[Sebring]

Thank you for taking pains to explain. I took umbrage to the word 'Characterless', which to me meant the bike doesn't have a single attribute that appeals. Like you rightly said, smoothness is a character, reliability is another, and so on and so forth. This bike has all that and more. It is operating in that 'safe zone', so to speak. And those qualities are important to me.

Originally Posted by rahul4321

The KTM will never act like a Honda and will never be one as its character is not that of a Honda in terms of the smooth non-fussy way a Honda goes about its job with full reliability, familiarity, linearity and loyalty. But do these attributes make a bike devoid of character? Thats what the question is.

[SandyX]

Originally Posted by karanddd

It'll be interesting to see whether these bikes can appeal to the Classic 350 rider, who appears to pick character above all.

What interests me with the Classic is its vintage shape. That unibody headlight dome, old time looking front shocks, teardrop fuel tank and the rest of it harks back to an era of machinery-looking designs. Guess that's the "character" to me. I don't care much for the thump, it's not sustainable. I'd still go for the Classic in EV form if it stays true to its shape. On top of that, RE is the oldest motorcycle maker in continuous production which clicks for me.

So no, no other motorcycle, whatever anyone else tries, is going to take that spot when it comes to my purchase decision.

[karanddd]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Such a massive tear down of a Global Brand like Honda is not required, in my opinion. If, as per you, the mainstay of Honda is cars - what's the mainstay of Eicher Motors? Trucks or bikes? So why should they care more! Believe me these days no company has cash to burn on pointless expeditions, more so Honda. This is a very important product for them, and they're spending millions on BigWing dealerships and infrastructure (From scratch). By calling the CB350 characterless and dull, you are insulting the choices the few of us have shown in selecting this bike. Pray, which bike is full of character and is exciting - and will make the cut at 1.85 Lakh? Select one model from any global brand, and let us know. You picked up an RE, few will choose the CB350 - it's as simple as that. After all it's an open marketplace out there. And may the better product win.

I'm sure we can both agree that Royal Enfield as a brand has far more on the line than Honda. I mean Enfields around the world have a (justified) reputation for being dog slow and less reliable than even the most temperamental of the Italians. RE has its hands full trying to undo decades of sub-standard work. Honda in comparison has little to lose or gain as a brand.

I think there's tons to like about the CB. For one in my eyes it's simply better looking than RE's flagship roadster, the Interceptor. As for why I call it characterless or dull, its entire product design is obvious. From the name to the thump, its sole raison d'etre is to eat into the Classic 350's sales. Something about that feels disingenuous.

I honestly do mean to insult anyone's choice. A lot of factors go into picking a bike, and for Rs. 1.85 lakh, there may not be a better all-round bike than this. But I think bikes like the Xpulse and the Classic have the Honda beat for character. Part of that is design, part the intended purpose, amongst other things.

Character is of course a very fluffy concept, not amenable to precise analysis. It gets deployed most often by moto journalists to defend technically worse and less reliable Ducatis and other Italians (than their Japanese counterparts). Maybe that's what I am doing, defending inferior manufacturers and products in the name of character. But hey that's just how I feel. Different strokes for different folks.

[Sebring]

Now I understand where you're coming from. But the market for 'Enfield type' bikes are too huge to be ignored. Even Bajaj tried to eat into this pie by calling it an elephant, remember? The CB350 is not Honda's first foray into the premium segment. They have had only failures, in terms on numbers, for premium bikes in India. This bike has struck a chord, and because of certain attributes. I'm with you when you say that Royal Enfield is our pride and deserves to remain in their position. But there is room for improvement, and Honda's entry will only expand this market. Both will thrive, with 'character' exclusive to them. OT, but another thing I have heard on the forum is that Honda tried to emulate 'a design'. What exactly do you think they are copying? The tank looks different, styling looks 'Scramblerish'. In fact, when I go on to mod the bike next year, this bike will be more 'Scrambler', and less 'Bullet'. It's gizmos too were unique, at launch. If at all, anything came close to the 'Icon' - it's the tail light. Please think about it

Originally Posted by karanddd

IAs for why I call it characterless or dull, its entire product design is obvious. From the name to the thump, its sole raison d'etre is to eat into the Classic 350's sales. Something about that feels disingenuous.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by karanddd

Character is of course a very fluffy concept, not amenable to precise analysis. It gets deployed most often by moto journalists to defend technically worse and less reliable Ducatis and other Italians (than their Japanese counterparts). Maybe that's what I am doing, defending inferior manufacturers and products in the name of character. But hey that's just how I feel. Different strokes for different folks.

Character gets deployed maximum by RE and Harley owners.

