2008 Honda TRX300EX Review

It was the end of December almost ten years ago. I had just arrived at Glamis with a group of friends to bring in the New Year, and our agenda included several days of hardcore dune riding. We had already set up camp, donned our gear and were 30 minutes into our first ride when it happened. I was just cresting the top of a large sand bowl on my 250cc two-stroke sport quad when my clutch plates decided they had had enough. I managed to limp the machine back through the valley to camp before it completely let go. A search for parts on Vendor Row and local dealerships in Yuma, AZ, yielded no results. It appeared my planned week of fun was already over.

The Honda rails from dune to dune without any help from paddle tires or aftermarket performance modifications.A friend walked over as I sat staring at my exposed clutch and offered up a spare bike that his family wasn't using, a relatively new Honda 300EX. I accepted and was thankful for the generosity, but at the same time I doubted it could provide me even half the excitement I had anticipated from my own heavily modified sport quad. I also wondered to myself if I would be buying my friend a new quad by the end of our long weekend: could an air-cooled motor and limited suspension really hold up to the abuse of a 6'0" , 200-pound-plus senior pro desert racer?

In a word, yes!

Not only that, it was one of my more memorable trips to Glamis. Aside from cutting a corner here and there, and laboring somewhat on the steeper hills, keeping up with the pack was never an issue, and the motor never showed any sign of tiring or overheating. I gained a lot of respect for the mid-sized sport machine from Honda that weekend, and remember saying to myself that I wouldn't hesitate to dune the TRX300EX again should the opportunity arise.

So let's fast-forward now to 2008. The TRX300EX has received several refinements, suspension tweaks and cosmetic changes since its inception in 1993, one of the most recent being the more striking race styled-appearance of its big brother, the TRX450R. For "˜08 a white with black trim color choice also joins red and black. The 282cc, single-overhead-cam, electric-start engine generates an abundance of low-end and midrange torque.

Engine / Maintenance

The 282cc, single-overhead-cam, electric-start engine generates an abundance of low-end and midrange torque with a stab of the throttle. Top-end speed is plentiful for the shorter wheelbase, but the engine impressed us more in the tight stuff.

Proper engine care will provide many years of life for this motor between overhauls. The 300EX's 15-year track record has it pinned as virtually bulletproof. Air-cooled engine maintenance is about as simple as it can get, with a basic set of metric tools and a fairly extensive owner's manual attached to the bottom of the seat. In recent years the TRX300EX received the striking race-styled appearance of its big brother, the TRX450R.

The engine holds less than two quarts of oil, which lubricates both the engine and transmission. The oil filter is readily accessible on the right side of the engine by simply removing three bolts with an 8mm wrench. The oil filler cap also includes a dipstick to prevent over filling.

A 32mm carburetor offers a perfect balance between performance and great fuel economy, and the engine is tuned specifically to run on regular unleaded. Even when cold, it fires up almost immediately with help from a manual choke. The two-stage washable foam-and-wire-mesh screened air filter assembly is easily accessible in a deep airbox, which is actually larger than some full-sized sport quads. Air is resourcefully snorkeled through the upper frame rails from the front of the ATV to slow down dust build-up and increase resistance to water penetration.

Transmission

Five forward gears are well matched to the engines output, further enhancing low-end grunt and midrange acceleration. Gear selection is selectable with a toe shifter while engaging the manual clutch lever at the handlebars. The transmission also includes a reverse gear. We tend to prefer handlebar-activated reverse levers which allow the rider to keep both hands on the bars, but Honda, being the safety minded company that it is, mounted the reverse switch on the right side of the fuel tank. This way you have to take your hand away from the throttle to engage reverse gear, eliminating the possibility of a sudden backward thrust. Further safety measures will not allow the engine to be started when reverse gear is engaged. Shock travel is right on par for the class, with 7.1" up front and 7.9" out back.

Chassis / Suspension / Brakes

At 390 pounds the 300EX might seem a tad heavy — at least on paper--but keep in mind that figure factors in all required fluids, including a full 2.2-gallon gas tank. The actual feel and handling is much lighter and nimble out on the trail (more on that in just a bit).

A box-section high-tensile steel frame is teamed with double A-arms up front and a steel aluminum swingarm at the rear. The straight-axle design features a cam-style axle carrier that makes chain adjustment quick and painless.

Both the dual front shocks and larger single rear shock come with five spring preload settings so they can be adjusted to rider weight and / or type of terrain. Shock travel is right on par for the class, with 7.1 inches up front and 7.9 inches out back.

