How Fast Does A 300cc Motorcycle Go – Legal And Rational Limits

The 300 cc motorcycles are thought to be the optimal type of bike for beginners. They are not very expensive, they are pretty light and easy to control. They aren't very dangerous. According to statistics, big-displacement motorcycles tend to get into accidents much more often. But this is not usually the reason for choosing the 300 cc motorbikes.

These bikes are fun to drive and they have a lot of advantages. What's more, the producers managed to offer quite beautiful shapes and designs of these motorcycles. And while technically they are just simple mopeds, they may look like crotch rockets, café racers, or sportsters. And this is a very big advantage for a relatively cheap motorcycle.

Here's what we are going to talk about today:

1. What's the maximum speed of the 300 cc motorcycles?
2. Can you go on a highway on a 300 cc motorbike?
3. What are the fastest 300 cc motorcycles?
4. Can you make your bike much faster?
5. When is it not appropriate to buy a 300 cc motorcycle?

Let's get started!

How fast can 300 cc bikes go, on average?

The average top speed of a motorcycle with a 300 cc engine is 100 mph or around 160 km/h. It's not that much if we talk about the sports bikes, but it's pretty much if we think that these motorcycles are only for beginners and for people who just love commuting using their bikes. These motorcycles aren't made for sports, for racing, or for highway speeding. They are made for fun city riding and for pleasure.

Of course, the top speed depends on some factors:

• the engine type - some engines are more powerful and they may offer better top speed;
• bike weight - when we take a low-displacement motorcycle, the weight is extremely important;
• the weight of a biker - sometimes bikers aren't that slim and it may change the top speed much;
• some limitations in the ECU - many bikes are made with limitations to be much safer;
• type of the motorbike - these motorcycles may have a sports shape or Harley Davidson-like shape.

But anyway, the average top speed is thought to be 90 to 100 mph. This is not bad at all and this allows for fun riding on any road. You will need to take some things into consideration before you start driving your small-displacement bike at such speeds. But at this point, we just say about the top speed and the abilities of the bikes. This is extremely important for some buyers, although they will never ride their bikes at such speeds.

Can you drive a 300 cc bike on highways?

This is possible. You probably know that many highways have limitations of the minimum speed. So sometimes people think about whether they will be limited or not when they buy an average 300 cc motorcycle. And in this case, your worries should not bother you much. These motorcycles can go on most highways and keep up with the speed of traffic.

But when you are about to buy a bike, better ask a couple of questions. The shop or a person who sells the motorcycle should tell you what will be the RPM at the speed of 65 mph which is the minimum speed on many American highways. If the RPM is too high, you should choose another bike. And in this article, we'll tell you why.

What can go wrong on the highway with your motorcycle?

In most cases, the 300 cc motorcycles are made for cities and they aren't pretty good for very fast driving. But still, most of them can cope with motorway driving, you will just need to choose a decent speed and a safe part of the road.

Here's what can go wrong:

• the engine RPM might go too high and the engine will rev up like hell;
• also, the engine may overheat - most of these engines are air-cooled which is not very good;
• your transmission can overheat, too, and some parts of it may wear extensively;
• the sound will be just unbearable because these engines aren't meant to work at high RPM for a long time;
• the fuel consumption may be surprisingly high which is also bad news for you.

But the biggest problem is that overheating will cause extensive engine wear. The piston rings, the head, the valves will be experiencing huge loads and may just break in the end. We know many cases when older bikes with 300 cc engines literally fell apart after driving on highways for a long time. And this can be a very expensive problem for you because even small-displacement engines cost a lot of money to repair or replace.

How can you make your 300 cc bike faster?

Unfortunately, any kinds of tuning are not appropriate for these small engines. If you try to tune the ECU or any other module that controls the engine, your bike may just stall or not start at all. Tuning such an engine is a very bad idea just because it will wear intensively and will basically burn itself in just a couple of months.

You may think about replacing the engine with a bigger one. But in most states, this will not be legal. You will not want to ride an illegally reequipped bike in the US because you are likely to get caught and get into big trouble. If you are ready to pay a lot of money and to spend a lot of time on rebuilding your bike legally, you may try. But selling your 300 cc motorcycle and buying a new one will be much cheaper and easier.

As you see, the most rational way to make your 300 cc bike faster is to sell it, add some money, and then buy a new one. Be careful when choosing your next model. Usually, people buy 300 cc bikes to just understand if they love all this biking. So, your next motorcycle should be much more "professional". And of course, it will be more expensive.

What are the best and the fastest 300 cc motorcycles?

We've found 5 of the best motorcycles with 300 cc engines. These are the most interesting models in terms of quality and riding fun. You will not feel that the engine is so small when riding these bikes. Just have a look at them.

Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS

Probably, the best Kawasaki motorcycle with a small engine. The Ninja series is extremely popular, and the 300 ABS model looks just like a crotch rocket. It can speed up to 112 mph and it shows marvelous opportunities for a biker.

Yamaha YZF-R3

The second motorcycle on our list is the Yamaha. It's a wonderful model YZF-R3 with a sporty design and a very efficient engine. The stated maximum speed is 110 mph which is only 2 mph worse than the Kawasaki bike. Yamaha is a very popular choice for American buyers.

KTM RC 390

Don't let its name deceive you. This is a 300 cc motorbike which is absolutely wonderful in terms of riding qualities. The design may seem a little old-fashioned for someone, especially if you compare it with the other bikes from our list. But this motorcycle is a really good purchase for a beginner. Again, 110 miles per hour is the maximum speed.

Kawasaki Versys-X 300

And one more Kawasaki on our list. This motorbike is beautiful, but it looks a little simple. The class of the bike is not a crotch rocket. But technically, you will be amazed by what this bike can do on the road. The Kawasaki can speed up to 104 mph and do it very quickly. This is one of the lightest motorbikes on our list, too.

Suzuki GSX-S300

And again, a Japanese motorcycle with a 300 cc engine. The Suzuki is a legendary motorbike that is designed for those who love sports. The motorbike is really light, it can go at 103 miles per hour which is pretty good for this class. Also, Suzuki provides a really reliable engine that you will use for years to go.

What's bad in the 300 cc motorbikes?

Many people argue that these bikes are not safe enough. You don't have any power supply, you just can't react when the situation is critical on the road. But we believe it depends much on the bike you buy.

If you use the 300 cc motorcycle in the city traffic, it will be absolutely OK. For riding on highways and going on long journeys, a more powerful option may be a better choice. So, it's a personal decision and we can't answer whether a 300 cc bike is good or bad for you.

Final words

Finding a good motorcycle with a decent engine is not that simple. But we've prepared a list of 300 cc motorbikes for you with the highest stated top speed parameters on the market. These bikes are furious even though they only have 0.3-liter engines. Each of them is a legend and they may surprise you much on the road. But be careful - this category of bike usually looks better than it rides. So before making up your decision about buying a motorbike, you should test drive it first.