[Sebring]

The deep emotional connection happens at the garage. One day you're changing suspension parts, another day - changing engines settings, tweaking electricals etc. So within no time it does seem like the Bullet is part of your sweat and blood. Like you have created it. I've seen my cousins spend a lot of time on their RE and know exactly what you're talking about

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

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

[neil.jericho]

Vibration test - Pass / Fail?

I forgot to share this yesterday but I was quite interested to note that people were checking the visibility out of the rear view mirrors when the bike was given some revs. This is a classic (no pun intended!) feature of its well established competition. There were no vibes at all from the bike and the RVMs remained steady. I wont be surprised if our Indian reviewers have stand alone videos to test this aspect of the new Honda.

Honda CB350 vibration test

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

And it will do both boringly well.

Did you find it boring during your test ride?

But at this price, would customers not be expecting an emotional connection to this bike?

Might I ask what is the meaning of “emotional connect”? How do you define it?

I don't understand the appeal of Bullets, but I do understand that many people have deep connection to theirs.

Again, please explain the “connection” for us less informed.

Honda has little to lose as long as the Activa and its commuter bikes continue selling in the millions.

India’s top 2, two-wheeler manufacturer gets into a hotly contested segment with that segment’s leading manufacturer head on and you think it will be half hearted, half baked product?

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Did you find it boring during your test ride?



Might I ask what is the meaning of “emotional connect”? How do you define it?



Again, please explain the “connection” for us less informed.



India’s top 2, two-wheeler manufacturer gets into a hotly contested segment with that segment’s leading manufacturer head on and you think it will be half hearted, half baked product?

Wow! You seem to have taken offense to my post! Why?

Honda two wheelers in India is known first and foremost for reliability and quality. Not for performance, excitement, or other less than rational qualities. I would safely say that Honda is probably at the top when it comes to quality and reliability. Reliability is an admirable quality and that is something to which every manufacturer should aspire.

But if all that anyone wanted is go from point a to point b, why bother with anything more than an Activa or any other commuter two wheeler? Anyone ready to spend lakhs of rupees on a bike has a real passion for biking, in their own personal way.

The cruel joke I've heard is that acquiring a Bullet means acquiring a new best friend in the mechanic! If willingness to live with breakdowns and niggles is not love, then I don't know what is. Something about the Bullet makes its owner love it more than the average two wheeler.

Honda is not known to be risk-taking company. I don't expect this new model to be any different.

The sarcastic tone of your post is unnecessary. I would be glad to discuss your opinion or point of view more cordially.

[ukalia]

I have had RE TBH 500 for last 8 years now. The ownership has not been troublefree to say the least. So, I would definitely buy a bike that has road presence and gives me peace of mind too. RE UCE engines do not give that peace of mind. The twins are a different story though. So I am waiting eagerly for the test ride of Honda Highness CB 350. Any 0 to 100 of 10 seconds or less than that will do for me as when you are doing touring, one needs to have enough accelerations to overtake larger vehicles. RE 500 while having sufficient pick up becomes a vibrator at anything over 90 KPH. So I think Honda offering should be able to fill that bill.

Originally Posted by ukalia

I have had RE TBH 500 for last 8 years now. The ownership has not been troublefree to say the least. So, I would definitely buy a bike that has road presence and gives me peace of mind too. RE UCE engines do not give that peace of mind. The twins are a different story though. So I am waiting eagerly for the test ride of Honda Highness CB 350. Any 0 to 100 of 10 seconds or less than that will do for me as when you are doing touring, one needs to have enough accelerations to overtake larger vehicles. RE 500 while having sufficient pick up becomes a vibrator at anything over 90 KPH. So I think Honda offering should be able to fill that bill.

And I don't want my bike to do a 0 to 100 of 5 or 6 seconds too. So both RE Twins and KTM 390s are out of contention.