Character is the smell of the exhaust of other bikes leaving you behind.

An old bike is like an old shoe. If you connect with it and get attached to it then even years later, long after it's gone, you still remember it with fondness.

That's character. And it's not bike specific.

Cheers, Doc

[Sebring]

Can't agree with you more. someone I know (In our CB group), put in a small 'RD350 like', stickering on the side panel. No one likes 'Highness' as branding. It's just good old CB350, plain and simple

Originally Posted by ebonho

An old bike is like an old shoe. If you connect with it and get attached to it then even years later, long after it's gone, you still remember it with fondness. That's character. And it's not bike specific

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Can't agree with you more. someone I know (In our CB group), put in a small 'RD350 like', stickering on the side panel. No one likes 'Highness' as branding. It's just good old CB350, plain and simple

My idea (if it's possible) is to not rip out the existing highness badge, but simply stick over it good radium sticker cut perfectly to fit the oval with the Honda wings in gold on it.

Cheers, Doc

[GP19]

Viaterra’s Falcon Sport Saddle bag fitted on my CB350. I learnt it hard way that it’s important have hands free while riding. Did few trips to my in-laws place and returned with loads of luggage which caused lot of discomfort.

[stealthcraft22]

So finally, after waiting over a month, I got the delivery of this bike on 01-Dec.
Here's the experience so far:

1. Dealership:
I brought from Bigwing Lavelle Road, Bangalore. They are simply overwhelmed by the numbers. However, they are doing their job to the best of their ability in terms of attending customers. I did not keep any unrealistic expectation therefore I was not disappointed. SA's are nice to talk to and know a thing or two about the bikes. Definitely an upgrade from your neighborhood Honda dealership. It remains to be seen how they carry on.
When the bike was pulled on to the ramp, it had smudge marks all over it. Looked like some over-enthusiastic chap applied wax all over the bike. Ayush from the dealership promptly got this addressed.
I was then explained about the Honda Bluetooth app and the representative helped me connect my phone and gave me a walkthrough of the app.
Then me and my wife hopped on to the bike, a quick photo-op, obligatory feedback form and voila, we are off.
Being Tuesday, there was hardly any waiting time and the whole process was over within an hour.

2. First ride:
I honestly did not expect the stock MRF tyres to grip the surface so well. The bike handles superbly. Having read and seen so much about the bike over the internet, I knew what to expect and that's exactly what I got. The riding position was apt for my 6'2" frame. I have a habit of putting the bike on center stand while sitting on it by pushing the stand to the ground and pulling the handle towards me. I could easily do that on this bike.
However, missus was not impressed with the pillion comfort - so there goes my plan of taking her for a K2K trip .
Bike did turn some heads on the road so there's that.
I will not get into the performance parameters since they have been covered extensively elsewhere and I have not had the bike for enough duration.

3. Closer look:
The finishing is top-notch all over the machine and one can only admire the effort and detail which has gone in to produce this motorcycle.
However, the side panels tell a different story. I opened the left one with the key to have a look. Everything is fine, but now I can't put it back and make it sit flush. It just wont lock from the bottom, no matter what I do. They lock seems flimsy as well and it won't take much time for anyone with a bit of experience to pick it. I didn't dare to open the other side panel or the seat.
The mirrors will get replaced very soon. The visibility is not that great, at least for me.

4. Second day:
RTO is surprisingly fast in Bangalore and I got my number right after the delivery so I decided to take it for a spin with the excuse of getting the number plates fixed. I took a detour and rode to Electronic City flyover to get a better feel. Like I said earlier, the bike handles very well. Cruising at 90 had no issues whatsoever, neither did a speed of 110 and the bike felt glued to the road - confidence all the way.

Stopped for a quick break:


Got the number plates done, and meanwhile, what's a bike without your favorite band's logo on it





5. Verdict:
This was a long pending upgrade for me from my 2001 CBZ, which I maintain in a mint condition, but haven't been able to ride as much because of the lockdown/lack of need to commute. I was looking for anything but a sports bike and the only other option was RE, which I'm not a fan of. Anything else was out of budget (Vulcan, HD etc.). Along came this and I immediately took the plunge. I would say I am satisfied with the purchase. This is exactly what I was looking for - affordable, performance, reliability and style - it ticks all the boxes for me.

Cheers,
Ankush

[texmonster]

New BigWing dealerships added in Tamilnadu (shown in BigWing website):

Chennai- KUN Honda
Tirupur- Raba KRR Honda

[srh]

Happened to take a test ride @ VFM Honda KR Puram, Bangalore. Went without an appointment in evening. The representative managing test drives seemed to be over worked - steady stream with a person walking in for the CB350 test ride every 10 minutes. Plenty of 'over selling' by the representative as well. Anyways, my turn came in about 20 minutes.

