[Sebring]

Everything is quiet on the Honda front. Been four days. No word on Test Rides. Nothing about the dispatch. Nada about pricing. Not even tentative dates. They just titillated and snapped shut.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Everything is quiet on the Honda front. Been four days. No word on Test Rides. Nothing about the dispatch. Nada about pricing. Not even tentative dates. They just titillated and snapped shut.

Still think Honda will wait for royal Enfield to launch their meteor before they lay out all their cards on the table. The pricing of 190 might be for the entry level and the other model commanding a slight premium for the Bluetooth and traction control. (God knows why you need traction control for a modest output of 30NM)
Royal Enfield seems to be delaying the launch as I think it's a battle of nerves between these two. Personally speaking i will compare the CB with the meteor, classic will get the J platform engine and it's unfair to compare the two as of now.

Test rides will wait since it's been a long weekend at the RTO offices and that should help them sort out the delivery dates.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

The pricing of 190 might be for the entry level and the other model commanding a slight premium for the Bluetooth and traction control. (God knows why you need traction control for a modest output of 30NM)

Traction Control is available in both models.

Deluxe Pro difference - Dual tone colour, dual horns and the voice navigation/Bluetooth.

Cheers

[KPR]

Originally Posted by arvi86

So, I made up my mind overnight and went online to book the H'ness CB350 only to find out Chennai doesn't have a Big Wing outlet. I had to choose between Coimbatore, Erode or Tirunelveli. What a bummer, this!

You can't stop with launching a product, Honda. You got to sell them too. There's no excuse for not having an outlet in Chennai!

For a change Honda has given importance to town people like us.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by KPR

For a change Honda has given importance to town people like us.

I'm glad they did. I'm only flabbergasted there's no representation in Chennai.

[texmonster]

Yes. Small town people like us can now hail Honda! BigWing Erode showroom opening shortly

I think PRO variant could be 10-15K more than Deluxe. Will Ex-showroom price be- Deluxe Variant ₹.1.85 Lakhs and PRO variant ₹.1.99 Lakhs ?

[bimbrahw]

Originally Posted by texmonster

Yes. Small town people like us can now hail Honda! BigWing Erode showroom opening shortly



I think PRO variant could be 10-15K more than Deluxe. Will Ex-showroom price be- Deluxe Variant ₹.1.85 Lakhs and PRO variant ₹.1.99 Lakhs ?

The dealer staff at Gurgaon have quoted 10k price difference between the two. Am eagerly awaiting the test drive. Say test drives will have to be done at the showroom, no test drives at home. RE on the other hand are too happy to send their TD bikes for TD at home. HMSI needs to understand the kind of segment they are launching this bike, the clients are spoilt by 4 Wheeler dealers bending backwards to sell their product, something RE probably understands well.

[Sebring]

A little birdie at the Honda showroom told me to wait for a pricing surprise. Rs. 1.90 Lakh (announced pricing) could be on the top model itself. But I think its highly unlikely (They usually quote the base model price). Fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by texmonster

I think PRO variant could be 10-15K more than Deluxe. Will Ex-showroom price be- Deluxe Variant ₹.1.85 Lakhs and PRO variant ₹.1.99 Lakhs ?

[groom]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Everything is quiet on the Honda front. Been four days. No word on Test Rides. Nothing about the dispatch. Nada about pricing. Not even tentative dates. They just titillated and snapped shut.

I got a call from Honda Bigwing Bangalore, Vittal mallya road showroom.
They have around 50 bookings, bikes are available to display and "short ride". the caller claimed lots of foot fall, 5000rs booking amount and fully refundable. First delivery starts end of the month, Pro version will on road around 2.5L is also the information.

He also said that they are from Silicon Honda showroom heritage, due to this may be services could be possible around the city in the future.

[Sebring]

Test rides have not been given to anybody. I confirmed today (just now) as well. So it is true that the top model costs Rs 1.90 Lakhs (2.50 Lakhs on-road)? That's good to know. Keep us posted

Originally Posted by groom

They have around 50 bookings, bikes are available to display and "short ride". the caller claimed lots of foot fall, 5000rs booking amount and fully refundable. First delivery starts end of the month, Pro version will on road around 2.5L is also the information

[oldschoolcool]

Originally Posted by Sebring

You know, Bangalore service is outside the City on Mysuru Road. I'll have to go that far for service. But as long as the service is good, I don't mind. This isn't a Unicorn, after all

VFM Honda will be opening a BigWing Showroom on 100ft road Indiranagar in Bangalore (early-November 2020). Dedicated to the 300 - 500cc lineup. Service Center to be located in Cambridge Layout (Ulsoor), exclusive to CB 350 for now! They are listed as an option on the Honda BigWing website during the booking process.

