The Honda CB350RS Cafe Racer Is Arriving Today

It might be the first cafe racer offering from Honda for India

[UPDATE: The Honda CB350RS has been launched in India. Check out the details in our launch report.]

Honda generated a lot of buzz in the two-wheeler world with its unexpected announcement of an upcoming motorcycle. Several speculations have emerged over time and the latest ones suggest the offering will be a cafe-racer based on the H’Ness CB350, called the CB350RS. Honda will put all rumours to rest today as it finally launches the motorcycle.

Details are scarce as of now, thanks to Honda’s excellent secret-keeping skills, but what we do know is how the rear-end of the motorcycle looks. It features a more compact and sleek LED tail light with LED indicators and a blacked-out exhaust. Teasers also show a slim flat single-piece seat, as seen on cafe racers like the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. All this makes the CB350RS’ rear-end pretty different from the H’Ness, and in a good way.

Another thing to note here is the bike gets redesigned alloy wheels shod with mild off-road tyres, unlike the road-biased ones on the H’Ness. The rear tyre appears to be wider too. 

As for speculations, we expect the CB350RS to have a more committed riding posture compared to the H’ness CB350, thanks to rear-set footpegs and a clip-on handlebar. Coming to features, expect the RS to be loaded with full-LED lighting, a semi-digital instrument cluster, Bluetooth connectivity, traction control, slipper clutch, and a dual-channel ABS. 

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The CB350RS will probably be powered by the same 348cc air-cooled single-cylinder motor, which impressed us quite a lot during our road test of the H’Ness 350. The performance output will likely remain unchanged but it’ll be interesting to see whether Honda tweaks its state of tune for a more fun riding experience. For reference, the H’Ness CB350 makes 21.07PS and 30Nm.

Like the H’Ness, the CB350RS will also be available solely through Honda’s Big Wing dealerships. This might be a limiting factor, but Honda plans to rapidly expand its Big Wing dealership network by March. If the CB350RS is indeed a cafe-racer, it will serve as a direct rival to the Husqvarna Vitpilen 250.