While the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is still yet to show its face officially, Honda has already started delivering the recently launched CB350. HMSI recently announced that it has commenced the deliveries of the H’ness CB350. Not too long ago, Honda announced that all-India dispatches of the CB350 had begun and now, we will finally be able to see the CB350 on road. Honda unveiled the CB350 last month and managed to surprise all of us with the package. The CB350 has Royal Enfield Classic 350 in its crosshair and will battle it out with the upcoming Meteor 350 as well.
Pricing
The Honda H’ness-CB350 DLX retails at a special starting price of INR 1.85 lac (ex-showroom, Gurugram, Haryana). Available in two variants, DLX and DLX Pro, the latter retails at INR 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Gurgaon).
Official statement
Speaking on the commencement of customer deliveries of H’ness-CB350 Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said,” The introduction of H’ness-CB350 is a testimony of our commitment to expand fun riding experience for India. Born with the CB DNA at its core, H’ness-CB350 is crafted to give an ultimate pride of ownership while celebrating passion and aspiration of mid-size motorcycle enthusiasts. With the commencement of customer deliveries today, we are pleased to bring a new fun of riding on Indian roads.”
Looks
As far as looks go, it does look like a proper retro cruiser. Honda has gone all retro when it comes to its styling but this thing doesn’t belong to the ’80s as it features some modern design bits as well. Honda has included a round LED headlamp setup with the package. The Pro version is available in dual-tone paint options, two-unit horn, and Honda Smartphone Voice Control System. The motorcycle was developed over a period of two years where the Honda India team was in the lead. The bike is made in India and manufacturing is 90% localised.
Specifications
The CB350 is powered by a 348cc air-cooled single that churns out 21bhp and 30Nm. The long-stroke engine features a balancer to keep vibrations in check. Honda has particularly focused on its acoustics and that is pretty evident because the H’ness CB350 does sound like a proper thumper.
Its 5-speed gearbox is assisted by a segment-first slipper clutch which will make the gear shifts smoother while reducing clutch lever operation load ensuring less fatigue. This new motor rests in a split half-duplex frame that is suspended by a chunky telescopic fork and twin shocks. It tips the scale at 181 kg. Anchoring the motorcycle is a large 310mm disc brake up front and 240mm rear disc providing adequate braking performance which is further assisted by dual-channel ABS.
The Honda Highness cruiser bike also comes with Honda Selectable Torque Control. It helps in maintaining rear-wheel traction by detecting the difference between front and rear wheel speeds, calculating the slip ratio and further controlling engine torque via the fuel injection. Its ground clearance stands at 166mm which will see the CB350 deal with the bumps without any hassle. It can hold 15-litres of fuel.
Modern features
It might look retro but it packs some modern features such as Bluetooth-enabled navigation, telephony, music control and LED headlamps. It also comes with Honda Smartphone Voice Control System which allows the rider to connect his smartphone with the motorcycle via Bluetooth through HSVCS application.
Also read: (VIDEO) Honda H’ness CB350 Walkaround
The instrument cluster is a semi-digital unit where the speedometer has remained old-school and the digital display carrying the baton of all-things modern. The digital display includes a gear position indicator, Bluetooth indicator, fuel gauge, two trip meters, a clock and all the required tell-tale lights which also include a Battery health monitor, HSTC, ABS, side stand indicator with engine inhibitor, ECO indicator.