IMHO, I would any day prefer a Honda to a RE. I have had RE TBTS 500 for last 8 years now. It has come with its own share of problems as I bought the bike from the first version of TBTS 500 in 2012. I have had various issues varying from a clogged fuel tank, to failed Fuel Pump to a failed rear brake due to master cylinder issues. I have faced all. On top of it, the service interval of 3 months was a disaster as the bike would feel very rough after one month of service. It is only now that RE has sorted out the service interval issues (it is now 6 months) with UCE engines and I see a perceptible change in the way bike is behaving now after going with the new grade oil that RE has started using. Moreover I would not want my bike to do a 0 to 100 KPH of under 8 seconds. I am more comfortable with a 0 to 100 KPH of 8 to 10 seconds as it gives you enough acceleration on the highway for overtaking without putting you in a false sense of security. Add to it traction control and ABS on Honda Highness. I would rather go in for a Honda product anyday rather than buying a first version of a RE product and become their guinea pig.


Mod Note : Please use the EDIT or QUOTE+ (multi-quote) button instead of typing one post after another on the same thread!

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[Bismaya]

Originally Posted by ukalia

Any 0 to 100 of 10 seconds or less than that will do for me as when you are doing touring, one needs to have enough accelerations to overtake larger vehicles.

Considering the weight, nature of the engine, the fact that the powerband is based at low end and the bike isn't a high revving 4-valve motor, I sincerly doubt that's possible. Even bikes faster than CB350 don't get 0 to 100 in 10 secs. Maybe 20-25 seconds is what it'll take.

Also, here are the CB350 pics on Green Color.

Note: The person on the bike isn't me. I'm almost 5" 9 and will have no trouble reaching the ground with my both feet. Seating is better than RE Classic it seems.

[Vignesh_N/A]

Originally Posted by Bismaya

Even bikes faster than CB350 don't get 0 to 100 in 10 secs. Maybe 20-25 seconds is what it'll take.

It won't be that bad.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Bismaya

Also, here are the CB350 pics on Green Color.

.

Bike looks good man. I'm not a big fan of that brown seat though. And the front n rear mudguards should be body panel colored. On the dual tone sexy looking blue and white ones, they should have been in white. The chrome is jarring.

Cheers, Doc

[Bismaya]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Bike looks good man. I'm not a big fan of that brown seat though. And the front n rear mudguards should be body panel colored. On the dual tone sexy looking blue and white ones, they should have been in white. The chrome is jarring.

Cheers, Doc

I second your opinion about chrome. The choice of colors and some aesthetics can be improved in near future. So far my favorite of the lot is the Single Tone Grey color.

[Vasuki]

Originally Posted by Vignesh_N/A

It wont be that worse.

Attachment 2063156

OT : Out of curiosity, can you forward the entire list?

[starter]

Originally Posted by Vasuki

OT : Out of curiosity, can you forward the entire list?

https://motorbeam.com/wp-content/upl...age148-149.pdf

[neil.jericho]

Since I managed to get a close look at the Honda CB350 and Ive had some time to think about the bike, here are some of my opinions on Honda's approach.
- Ive been a massive fan of Honda's Big Wing expansion strategy. It is a sound business approach though to most enthusiasts, Honda's slow pace has been rather frustrating. I know that I am in the minority but if I was in charge at Honda, this is the same strategy that I would have employed for measured growth while maintaining very high customer satisfaction. Think of Rahul Dravid playing a marathon test innings, if you will.
- I find the predictions that Honda will pulverize the sales of the Royal Enfield 350 cc bikes to be mildly amusing. Honda cannot match the reach of Royal Enfield's sales and service network across the country. Even if Honda has a superior product, not having a SVC in a say, 150 - 200 kms radius of a potential customer, will mean that a RE 350 (Classic / Meteor) really has no competition in smaller cities and towns.
- I believe the Honda CB350 and the RE 350cc bikes will comfortably coexist side by side in the market place. The perceived quality levels of the CB350 wont sway all customers away from the RE options as most of us expected that it would.
- If I had to guess, I would say that Honda will do around 5000 units per month initially until they roll out more of the smaller Big Wing showrooms in Tier 2 cities.
- If I closed my eyes and visualized what a neo retro Honda competitor to RE would look and feel like, given that Honda had a tight price point to meet, this is what I would get!
- I have to tip my hat to Honda for how well they have controlled the launch. Zero test mule sightings. Near zero information leaked to the media. All we had were snippets of information that told us really nothing about the design of the actual bike. Most people predicted the Rebel 300 or 500 though in the end, the information that my little birdie had shared - a new 350cc bike for India which will be sold around the world, turned out to be the closest to the final product.
- As ku69rd rightly mentioned, right now its a question of who will blink first - Honda or RE? Diwali is right around the corner.
- I am sure Honda had 2 options in front of them
a. Develop a motorcycle that is far superior to the established competition with all round Honda goodness but then that would take the price point higher than what the market wanted.
b. Develop a motorcycle that is better than the established competition with Honda goodness at a price point that the market wanted.
Honda obviously went with option b to be as mass market and price competitive as possible.

