.
Kawasaki Versys-X 300
- 296 cc engine
- A maximum speed of 182 mph
- Very comfortable
- Price of $5,399
The Kawasaki Versys-X 300 is another Kawasaki motorcycle that does a great job and although it hasn’t got too many innovations or notable things compared to the rest of the models in this list, it offers everything that a 300 cc motorcycle should have.
In general, Kawasaki models are pretty standard and not very different to each other, so I recommend you buy them only because you love Kawasaki.
Notable features
The Kawasaki Versys-X 300 has a 296 cc engine with a 4.5 gal capacity that can reach a power of.7 kW and has a maximum range of 215 miles, which is very good for a 300 cc motorcycle.
It weighs386 pounds and has a 32.1 inch seat height, which is a great height for tall riders.
I was personally very impressed that the Versys-X 300 is very comfortable when riding, mainly because of its excellent tires and also its 6-speed gearbox, which not only helps with reaching the maximum speed of 182 mph, it also makes riding very fun.
In my opinion, the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 is the type of motorcycle that can better suit those who love Kawasaki or long distance rides.
Price
The price of the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 is $5,399 which is a great price for a 300 cc motorcycle.
BMW G310GS (for adventure)
- 313 cc single-cylinder engine
- A maximum speed of up to 140 kph
- A seat height of 32.9 inches
- Ride stably in any type of terrain
- Price of $5,695
The BMW G310GS is the perfect adventure motorcycle for riders who want a good motorcycle that can work and ride stably in any type of terrain.
In fact, the G310GS is a stand out when it comes to long-distance riding and is really very surprising in its ability to ride anywhere and in any possible weather.
Notable features
The BMW G310GS comes with a 313 cc single-cylinder engine with a maximum speed of up to 140 kph. That might not suffice for most people but I really don’t think you should ride faster than that anyway.
The seat height is 32.9 inches and it is a very light weight of 373 pounds, which makes it very compact.
Also, the G310GS has very massive wheels and tires which allows it to ride anywhere and over any obstacle like rocks, stones or even water.
In addition, its design is very beautiful and comes in various colors such as red, white, black, and silver.
Price
You can buy the G310GS for $5,695, which is maybe a little pricier than the other motorcycles on this list but remember, it is among the best motorcycles for adventures so it is the best option for you if you ride long distances.
Bonus: Suzuki GSX250R (for town & short distances)
- 250 cc engine
- Light weight of 166kg
- Excellent for town & short distances
- Price of $4,499
The Suzuki GSX250R may not be a 300 cc motorcycle however, I personally think it deserves a place on this list, and as you have seen, there are other models on this list that are slightly larger than 300 cc.
The most prominent thing about the Suzuki GSX250R is that it has very small dimensions so it can fit perfectly to shorter riders. Also, it is optimally adjusted to ride well in the city and for short distances.
Notable features
The GSX250R has a 250 cc engine that has a 4.0 gal capacity and is capable of 24.7 kW at 8,000 rpm, which is considered to be relatively low speed and engine power for a 300 cc. However, this can be a great advantage for riding in the city and on short distances, it is much less efficient on highway riding so it all depends on what purpose and style of riding you will do with the motorcycle.
Also, the seat height of the GSX250R is 31.1 inches and it weighs a very light weight of 166kg, which makes it excellent for shorter riders. It also has excellent disc brakes that I personally was very impressed with however, I do not think you will have to use them too much because the motorcycle does not reach very high speeds.
Price
You can buy the Suzuki GSX250R for $4,499 and in my opinion, the GSX250R is definitely the perfect motorcycle for city riding and short distances.
Summary
In summary, in this post I showed you the best 300 cc motorcycles on the market today.
If you are still not sure if you should get a 300 cc motorcycle I would highly recommend you see the video below which helps explain if you need a 300 cc motorcycle.
Thanks for your riding. Until next time.
