New 2026 Honda CRF300F Coming to America

Air-cooled off-road model first revealed in Brazil

Honda is preparing to introduce a new air-cooled CRF300F model for 2026. The off-road model was first revealed last month at Festival Interlagos in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but Motorcycle.com can confirm the CRF300F has been certified by the California Air Resources Board, indicating it will be added to American Honda’s 2026 lineup.

Based on the CRF300F’s name, it would be easy to assume it to be an offshoot of the CRF300L, using the 286cc liquid-cooled Single that has powered several Honda 300s over the years. That assumption would be wrong, however, as the CRF300F is powered by a 293cc fuel-injected air-cooled Single that has not appeared on a model offered in the U.S. to date.

In Brazil, however, the engine has already been deployed in several models, including the CRF300F Twister naked bike, XR300L Tornado dual-sport, and Sahara 300 adventure model. In Brazil, the engine can run on either gasoline or ethanol, but we expect U.S.-bound models will only use gas. Performance figures vary slightly for each model, but they all claim to hover around 24 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 20 lb-ft. of torque at 5,750 rpm. The engine is paired with a six-speed transmission.

Other official details are still scarce; the CRF300F was presented as a future model and still hasn’t been listed in Honda Brazil’s product offerings, and a post on its Facebook page confirms it has an oil cooler and a new aluminum swingarm. Other than that, we have various YouTube videos from those present at Festival Interlagos. Visually, we can identify a linked rear shock, a telescopic fork, a single petal-style front brake disc, and CRF-style bodywork.

The CRF300F will likely replace the CRF250F in Honda’s off-road lineup, as the 249cc, 5-speed model has not yet been certified by CARB. The CRF250F also hasn’t been certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 2026 yet, though the smaller CRF125F , CRF110F, and CRF50F have had their certifications renewed. The CRF300F would go up against the likes of the Kawasaki KLX300R, or on the lower end of the off-road spectrum, the KLX230R and Yamaha TT-R230.

The new CRF300F will also be the latest example of Honda introducing a model that first debuted in what we would consider a non-traditional market. Other recent examples of this trend include the XR150L, which was available in Asia and Latin America for years before it debuted in the U.S., and the Navi which was initially developed for Mexico. Being able to tap into products like these from around the world is one of Honda's greatest advantages over its direct competitors.

We expect American Honda to announce the 2026 CRF300F some time this summer, and we will have more information as it becomes available.

By Dennis Chung