[neil.jericho]

I got a chance to check out the Honda CB350 today at the Cochin dealership. Im listing some of my initial observations along with a few pictures below.

- There were quite a few walk ins to see the 2 motorcycles at the dealership. Potential customers were keen on checking the feel of the bike and were asking the sales people about how quickly they could get delivery.
- No test rides till the end of the month.
- Deliveries will start by the end of the month.
- No on road price yet.
- No information on mileage or service costs or service intervals. Honda has just had the launch and then since that there has been zero information shared.
- Quite a few people started the bike to see if it sounded good. I could hear very positive feedback on the sound of the bike.
- The only expected official accessories are crash guards. Im not sure dealerships will be too happy with that, accessories are a profitable income stream for them.
- Around 48 confirmed bookings have already been made at the Cochin dealership. I am confident that the numbers will rise once the test rides start.
- Suspension felt firm, there was not much dive from the front.
- Fit and finish is good. No visible loose ends anywhere. Only the wire going to the O2 sensor bung was not properly fit on both bikes. I didnt get a good picture of it though.
- Seating position is super comfortable. You could sit on that bike and ride for hours.

Overall, this is a handsome motorcycle.


Very stylish and standout indicators. I liked them!


Egad, that chrome!


MRF Zapper S front tire. It is a 100 - 90 19 tire and not an 18 incher as I had expected it to be. Note the Nissin braking system.


Simple and functional dash. Neo retro styling is on point.


This is a good view to have considering this is a bike that you will probably own for many years.


Off center key slot. Expect to have your additional keys vibrating and jiggling along on the move.


Switchgear is OK. The glossy black paint finish around it is el cheapo. You can see the matt finish on the headlight in the background.


See what I meant by it being super cheap black paint?


The headlight.


Headlight seemed fine and bright given it was 3 PM in the afternoon. I asked someone to flick between low beam and high beam and there was some difference.


Side view of the headlight with the chrome ring and grey clock clamps. Just too many different colours and textures.


The blue paint is spot on. There was some discolouration on the white part but lets wait for the actual bikes to come out before passing judgement.


In reality, this paint scheme looks lovely. Be sure to remove that ugly red H'ness sticker.


Mirrors looked a little small.


Nissin brake resevoir for the front end.


Everything is neat and tidy.


Up close, the glossy black finish on the engine and clutch casings is way too shiny.


From a few feet away, the glossy black finish is fine but that chrome circle is atrocious. I would spray it with black paint on day 1.


Order one can of spray paint to cover this. To be on the safer side, use two cans.


Multi step (5 / 6? I couldnt tell for sure) adjustable rear suspension. I couldnt make out the manufacturer.


Nissin rear braking system.


Meaty exhaust adds a lot of weight to the bikes style quotient. MRF Zapper Y 130/70 18 rear tire. Royal Enfield 650 and 535 owners are highly indebted to Honda for making this size available for us by MRF


This looks super tacky to me. I would take a hair dryer and remove this immediately after delivery.


Rear brake reservoir.


Glossy black paint on the engine case and other bits. That part looks fine but that chrome in the middle is hideous!


Very stylish horn! Despite the chrome, I really liked them. A lot of RE owners will buy these horns and fit them on their bikes!


The stylish indicators smartens up a dull looking rear. That chrome mudguard is horrible to my eyes.

[MadTitan]

Honda has really done a good job with the CB350 (apart from the H'ness label).
As mentioned previously by some, this design with the 500 twin would be amazing.

I am on the fence thinking about the Interceptor 650, but the horrible pillion ergonomics, mediocre suspension and no option for alloys have been the reason I haven't taken the plunge.

The promise of a larger "thump" from Honda is enough to wait a little longer and then decide.

[Ashley Nair]

You seem to have a great aversion for chrome. But IMHO, the engine block too should have been chromed, to go in tune with the classic appeal of this bike. So also the alloys. ELSE, why should it be a self proclaimed retro?

[Motard_Blr]

The styling seems to be mish-mash of 70s and 80s elements. It doesn't seem cohesive and well thought out. At least on the styling front, RE is well ahead in my opinion. They seem to better understand styling. Ask their classic styled models are very good-looking and seem to have a broad appeal.

This is a Honda. So it will perform well and be reliable. And it will do both boringly well. But at this price, would customers not be expecting an emotional connection to this bike? I don't understand the appeal of Bullets, but I do understand that many people have deep connection to theirs. I hope that the soon to be launched Meteor is worthy of the same love.

For RE, the success of the bullet is a matter of life and death. So they will fight hard. Honda has little to lose as long as the Activa and its commuter bikes continue selling in the millions.