Honda CB350 – A Timeless Classic From Honda

By R.Venkitachalam

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) introduced the latest variant of their CB350 in India, all-new “retro classic” CB350, in November, 2023.  Mr. Tsutsumu Otani, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said

“We are absolutely thrilled to expand our mid-size 350cc motorcycle line-up with the launch of All-New CB350. It proudly takes forward the rich legacy of Honda’s CB DNA and will provide the joy of riding to our customers. We are confident that the launch of this retro classic motorcycle will excite new buyers to join the ever-growing CB family.”

Mr. Yogesh Mathur, Director, Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, 

“The introduction of All-New CB350 marks yet another significant milestone for our flourishing premium motorcycle business vertical. Ever since their launch, Honda’s middle weight 350cc motorcycles have delighted customers across various markets. Together with our widespread network of premium BigWing dealerships, we are confident that the new CB350 will offer an exhilarating experience to buyers.

(Perhaps the undeclared goal is to grab a big chunk of the market share in the 350cc segment dominated by the Royal Enfield).

History of CB

The CB legacy of Honda began in 1959 with the Benly CB92 Super Sports and the CB series boasts the longest history among Honda’s road sports models.  From there the builds went one. The most famous among the CB series is the CB750, a four-cylinder marvel that became the death knell for the British bike industry. Honda BigWing showrooms across India proudly display a pictorial history of the CB series starting from the Benly CB92. This image is a low resolution one shot on a cell phone

Yes. As Mr. Tsutsumu said, the new CB350 proudly takes forward the rich legacy of Honda’s CB DNA

Styling

The new CB350 is a timeless classic design from Honda, and one that reflects the artistry of motorcycle designs from a bygone era. The muscular fuel tank, classic long metal fenders, metal covers for the front fork, split seats, round head lamp, the tail lamp, the long chrome exhaust, the round RVMs … all vindicating the timeless classic design.   

Some of the features are variant specific. Mine is the base variant in Pearl Igneous Black.

Ana-digi instrument cluster with buttons to scroll through the menu/info,  Honda Smartphone Voice Control system –  (HSVCS) providing advanced information on the go,  Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) (these two features are available in the higher priced variants) , assist & slipper clutch system, emergency stop signal feature that alerts sudden braking to vehicles behind by flashing hazard lamps, telescopic front forks,  Nitrox filled rear shocks, single  discs-310mm at the front and  240mm  at the rear with dual-channel ABS as standard, road gripping tires, traction control– well all these reflects the words of Mr. Tsutsumu:

“will provide the joy of riding to our customers. We are confident that the launch of this retro classic motorcycle will excite new buyers to join the ever-growing CB family”

Thus, for its price, retailing at INR199990.00 for the basic variant, the CB350, the neo-Thumper, is one of the least expensive 350cc cruisers in the segment. Yes. You get “a lot of bike” for your money.

Engine and Performance:

The new CB350 is powered by a  348.36cc, air-cooled, 4-stroke, single-cylinder engine. This is a PGM-FI  BSVI OBD2-B compliant  engine. The power and torque figures are  15.5 kW power at 5,500 RPM and 29.4 Nm of torque at 3,000 RPM.  A hidden design feature is the use of low friction technology of Honda. More about this later. The five-speed gearbox has beautifully spaced gears that makes the riding of the bike a pleasure, whether on the long highways or chaotic city traffic. The ratios are spot on.  

Weighing around 185 kilograms, the new CB350 is an easy bike to ride. The low CG of the bike coupled with a low seat height contribute to the easy handling. The clutch- an assist & slipper type, the responsive brakes, the good throttle response, the “heel-toe” gear shift lever, the near absence of vibrations, all multiplies the pleasure of riding. The exhaust sound is awesome. (It appears that the engineers who designed this motorcycle love to play the Kodo drums). It feels like a classic thumper. The bike sounds great as the engine noise is down to a minimum.   

Electricals

The lights are LEDs, all around and the dual horns sounds good. The head light, while appearing under powered, will light up the roads provided you take the efforts to focus/tilt the light properly.  Not much more to write about these.

Pros

Simple, affordable, reliable… most valuable qualities for me. For me, when saying this I am fully aware that “for me” this is a complete motorcycle.  In fact, what a motorcycle ought to be. A true classic design replete with all the modern tech coupled with the bullet proof reliability of Honda – what more do I need from a motorcycle!

Cons

None! Yes. None! No surprise! I have owned a few motorcycles, one of them a classic 350cc thumper from a “famous brand” in India, and without any doubt I can say that this motorcycle is perfect. My CB350 proved extremely reliable on my fortnight long 5000kms ride. More about this ride and a 5k km review later in this blog.

Price and Availability:

The Honda CB350 has an attractive price tag of Rs. 1,99,990 for the DLX variant and Rs. 2,18,622.00 for the DLX Pro variant (ex-showroom Kollam/Quilon at the time of writing this). I purchased mine from the Kollam/Quilon showroom. The purchase experience was an immensely pleasant one. (Will write about it later in this blog).  It is available at all of the HMSI’s premium BigWing dealerships across the country. HMSI provides special 10-year warranty package (3-year standard + 7 year optional) on the product to offer a peace of mind ownership experience to customers.

For more details go here: CB350 | Honda BigWing | India | Honda

Acknowledgements: The quoted texts are from https://www.aninews.in/news/business/business/hond…