[bangaloreguy]

Originally Posted by Sebring

The last elusive colour; Matte Green. This gives it a proper retro look. And that's the 'divisive emblem', many are disliking.

The green looks nice. I checked it out at the showroom in Bangalore today and the initial impression is that this does not have great presence. Some colors are nice though. I feel Honda should have released a competitor to the Interceptor first. There seems tp be some inspiration from the Bonneville but lacks the same elegance. Overall, it is still a nice bike but Honda could have done better by bringing something like the CB400. This will probably coexist with the RE as the RE will continue to have nostalgic appeal but the Honda would be preferred for reliability. I think I heard the exec say that it's approx 2.40lakhs on road.

[Sebring]

Small details like USB charger/connector. And the very powerful dual horn (Standard on top version).

[Arjun Bharadwaj]

What a good looking bike!

Also, this should be the epitome of reliability going by numbers - now imagine this, a Unicorn at 150cc used to produce around 13bhp and was known for its quality and reliability. Extrapolate that to a 350cc Honda making 20 bhp, this machine should be able to run circles around the globe non stop
i have its younger cousin, a 6 month old FZ250 and am very tempted to upgrade now - searching for reasons not to do it!

[gthang]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Small details like USB charger/connector.

Congratulations on your booking. Unlike it's competition, you can buy one of these from the first lot without having to worry about being an unpaid member of the R&D team.

Did you happen to see if there is a helmet lock on the bike?

Cheers

Ride Safe.

[Sebring]

Hey thanks. Yes there is the helmet lock. Few more close up pics attached

Originally Posted by gthang

Did you happen to see if there is a helmet lock on the bike?

[ukalia]

IMHO Honda in all the probability has hit bull's eye here. The bike will have legendary Honda reliability with the charm of a classic bike. The power and torque figures are also not too initmidating for new riders. What matters here is the early arrival of peak torque and peak power. This would make this moderately powerful bike lively in the real life situation as the entire torque arrives earlier than even RE. Think Harley here. And once the peak torque arrives, the horse power takes over and this should ensure good throttle response and a very responsive engine in real life. Looks like this engine is not like those highly powerful engines that need to be thrashed to get the power. Think about the comparison between Duke 390 and Interceptor. There is not much of a difference between the two as far as acceleration goes because of the same reason -- Interceptor has both torque and power coming pretty early as compared to Duke 390. Going by the same comparison, this bike should endear itself to the touring community as well as the crowd who is aspiring for RE 350. Combine this with legendary Honda reliability, safety net like ABS and Honda Selectable Traction Control system, looks like Honda has a winner on its hands. This must be giving RE leadership team sleepless night. But going by the kind of engine RE has produced for 650 twins, looks like we are in for a Battale Royale!

[srishiva]

Only thing people might think that its influenced by RE is the cooling fin design. They could have made it wider and rectangular which could have also filled up the empty space it shows from the sides.
Real nice looking bike and colours.

[navin_v8]

"Better late than never", is the phrase that comes to mind while seeing Honda take the plunge and give the starved Indian market a 350cc retro classic in the form of H'ness 350. I am a self confessed Retro Classic fan, so this in my books is a winner. This is considering the rich history of the UJM all of which started with Honda CB750 before which the Japanese were using British engines and re-badging them for their domestic market. The UJM design is timeless and regal yet simple.

Those comparing this to Splendor and the likes need to read up on the UJM history and advent of how it came into being.

The power and torque figures are adequate for a 350cc retro classic thumper as this is no pocket rocket. 30 NM torque belted out at 3000 RPM is impressive and gives me a feeling that this is a relaxed motor. Only need to ride it to experience if it has my favourite FTC (Flat Torque Curve). The list of features and functions is indeed nice for the asking price.

Sure it will take a small pie out of RE's platter but I don't see it dethroning RE as they have a different market and their appeal is different.

But history also tells us that the UJM's were a death knell for British and European motorcycles. The Big 4 (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha) wiped them British and European bikes completely with their UJM's which lay the base for the famous Japanese inline-4 motorcycles.

As much as I love the H'ness 350, I will give it a pass and wait for the 500cc variant. Hope Honda gives us a twin 500cc retro classic based on the UJM next time.

Yamaha! time for you to wake up from your slumber and offer the SR400.

Let the games begin!

[foxworkz]

I just had to see the bike today! Here are a few pics from Honda Big Wing, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore.

"Splendour" reference is right. However, in person, the DLX Pro variant with the Stripes paint job (not a sticker) has a more 'Retro' vibe to it and looks better than the plain one IMHO:



In Green Matte. The seat cannot be removed, however, it comes with a helmet lock just above the saree guard (not seen here):


LED Headlamp looks nice. Notice the 'Ring Pattern' indicators:


Back Light:


Is it just me, or does this look awkward? To be fair, it's housed neatly:


'Babycorn' footpegs and the silver-finish footpeg holder (what is it called?) don't go well with the retro look of the bike. Centre stand - check. Back gear lever - check.