And below are some opinions on the bike. I am well aware that that I am not the target audience for this motorcycle.
- The decision to take the CB series as a base for this new global platform is excellent. The Rebel is an outright cruiser and does not have the mass market appeal of the CB350.
- For those who are expecting premium Honda quality to be dripping from the motorcycle, be prepared for a reality check.
- I would not say that this is a motorcycle that feels "premium". But the truth is that this is Honda's offering based on what Indians perceive to be a premium motorcycle.
- The first impressions are very good. If you spend 2 minutes with the CB350, you could see yourself owning this bike for at least 5 years. Everything is as you expect it to be. Typical Honda efficiency at work and it shows.
- Look a little closer though and the cost cutting (that is admittedly a strong word) starts becoming apparent. The budget paint used around the switch gear is a glaring example. The different colours and textures make me think that the individual parts were designed and developed by different Honda teams without consultation with each other and then hastily assembled at the final stage. I just wish there was a sense of uniformity around the bike. Now that I have seen it these 50 different shades of blacks, I cant unsee it. It is very un-Honda like to be honest. To a (finicky?) customer like me, this takes away from the premium feel though it may not matter to 99.99% of Honda's target base.
- I cant stand the chrome. I can fully understand that this is what Honda's target market wants and that there is a minority base that will want body coloured bumpers and zero chrome. Honda, at least offer body coloured bumpers as an additional accessory. Oh wait, is that their master plan?
- Despite my disappointment on some of above elements, overall the bike does more things right than not. Honda dealers will be very happy!
- One thing that really stood out to me was the super light clutch. As in SUPER LIGHT. Commuters will easily be able to move up from a 100cc bike to this without any difficulty. I havent experienced such a light clutch feel on any RE bike till date. Stepping out of the showroom and onto my Street Triple 675 and it felt like I was in a gym and exercising my left hand muscles.
- Honda's brochure designers should have done a better job with showcasing the different colours. In the showroom, the paint schemes are a lot better than what you expect. Is it the old strategy of under promise (in the brochure) and over deliver (in the showroom)?

When details of the Honda CB350 emerged from the launch, the first thought that crossed my mind was - This is a motorcycle that has been built based on perfect market research.

Walking out of the showroom after spending 20 to 30 minutes poking and prodding the bike and examining it from all angles, the final thought that crossed my mind was - This is a motorcycle that has been built based on perfect market research. Well done, Honda!

[Sebring]

Nice pics. Wonder why they try to wax the matte paint and make it look bad. 'Matte is matte', either use a special cleaner or just dust it off. That's enough. It is true, indeed, that people will baulk at traveling long distances to service their bike. If Honda builds a 'band of brothers' kind of narrative around the bike like Harley and RE, even the long distance 'chore' becomes a pleasure to the avid biker. But that will take time. Honda just needs to expand as quickly as possible, once they fulfill this 'pent up' initial demand and do a good job there. I could see the showroom executives are too exhausted, (on the continuous walk-ins).

Originally Posted by Bismaya

Also, here are the CB350 pics on Green Color.

[setuniket]

I completely agree, it's called Stockholm Syndrome.

