Honda H’Ness CB350 Launched In India; Rivals Royal Enfield Classic 350

This is Honda’s first made-in-India small-capacity retro roadster

• The Honda H’Ness CB350 gets a roadster style design with an all-LED lighting system.
• It also gets a semi-digital instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.
• The bike is powered by a 350cc single-cylinder air-cooled fuel-injected motor.

Honda has launched its highly-anticipated retro motorcycle, the Honda H’Ness (Highness) CB350, in India. It is priced at around Rs 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base variant. In comparison, its primary rival, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 costs Rs 1,69,617 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the dual-channel ABS variant. Bookings are open online at Honda's official website for Rs 5,000 and the bike will be available in select dealerships later next month.

The Honda H’Ness CB350 is a quintessential retro roadster, complete with a classically styled round headlamp and bullet type indicators. The elegant looking 15-litre fuel tank goes well with the single-piece seat. The easy-to-reach handlebars and neutral footpegs should offer good comfort for long-distance riding. Despite looking old-school, the Honda Highness gets modern features like an all-LED lighting system, multi-function switchgear and a semi-digital instrument cluster with gear position indicator, mileage indicator and other run-of-the-mill information. Smartphone connectivity with voice control, calls/music function and turn-by-turn navigation is available in the higher-end DLX Pro variant.

Powering the Honda H’Ness CB350 is a 348.36cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled counterbaanced motor that produces 21PS at 5,500rpm and 30Nm at 3,000rpm. The powerplant works in conjunction with a five-speed transmission with assist and slipper clutch. In comparison, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 produces 19.36PS at 5250rpm and 28Nm at 4000rpm. Another noteworthy addition in the Honda is the traction control, which is a segment-first.

Honda has equipped the H’Ness CB350 with a telescopic front fork, and a twin rear shock absorber setup to go with the retro charm. Brakes include disc on both ends (310mm front and 240mm rear), with a dual-channel ABS as standard. For extra practicality, the retro Honda bike rolls on alloy wheels wrapped with tubeless MRF tyres (100-section front and 130-section rear). Tipping the scales at 181kg kerb, the motorcycle is lighter than the Classic 350 by 14kg. Like with all the BS6-compliant Honda two-wheelers, this one too gets a three year warranty as standard with an option to extend to three more years.