Coming to the bike, build quality/ fit-finish is good for the price. The bike is sizeable but at the same time, it is not overbearing. The saddle height is perfect for someone my height (165 cm). I would have preferred the rider foot pegs to be a little rear set. Somewhere, the bike gives the vibes of a Triumph Street Twin/ Bonneville (of course without the accompanying power/ torque). The best part of the bike is its maneuverability - its weight is simply not felt once you get moving. Ride quality is great too. Brakes seemed to have adequate bite - though I couldn't go beyond 90 kph. The only downer for me was the engine. It may be good for relaxed lazy riding at sub-100 kph speeds. Verdict - I will wait for this to come with the bigger engine (the representative claimed it will come with a 650 cc engine - but I have my doubts and think it will be 500 cc)

[IntoTheStorm]

Went to test ride the CB350 (H'ness name sounds cheesy and I don't like it). Ive already booked Meteor 350 customized model, but wanted to just try the Honda. I had to travel 70 kms one way to get to the nearest dealership for it, which kind of represents what many prospective CB350 buyers might be facing. SA told me that I should have booked test ride beforehand, but managed to arrange a 4 km long test ride. I've asked them if I can capture the experience on my GoPro and they were surprisingly friendly (Their only condition was that I should try and avoid capturing TR plate details). Vehicle felt surprisingly lite and nimble, the low end grunt being not as bad as I expected. The exhaust note is loud and addictive and Honda certainly did a better job than RE (Meteor 350). But I still prefer Meteor due to following reasons (strictly personal )
1. Looks : I love the retro 1960-70s styling but it kind of feels a bit disproportionate due to large 18 inch wheels ,large headlamp and gap between rear tyre and the mudguard. Rear end looks too simple, and again Honda could have done a better job
2. IP : Looks and feels plasticky and I don't like the silver finished ring and small LCD display that kind of looks like a half hearted job. I personally feel that Honda should have either given twin pods or at the very least a larger and more classier looking single pod (with chrome finish) with more legible LCD display
3. Seat : It feels alright for me, but my wife prefers more comfier Meteor pillion seat ( especially back rest support)
4. Low end grunt : CB350 lags behind Meteor in this case especially in 3rd gear onwards. That said its not as bad as portrayed by some YouTubers
Hopefully Honda will address these issues in the case of upcoming CB500 (or is it CB650?).
Overall Honda did a pretty good job in the first attempt ( in India) and CB350 will be definitely eating into Classic 350 sales volume.

[GandalfTheGrey]

Originally Posted by IntoTheStorm

Went to test ride the CB350 (H'ness name sounds cheesy and I don't like it). Ive already booked Meteor 350 customized model, but wanted to just try the Honda. I had to travel 70 kms one way to get to the nearest dealership for it, which kind of represents what many prospective CB350 buyers might be facing. .

I see you're from Chennai, may I know from where you took the TD? I too did book, and even picked up the Meteor. I was tired of waiting for a Big Wing to open in Chennai, so much that I didn't even bother to wait for CB and booked the Meteor. Even if one is opened, there would be just 2-3 Big Wings over the next few years in Chennai, but I have 5 RE SVCs, including company owned one, all within 10Kms of my house, a factor that weighed heavily towards Meteor.

Cheers!

[IntoTheStorm]

Originally Posted by GandalfTheGrey

I see you're from Chennai, may I know from where you took the TD? I too did book, and even picked up the Meteor.
Cheers!

I work in Chennai, and been WFH since July at my home town Palakkad,Kerala. So I took test ride from John's Honda Thrissur. Last month I drove 120 kms to Honda Bigwing Kochi, only to be told that they didnt have any test ride vehicles ( at that time)..
I visited 2 RE dealerships and did test rides multiple times, that are situated within a 5 km radius and I have booked my Meteor in Chennai, where there are umpteen RE dealerships ( including one which is just a kilometer away from my flat).
This lack of dealerships will seriously hurt CB350 volumes for sure!

[ownerofazkaban]

Lucky to have got early delivery from first batch in Oct/nov. My CB350 first serve was done at remote location as couldn’t ride back to Bangalore for service! Fantastic service and it definitely doesn’t cost like a space travel ticket. It cost me only 1200/- extra as Honda had very smartly lined up various cb350 services along Udupi, Mangalore.
So based on my experience, at least in Karnataka one should’t at all worry about lack of dealerships. All scheduled service during mine was 400-600 kms away from Bangalore.