[R.G]

Visited CBC Honda , Trivandrum showroom . Both variant copies in all the 6 different shades are available for display. DLX Pro in Blue Metallic colour looks absolutely smashing and resembles Bonneville at least to my eyes, which I am a big fan of. I didn't test ride the bike.

Exhaust note is nice and loud , but I like my bike quiet. Enquired about DB killers as OEM accessory to which the guy mentioned that there were couple of similar enquires and no official information available for them yet. He even mentioned that people prefer these bikes for the exhaust note and might have found my question funny.

Enquired about the split seat option that I found in one of the videos @texmonster helped me find . The accessories are not available for them yet and he mentioned they should be available soon.

Booking amount is 5K (against 10K for meteor) and the current waiting period is 45 days .When I mentioned my intention to get the vehicle sometime early next year , he said there would be 4 new models from Honda next year and one as early as January. I read @neil.jericho's post regarding Forza 300 today morning and I asked if it is the same . He said it would be a sports model and not Forza. He also mentioned about two ADV's and didn't confirm any models. I asked about CB500 for which he didn't have much information.

[Sebring]

VFM Honda had organised a long ride for CB350 owners. We (16 bikes in all) rode 50 Kms to Torino's Cafe early at 6.30AM, and had a fun filled day. The ride was topped off with valuable inputs by experienced riders, on safety aspects. They even made a note of issues, if any. Returned home only by 3PM. Honda is keeping us engaged, and how!

[Sridhar K]

Originally Posted by RJ411

Any news about dealership in Chennai ?

The twitter handle of Bigwing Honda gives a template response, but do we have any realistic news about this ?

Thanks
Ragav J

I am also looking at Highness 350 as one of my longstanding wish was getting a bullet with a Honda engine. You may wish to check JSP Honda in Anna Nagar. Their website is listing HH350 and planning to call them in a weeks time

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

a bullet with a Honda engine.

Interesting.

I don't think either manufacturer would be overly excited though by such a twist. Lol

Cheers, Doc

[Sebring]

Hi, Have faith. My friend at VFM Honda told me that five bikes are leaving to Chennai, this month, from Bangalore. These will be TD bikes. Regarding bookings and deliveries I have zero info

Originally Posted by RJ411

Any news about dealership in Chennai ? The twitter handle of Bigwing Honda gives a template response, but do we have any realistic news about this ?

[Sridhar K]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Interesting.

I don't think either manufacturer would be overly excited though by such a twist. Lol

Cheers, Doc

I always liked the form factor, thump of the bullet and wished it had a honda like engine and reliability. Or even wished Honda produced a bike that looks and sounds like a bullet in India. Somebody in Honda seems to have decided to fulfill my wish.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

I always liked the form factor, thump of the bullet and wished it had a honda like engine and reliability. Or even wished Honda produced a bike that looks and sounds like a bullet in India. Somebody in Honda seems to have decided to fulfill my wish.

And Honda being Honda knows there are tens of thousands of guys like you in India.

The thing is, the CB has remained a CB.

It's just that India is getting a big CB half a century after the developed world got it.

Cheers, Doc

[stealthcraft22]

Originally Posted by Funny

Another classic case of misleading customers. The rate of 5.6% being offered would be a flat rate of interest compared to the traditional reducing rate of interest schemes that the banks offer normally for a two-wheeler loan. Majority of the EMI calculators online use reducing ROI for calculation hence you will see incorrect results if you want to calculate for flat ROI. For side by side comparison, you may use this Flat Interest Rate vs Reducing Interest Rate calculator. Using the same calculator, 5.6% flat ROI would translate to 10.29% reducing ROI for amount of 2 lacs for a period of 4 years.

I wrote an email to ICICI and Honda to inform them of this fraud. I myself availed this loan and it got approved yesterday. I didn't think much of the EMI at the time of signing the documents. I wonder why.. I always make sure that I do all my calculations right but didn't do it this time. Perhaps I was too excited about the bike than anything else.

I'll now wait for their reply to find out how they see this.

[stealthcraft22]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Thank you. Yes, updating to the alloys and tyres. When that's available

I'll be glad to swap the tyres if there are any takers
Keep us posted

[RJ411]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Hi, Have faith. My friend at VFM Honda told me that five bikes are leaving to Chennai, this month, from Bangalore. These will be TD bikes. Regarding bookings and deliveries I have zero info

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

I am also looking at Highness 350 as one of my longstanding wish was getting a bullet with a Honda engine. You may wish to check JSP Honda in Anna Nagar. Their website is listing HH350 and planning to call them in a weeks time

Thank you both. I will give a call to JSP Honda Anna Nagar and check it out.

BTW Congratulations Sebring on the bike, have been following your ownership thread and the bike looks stunning in white & blue.

[schitre05]

Booked the CB350 - RE fanboy

Background: I have been riding the RE TB for more than a decade and have been a fanboy of the brand from god knows when. So after about 11 years and more than 1.2L kms of riding the TB, it was time for me to search for a new ride. TB was my daily ride for office commute, market runs, school runs etc.

Among other brands Honda had the CB350 (hate the word Hness), of which I had already taken a short test ride and RE had the Meteor coming. So when Sid Lal rode the Meteor in the Welsh mountains, his monologue, his bubbling enthusiasm caught me, again, the last time I had this feeling was when RE launched the twins and I ended up running to the RE store with the cheque in my hand and being one of the first few to book the interceptor. Now don't get me wrong, the Interceptor is a brilliant machine at the price point, however it took some time, effort and money to make me like it to my expectation.

