Upcoming Honda H’Ness CB350-based Variant Could Be A Cafe Racer

Going by the new teaser, Honda will possibly introduce a sportier version of the H’Ness CB350

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

The bike will be launched on February 16.  It is likely to be priced a little over Rs 2 lakh (ex-showroom). Like the H’Ness CB350, this motorcycle will also likely be sold only via Honda’s premium BigWing dealerships.

Honda is all set to launch a new bike based on the Honda H’Ness CB350 on February 16. While we initially believed it could be a scrambler, likely to be called the Honda CB350X, Honda has shared a new teaser image and a video in a cafe setting, hinting at the possibility of it being a sportier cafe racer. Looks like Honda is trying to replicate Royal Enfield’s 650cc platform in the 350cc segment. The Chennai-based bikemaker offers both the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 under the same platform.

Consequently, expect the bike to have sportier ergonomics. It could feature a clip-on handlebar and rear-set footpegs for a more aggressive stance. The alloy wheels match up to the bike’s racy demeanour too. While cafe racers usually have performance-oriented road-biased tyres, this motorcycle confusingly wears mild off-road-oriented MRF Zapper Kurve tyres.

Expect the motorcycle to be powered by the same 348cc single-cylinder air-cooled counterbalanced engine. Churning out 21.07PS and 30Nm, it is one of the most refined motors we’ve ever experienced in its segment. You can read more about how the bike feels to ride in the real world in our detailed review report.

Rumours are running rife that the upcoming bike may be called the Honda CB350RS. If true, the nomenclature will be similar to what Honda has done with its big retro bike: the CB1100 and CB1100RS. The motorcycle could be priced at around Rs 2.10 lakh (ex-showroom), and is likely to be sold only via the brand’s premium Honda BigWing dealerships. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the motorcycle performs in our market since cafe racers aren’t as popular as roadsters. That’s because the latter is more practical in terms of ergonomics and usability, thus attracting a wider sect of audience. That said, this motorcycle might work well for the export markets where the demand for cafe racers is larger than ours. All said and done, we are still hoping Honda brings out a scrambler variant, perhaps as the third iteration in the future. Stay tuned on February 16 when we bring out all the details on the upcoming Honda bike.