Originally Posted by Sebring

The deep emotional connection happens at the garage. One day you're changing suspension parts, another day - changing engines settings, tweaking electricals etc. So within no time it does seem like the Bullet is part of your sweat and blood. Like you have created it. I've seen my cousins spend a lot of time on their RE and know exactly what you're talking about

[foxworkz]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Honda two wheelers in India is known first and foremost for reliability and quality. Not for performance, excitement, or other less than rational qualities.

I'm not sure what your point is, but neither is RE! I don't think anybody honestly believes RE bikes are good on performance. In Honda's defense, they did have the CB250. Folks still go gaga over the CB250, the numerous posts and threads right here on this forum stand testament. And not to forget the backing of their parent company, the one with a legacy of producing some of the finest performance machines in the world.

One shouldn't be looking at their commuter bikes like Unicorn for performance for the very reason that they are meant for commuting.

But if all that anyone wanted is go from point a to point b, why bother with anything more than an Activa or any other commuter two wheeler? Anyone ready to spend lakhs of rupees on a bike has a real passion for biking, in their own personal way.

Again, this argument holds good for an RE Classic/Bullet (RE C/B) as well. Why buy an RE C/B when you can buy an Activa or a Splendour? There are those who have comfortably done Leh on the Splendour too! For all the lakhs spent, it's not like the RE C/B can set the road ablaze. And not everyone thinks 'exciting' means vibes on the handlebar when you're doing 80. Performance does not imply only speed, and even if, for argument sake, we assume that for a moment, the RE simply does not deliver on that parameter.

Besides, I don't think folks looking at this segment are looking for performance in terms of outright speed anyway.

To say that the Honda CB 350 will NOT deliver, at this stage (without the TD or reviews or ownership inputs) is...well, just an opinion. I'll say 30 nm segment-leading torque, you'll say RE classic styling; I'll say slipper clutch, torque assist, Bluetooth, you'll say RE classic thump. We can debate till the proverbial cows come home and all we'd have done is waste our time.

The cruel joke I've heard is that acquiring a Bullet means acquiring a new best friend in the mechanic! If willingness to live with breakdowns and niggles is not love, then I don't know what is. Something about the Bullet makes its owner love it more than the average two wheeler.

I love my P150 too, 14 years and counting. I feel anxious when the mechanic dismantles her during servicing, and I don't sleep well when she's at the mechanic's overnight; that one nudge by that auto guy in traffic sends me into a fit of rage for a week. To say that only RE owners feel for their bikes and the rest of us, who may or may not have spent north of a lakh, don't feel the same way about our bikes is presumptuous and simply not true. We just don't have a reputation for spending as much time at the mechanic's, and honestly we are thankful for that.

There are those of us who've wanted something better than an RE and this is it (at least, as a good alternative). While it doesn't look like an RE (and it shouldn't) it has it's own understated, elegant charm, the number of people going bonkers in this thread including myself is proof enough.

RE Classic sure is a good looking bike but it should not be taken as a benchmark for looks, merely because looks are subjective. Personally, I'd pick the CB350 any day of the week and twice on Sunday, over an RE.

Honda is not known to be risk-taking company. I don't expect this new model to be any different.

If anything, I'd say Honda has taken a big risk with this CB350. They've spent 2 years in developing this bike. They retraced their own UJM legacy and re-created this bike just for the Indian market. Knowing very well that they can never take away the entire pie off RE's hands, they've still gone ahead and launched this. Sure, they might spectacularly fail and yet they're launching premium showrooms in 75 cities all over India just to cater to this segment. Here's an article from 2019:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/71925974.cms

60+ years are RE is still giving us unreliable bikes. Bikes that not just break down anywhere and anywhere, but also break apart literally into two! That's a matter of life and death. There's something to be said about that, no matter how hardcore a fan you are. If you ask me, 'Atrocious' with a capital A is the word, no two ways about it.

Now, there are some of us who just cannot dream of putting up with that. While Bajaj is playing their old game of giving the same name to various displacement avatars, and TVS is wondering what new colour to introduce to their fleet, here is Honda's answer with a CB350 - Made for India, Made in India.

If that isn't taking risk, I don't know what is.

Peace