Right!, so this time too I went to the RE store. Sid Lal has that charisma, you have to agree. He strikes a special chord with the rider in you. You somehow want to believe him. This time around however, I went without the cheque ( something stopped me), I took the test ride, the bike was all that he had described; comfortable, unhurried, smooth, well equipped etc. but it was missing something. It was missing that magic, that aura that surrounds the brand and the bike, or was I already spoiled by something else? I couldn't understand it then.

Immediately after the Meteor test ride I went to the Big Wing showroom and took another test ride of the CB350, my 2nd, this time longer, spent some more time with the bike.

Test Ride: No vibrations, butter smooth engine, linear pick up, great brakes, super light and fantastic steering, comfortable seating position (however RE scores big here) lovely exhaust, haa! the exhaust, Meteor still has the engine tappet sound and then when you are at the back of the bike you hear the exhaust, CB350 on the other hand sounds smooth, engine and the exhaust sound like one symphony, unlike the RE.
It is difficult to convince someone who doesn't want to get convinced. I was trying to convince and reason, its a RE it is supposed to sound the way it sounds.

A week later, still undecided went for another round of comparison test rides. This time took the CB350 test ride first. The test ride was flawless, consistent and enjoyable, The bike is very easy in the city and stable on the highway.
Satisfied, went to the RE for Meteor. Started the bike and immediately felt the difference, the bike had developed vibrations in the footpegs, the gear lever felt a bit industrial, the tappet sound was a bit pronounced now please don't get me wrong, these are not deal breakers in anyway, maybe the RE had way more footfall and more test rides than the Honda, maybe the CB350 was serviced recently, OR maybe I was spoilt by the Honda. whatever the reason, decision was made. Went back and booked the CB350.

Still a RE Fanboy, no doubt, but the magic is slowly but surely waning off

Cheers!

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by schitre05

Started the bike and immediately felt the difference, the bike had developed vibrations in the footpegs, the gear lever felt a bit industrial, the tappet sound was a bit pronounced now please don't get me wrong, these are not deal breakers in anyway, maybe the RE had way more footfall and more test rides than the Honda, maybe the CB350 was serviced recently, OR maybe I was spoilt by the Honda. whatever the reason, decision was made. Went back and booked the CB350.

Still a RE Fanboy, no doubt, but the magic is slowly but surely waning off

Cheers!

Cheers on booking the CB350.

It takes a long-time RE rider to recognise the signature RE DNA first off, immediately.

So glad to read your post.

This is what I had said when I saw and heard the Meteor (you tube video posted by someone here) for the first time. This was on the 4th of November -

"Looks like a baby Harley wannabe now than something remotely RE (and they've still not lost the gap of skylight between the tank and frame and engine).

But sounds as rough and grating as most new-age REs do ... so that's on point.

Typical hollow ringing metallic sound that screams compromised metallurgy and heat-cycled lubing ... and seizure."

Cheers, Doc - Bulleteer. NEVER an RE fanboy.

[Sebring]

This is interesting. I was told by a veteran biker that the Meteor and CB350 are different bikes, and wont cross paths. I guess it's the novelty and the fact that both were launched at around the same time, right? The riding styles are totally different, as well. Where are the similarities, if any? (As per you). And congrats on your booking. What's the wait time now?

Originally Posted by schitre05

It is difficult to convince someone who doesn't want to get convinced. I was trying to convince and reason, its a RE it is supposed to sound the way it sounds.

[tchsvy]

All the Hyderadabis interested in the CB350 and would like to check the bike out or even TD it, can visit the Fortune Honda Showroom at Ranigunj, my friend has visited the showroom today and is taking the bike for a TD as we speak.

[schitre05]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Cheers on booking the CB350.

It takes a long-time RE rider to recognise the signature RE DNA first off, immediately.

So glad to read your post.

"Looks like a baby Harley wannabe now than something remotely RE (and they've still not lost the gap of skylight between the tank and frame and engine).

Bulleteer. NEVER an RE fanboy.

Thank you Doc.
Only when you hear a refined engine, you actually realize how an engine is supposed to sound. and lets not confuse this sound with the firing from the exhaust.

Originally Posted by Sebring

This is interesting. I was told by a veteran biker that the Meteor and CB350 are different bikes, and wont cross paths. I guess it's the novelty and the fact that both were launched at around the same time, right? The riding styles are totally different, as well. Where are the similarities, if any? (As per you). And congrats on your booking. What's the wait time now?

Firstly Thank you! and I am following your thread, kindly keep it alive.

Well, the gentleman may be correct and this is the exact discussion they would be having in their boardrooms too. However the ground reality for an Indian biker/ enthusiast is quite different.

A regular Indian biker still looks for a do it all two wheeler, otherwise we wouldn't have the Xpulses and Himalayans seeing more of the office commute than the wilderness and on the other hand examples of Activas and Ntorqs conquering the high passes of ladhak on regular basis. Hence the price point, features and of course individual requirement/choice too play an important role, otherwise why would one pay close to 2.4L on glorified commuters that can do touring on weekends. Hell!, give me a Unicorn with dual channel ABS and I would be a happy customer, forget the dual channel we don't even get the option of a dual disk.

Cheers!