The digital display in the console unit is small and info looks kinda cramped. Negative back-lit. A USB port for charging on the right side of the console, comes standard on both models:


Two buttons on the left of the console. One to cycle through the features in the digital console, the other to turn on/off traction control. No, you won't break your index finger operating these:


The DLX Pro gets these handy buttons to cycle through the digital console. The DLX variant has nothing here. The Pass switch doubles up as Highlbeam switch as well:


Console cycles through Trip A, B, real-time km/l, avg. fuel consumption, range, battery voltage, and Total Kms. Gear position indicator, Fuel Gauge, and Time are standard. (Couldn't check out the Bluetooth features on the DLX Pro):


Traction control Off:


DLX Pro gets chrome covered double-horn. DLX gets single-horn. Aside, notice the single wire going to the exhaust; looks like a laaaast minute addition.


So glad that this is not on the tank! Font and size make it difficult to read...which here IS a good thing. Notice the paint job (and my stupid pose):


The bike's clean, simple, understated presence is definitely not for everyone but really had me going WOW!

The audio clips really don't do justice. Go to the showroom to get the real feel of the engine. It's smooth and yet it's loud. It's not an 'RE THUMP' but more for a 'Honda thump'. I really don't know how else to put it.

The bike is still not available for TD. (Something about new bike model paperwork with the RTO) From whatever I could make out revving it inside the showroom, there are absolutely no vibes on the handlebar. NOTHING. Rev it and all the smooth thump comes from the engine, but the handlebars don't even buzz! That's Honda for you.

The SA told me that there are just 80 bikes in the first batch. To be split between Bangalore, Gurgoan and Delhi. They had already received 28 bookings (and this showroom opened just yesterday! You can still smell the varnish.)

Deliveries by end of Oct. Test rides also around that time.

I'm excited!

[Sebring]

The UJM concept caught on in 1976. Splendor was launched in 1994. And was heavily inspired by that look. People are just saying that the dual paint job on the CB 350, makes it look like the overgrown Splendor. Just the tank bit. I heard people in the showroom say this too. But most guys are saying that this is the legendary RD 350 reborn (in terms on the design cue). And that's pushing even more sales. RE 350 sales were not growing (had plateaued). This product gives a new lease of life, and will expand the market. Both will grow.

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Those comparing this to Splendor and the likes need to read up on the UJM history and advent of how it came into being

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Honda should have taken some inspiration from RE on the rear grab rail too.

With more pics, I'm finding some mismatch between the front and rear section - the rear is rather sleek compared to a bulkier front.

[texmonster]

Few new points from Honda CB350 FAQ (probably from Honda training to salespeople):

Deliveries to commence by this month end.

Booking amount refundable untill the bike is invoiced by dealer.

Honda voice control system will give voice information via bluetooth to rider headset. App available only for android!

Presence of Eco indicator.


I have attached the FAQ with this post:

[Sebring]

I'm planning to have the rear grab rail removed at the showroom itself. It doesn't belong there. I have another friend who wants to book (for the second lot of deliveries). And he wants to cut the seat a bit (make it more like a single rider). That should look great too.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Honda should have taken some inspiration from RE on the rear grab rail too. With more pics, I'm finding some mismatch between the front and rear section - the rear is rather sleek compared to a bulkier front.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Sebring

The UJM concept caught on in 1976. Splendor was launched in 1994. And was heavily inspired by that look. People are just saying that the dual paint job on the CB 350, makes it look like the overgrown Splendor. Just the tank bit. I heard people in the showroom say this too. But most guys are saying that this is the legendary RD 350 reborn (in terms on the design cue). And that's pushing even more sales. RE 350 sales were not growing (had plateaued). This product gives a new lease of life, and will expand the market. Both will grow.

Mate the dual paint job is also a UJM original. If you notice all big 4 Japanese marquees were using similar tank graphics and design. Even the body design was similar if not same. That's exactly the reason why these kind of motorcycles were called UJM. It makes me think of a similar situation where people call Triumph Bonneville a Bullet due to their similar British design. RD350 too is a part of UJM and so is Yamaha RX100, Kawasaki KB125 Delta RTZ, etc.

[setuniket]

Since you have seen the bike in person, can you confirm if the front brake hose placement is just looking odd or is actually odd; it seems to be poorly thought out and looks as if it is going across the front fender!

Originally Posted by foxworkz

I just had to see the bike today! Here are a few pics from Honda Big Wing, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore.

I'm excited!