Honda CB350 is currently sold in either DLX, DLX Pro, Anniversary Edition and the RS spec
When we talk about Honda motorcycles, products like CB Shine are the second-highest selling motorcycle in the country, after Hero Splendor. But when we talk about scooters, Activa is the king and is expected to be for the foreseeable future.
But Honda’s premium offerings like H’ness CB350 constitute about 50 times fewer sales than Activa. This is expected in a country like India where commuters and budget scooters outsell everything. But Honda CB350 is a retro-styled motorcycle that aims at nostalgic customers.
A similar strategy is employed by Royal Enfield and their Classic 350, arch-rival to CB350, sold 25,425 units in June 2022 and 29,959 units in May 2022. Where Honda H’ness CB350 sold 3,308 units in May 2022. This is a staggering difference between two different products aiming at the same audience. CB350 makes 20.78 bhp and 30 Nm which is more than Classic 350’s 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm. Still, Classic 350 is unmatched at this point.
Honda CB350 Brigade
In an attempt to drive more sales, Honda is aiming to hit the Indian nostalgia a little more. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has recently filed a trademark for CB350 Brigade name in India. Earlier this month, we saw Honda share a new teaser invite for 8th Aug. Are they getting ready to launch Honda CB350 Brigade on that date?
The Honda teaser had the word Formidable mentioned. Is it the teaser for CB350 Brigade – The Formidable Brigade Coming Soon? Only time will tell. Other options include Forza 350 maxi-scooter or CRF300L ADV CRF300L ADV was recently spotted in a Honda dealership which might be the more probable product to be launched in India next month.
So, what is Honda CB350 Brigade? Is it a new variant like we got the CB350RS? CB350 Brigade might be Honda’s attempt to pay homage to the Indian armed forces. It might be a special defence forces edition of CB350. This is not a new concept as Royal Enfield has been doing it for quite some time now. Even Jawa and Yezdi have done the same. With 15th Aug being India’s Independence Day, that is a possibility.
Launch & Competition
From Royal Enfield stables, we have seen Pegasus 500 and 350 Signals Edition. Pegasus 500 was a limited edition model which was designed to pay tribute to Royal Enfield’s involvement with British Army in World War II. It was limited to only 1,000 units worldwide. Some of those 1,000 units were also sold in India. Pegasus 500 was only offered with Classic 500 and in two exclusive shades namely, Olive Drab Green and Service Brown.
While Signals Edition is not a limited edition like the Pegasus 500 was. Also, Signals Edition is only offered in India unlike Pegasus 500 which was offered globally. Signals Edition was heavily inspired by Pegasus 500 in terms of looks, but was offered here in India based on Classic 350. Royal Enfield Signals Edition is an attempt by the Chennai-based company to pay tributes to Indian Military. It was offered in two colours namely, Airborne Blue and Stormrider Sand.
We can expect Honda CB350 to get a similar vibe as Royal Enfield Classic 350 Signals Edition. It might also feature the numbering like Signals Edition too and get exclusive colours. Right now, Honda CB350 range starts from Rs. 1.95 lakh (ex-sh) and we expect Brigade variant to be priced at a premium of Rs. 15,000.