One area that stands out the most on the TRX300EX is its superb braking power. Both front wheels and the rear axle all received hydraulic disc brakes. The rear brake rotor and caliper are enormous, though! Rear wheel braking power is superior to most and further enhances the machine's handling ability in technical terrain, especially on steep downhills. All three brake pads let the operator know when they need to be changed — and no, they don't produce an annoying metal-against-metal screeching sound. Instead, there are brake pad wear indicators readily visible on each caliper. When they line up with a reference mark on the caliper itself (branded "Indicator" in boldface type), it's time to replace the pads.

Additional Features

• Large 22-inch Ohtsu H-Trak tires further enhance a plush ride and increase traction.
• 30-watt headlight features high and low beam.
• Steel swingarm skid plate.
• Plastic heel guards protect feet from possible contact with rear wheel.

You can easily throw the 300EX around in the air and set up for that perfect landing.

Dune Test

Once again I headed to Glamis to find out if the TRX300EX was still the proficient sand duner we remembered it to be from a decade ago. As expected, power output was more than adequate for the horsepower-robbing terrain, even with above-average-size test riders. It's not nearly as potent as a TRX450R, because it does struggle on some of the steeper hills, but it still gets the job done and manages to keep up with bigger race-bred sport machines on respectably fast dune rides without tiring.

The Honda rails from sand bowl to sand bowl without any help from paddle tires or aftermarket performance modifications. The short wheelbase also makes for great fun in the sand. Jumps are plentiful at Glamis and an addictive pleasure on the Honda. You can throw it around easily in the air, and set up for that perfect landing. Whipping the bars to throw a roost over the top of a sandy berm is also easily accomplished. Just point the nose where you want to go and shoot. Lofting the front end is easily accomplished by getting back on the seat and mashing the throttle.

Ultimate Trail Test

For the second half of our review — the trail test--we headed to Wickenburg, AZ. Our test bed would be a 25-mile loop that's used twice a year for the Vulture Mine "Rocky Road" 100-Mile Desert Race. Appropriately named, the trail is infested with jagged rocks and combines a perfect mix of high- and low-speed technical terrain. Before we ever left the trucks, I asked the nine other desert racers who would also be riding along (actually practicing for a race on that same track a month later) if any of them wanted to place bets on the Honda's stock tires holding up beyond one lap. They all smirked and joked at the seemingly miniscule 300EX from the seat of their much larger modified 450cc and big-bore sport machines.

Despite the Honda's smaller size and limited suspension, trail prowess is especially positive, even with a large adult at the controls in full gear and carrying a 20-pound backpack. The motor provides adequate and predictable power to get through, or over, any type of obstacle. The ride is plush and pleasurable as the 300EX feverishly combats large rocks, deep ruts and unstable turf. You can easily loft the front end by getting back on the seat and mashing the throttle, or you can just hold a constant momentum without any lunging as you snake your way through tight S-turns. For 2008 a white with black trim color choice also joins red and black.

As speeds picked up, the 300EX nutted up and easily managed to hang close to the rest of the pack. Once again suspension travel and ride proved a near perfect balance over the embedded rock surface, boulder gardens and washed-out trails. Occasionally large cross-ruts and G-outs would tax the shocks to their limit, causing them to bottom out. The front shocks maxxed out more so than the rear, but we found that adjusting them to a firmer preload setting relieved some of the hard hits. Bottoming out isn't necessarily bad, though, as it does let you know you're getting the most out of your shocks' range of travel. After two laps and 50 miles of abuse, the shocks still seemed resistant to any fading.

The motor is well matched to the chassis and suspension. On this day the smaller Honda impressed and earned tremendous respect from our crew of advanced level riders with its ability to keep up with the larger ATVs, even in an extremely rugged environment.

Fun For All

The mid sized-Honda TRX300EX Sport is a great fit for most any skill level, from the new rider who wants to learn how to use a manual clutch and transmission to the hardcore sport enthusiast who craves performance. Trail riding doesn't get much better than this! It's a billy goat with its low-end torque and shorter wheelbase, making it easy to maneuver and throw around both on the ground and in the air. Maintenance is also a pleasure, with easy access points and features that let you know when, for example, a brake pad needs to be replaced or a fluid level needs to be topped off. Finally, it's a Honda, and one that's proven itself extremely reliable over the last 15 years. You can't go wrong!