Honda H’Ness CB350 competes against the likes of Royal Enfield Classic 350, Jawa Forty-Two and Benelli Imperiale
Automotive industry is like a house of dominos, one act of a price hike by a manufacturer may lead to other brands increasing prices of their products as well. Now, it’s the turn of Honda which is set to increase prices of H’Ness CB350. Dealers have revealed that the Japanese bikemaker is set to increase prices by Rs 5,500.
The new incremented price will take effect from April 1, 2020. Currently, prices of the retro-style classic motorcycle start at Rs 1,86,500 for the base DLX variant while the higher-spec DLX Pro trim is offered at a price of Rs 1,92,500. Since its launch late last year, this will be the second price hike for CB350.
Honda is yet to confirm any such development but it won’t come as a surprise since price increase of vehicles is a common practice at the start of a new financial year. Despite limited availability through Honda’s premium BigWing network of dealerships, CB350 has created a very strong buzz among motorcyclists in India.
Some of its strongest suits are its classic retro design, strong mid-range and low-range performance and exceptional refinement with a thumpy exhaust note. Since its launch last year, Honda has sold more than 13k units of the CB350. With the launch of CB350RS, Honda is expected to register even more sales in this segment.
| Month | CB350 Sales |
|---|---|
| Oct | 1,290 |
| Nov | 4,067 |
| Dec | 1,564 |
| Jan | 3,543 |
| Feb | 3,268 |
| Total | 13,732 |
Design & Features
Speaking of its design, some of the highlights include a round headlamp, a leather tan seat, a curvy fuel tank, and chrome-embellished fenders and exhaust. Presence of blacked-out components such as engine-gearbox assembly and alloy wheels gives it a contrasting appeal. Its equipment consists of modern features such as full-LED lighting, semi-digital console, Bluetooth connectivity and traction control.
Mechanical Specifications
The bike draws its energy from a 348.6cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that kicks out 20.5 bhp at 5,500rpm and a peak torque of 30 Nm at 3,000rpm. This unit is coupled with a 5-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch. Its hardware setup consists of a double cradle frame which is suspended on telescopic forks at front and dual shock absorbers at rear.
The motorcycle rides on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear alloy wheels while anchor duties are handled by a single disc brake at each end assisted by dual-channel ABS. It tips the weighing scales at 181 kg and can hold up to 15 litres of fuel.
Earlier this year, Honda also launched a scrambler version of CB350 called CB350 RS which is essentially the same bike with slightly sportier styling and ergonomics. We do not know yet whether the upcoming price revision will also involve CB350’s sportier sibling or not.
