Honda CB350RS

The Honda CB350RS is the sportier derivative of the H’ness, with different tyres, rear-set footpegs and flatter handlebars. The bike is aimed at younger riders who also like to ride on light trails. Here’s how it performs in the real world:

The CB350RS can be best described as the youthful sibling of the H’ness 350 and the design features that Honda has used clearly makes the bike stand out. The first thing that people will notice is the ring around the LED headlamp and its rear LED tail lamp that looks very similar to the one we have seen on the CB300R. The indicators are sharper compared to the H’ness’ round ones.

There are other changes such as the bashplate and a new upswept exhaust that comes in a matte finish. These changes are complimented by a sportier riding posture with rear-set footpegs and a wider handlebar. The colour schemes that have been offered with this bike, even on the newer editions, have a distinctly modern appeal to it as opposed to the retro design on the H’ness.

The CB350 gets the same 350cc air-cooled single cylinder engine that the H’ness has, mated to a 5-speed gearbox. It produces 21.07PS at 5500rpm and 30Nm at 3000rpm.

Since it’s the same engine as the H’ness, it also suffers from the same weaknesses. That means, it also lacks bottom end torque. However, once you’re past the initial sluggishness, riding around in the city is a breeze. Another pain point is the tall gearing that makes overtaking tricky. It also makes riding uphill less exciting as the bike feels like it has run out of breath on such roads. Refinement wise, the engine is absolutely amazing, and vibrations won’t be felt even at higher speeds.

Handling wise the CB350RS is quite impressive and the first thing that a rider will notice is the responsiveness this bike displays. Weaving in and out traffic is quite easy. The light kerb weight of 179kg makes the handling even better and so does the sportier riding posture. 

When looking at ride quality, the engine refinement combined with the suspension setup provides the rider with a very pleasant overall experience. It feels quite nice to cruise at higher speeds thanks to the lack of vibrations. Moreover, the suspension setup is balanced enough to ride over bad roads with ease. The 168mm ground clearance is also decent for most potholes.

Braking is handled by a 310mm and 240mm at the front and rear respectively. The brakes are quite responsive, giving excellent feedback and bringing the bike to a halt quickly. Dual-channel ABS is standard on all variants.

When it comes to comfort, the CB350RS doesn’t disappoint. While it may not be as good as the H’ness with the upright riding posture, the CB350RS still does a decent job. The wide seat is quite spacious and when it comes to seating comfort, the seat is a bit towards the softer side but not too soft that it starts becoming uncomfortable. As mentioned earlier, the suspension setup is able to handle most potholes and rides on the CB350RS overall are quite smooth.

In terms of features the bike comes with all-LED lighting and a semi-digital instrument cluster. The instrument cluster offers a wealth of information from average mileage and distance to empty to gear position and battery voltage. All variants except the base DLX get smartphone connectivity via bluetooth, turn by turn navigation and Honda Smartphone Voice Control system (HSVCS). The bike also gets a switchable traction control system, along with smaller things like hazard lamp functions and toe-only gear shift lever. That said, the switchable traction control doesn’t really make sense for a bike in this segment.

The Honda CB350RS is a bit expensive for what it offers. More importantly, the Honda CB350RS doesn’t have a clear identity. It feels more like Honda made the CB350RS as an alternative to the H’ness for just the sake of it, and the bike doesn’t live up to the hype either. If you’re looking for a relaxed, old-school motorcycle with modern elements, you might be happy with buying the H’ness itself, unless you’re willing to pay a premium for the slightly snazzier styling of the CB350RS.