[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by R.Daroga

I've seen a friend's Highness rust from the chassis and the chrome. Also the black engine paint has started peeling off. Is it an issue with the initial lot bikes that Honda has sorted by now or is it an inherent lack of quality?

Asking because I'm interested in the RS but have become skeptical after seeing the rusting issues online and now first hand on my friend's bike. Owners please suggest.

PS: I live in Bombay, very close to the sea

Chassis rusting is not acceptable on a new motorcycle at least.

But Chrome Rusting is normal especially if your maintenance is poor, more so in coastal areas.

As for the engine paint peeling on air cooled motorcycles, this is common and mostly depends on use.

Hope that helps.
A.P.

[Sebring]

I live in Bangalore and so have had no rust issue. Sea-side, it's expected I guess. Yesterday I found something very concerning after a long ride. I got off the bike and there is this gap. I was perplexed. On checking it, I found the 'solo' nut holding the seat in place had fallen off. Always knew this was a design flaw. Imagine if I had fallen down with the bike seat, at such highway speeds!

Originally Posted by R.Daroga

I've seen a friend's Highness rust from the chassis and the chrome. Also the black engine paint has started peeling off. Is it an issue with the initial lot bikes that Honda has sorted by now or is it an inherent lack of quality?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by R.Daroga

I've seen a friend's Highness rust from the chassis and the chrome. Also the black engine paint has started peeling off. Is it an issue with the initial lot bikes that Honda has sorted by now or is it an inherent lack of quality?

This shouldnt be happening. Especially chassis rust! Ask your friend to push for a warranty replacement on the chassis and bring the paint peeling to the attention of the Honda area service manager. They will probably repaint it.

The most recent posts on this thread that have highlighted quality issues with the Honda 350 platform, are a little concerning. Handle lock issues, rust on the chassis, paint peeling, nuts falling off! I wonder how well these 350s will last as owners pile on tens of thousands of kilometers in varied terrain.

On a lighter note, I dont think this is what customers expected when they bought a Honda made Royal Enfield competitor!

[Sebring]

The bike is wonderful Neil. I have no regrets at all. The butter smooth engine, soft clutch and features are a delight. Being a long-time user I'm highlighting an issue here and there, so people may take note (Or probably help Honda with their next iteration). When I called Honda Service regarding this - Ravi, the service manager has promised to send it over to my residence. I'll use Loctite thread locker on it

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The most recent posts on this thread that have highlighted quality issues with the Honda 350 platform, are a little concerning. Handle lock issues, rust on the chassis, paint peeling, nuts falling off! I wonder how well these 350s will last as owners pile on tens of thousands of kilometers in varied terrain. On a lighter note, I dont think this is what customers expected when they bought a Honda made Royal Enfield competitor!

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

This shouldnt be happening. Especially chassis rust! Ask your friend to push for a warranty replacement on the chassis and bring the paint peeling to the attention of the Honda area service manager. They will probably repaint it.

The most recent posts on this thread that have highlighted quality issues with the Honda 350 platform, are a little concerning. Handle lock issues, rust on the chassis, paint peeling, nuts falling off! I wonder how well these 350s will last as owners pile on tens of thousands of kilometers in varied terrain.

On a lighter note, I dont think this is what customers expected when they bought a Honda made Royal Enfield competitor!

After about 7 months and 5500 kms of using the CB350, I'm gonna conclude that the bike does not offer the best quality. The quality of everything: the seat, the switches, the horns (the pitch of horn is very dependent on how much the throttle is open, something that super annoys me), the brakes, the headlight, the instrument cluster etc, all in all, the overall bike, has very mediocre quality. Something that is very typical of a Honda.

Trust me the only good thing about Honda is the engine reliability. Honda used to be much, much better 10 years back, in terms of quality of components. I know it is not related, but just look at the quality difference of the internal plastics and switches used in Honda City ZX of the years 2006/7 versus the Honda Citys of today. It's day and night. Now it is all flimsy. Before, it actually felt very premium.

Also, with all the riding on the CB350, I have noticed that the exhaust sound is not really natural, or should I say, "in tune" with the character of the engine. First it used to feel good. Now as time has passed by, I've begin to hate it more and more.

And, like I mentioned before, I am really on the lookout for aftermarket mods that can considerably boost the performance. I just find the bike too damn slow....and ordinary, for the lack of a better word. Yes, on the lower side of the rpms it is indeed very torque-y, but the midrange and top-end performance is very lazy. As more time has passed, it is beginning to annoy me more and more.

The seat is terrible. Seat shape and comfort are a dismal 2 points out of 10. The seat design and the way the seat is clamped onto the body is not scientific, it just doesn't make sense!

Speaking about the lock, it took one rainy season to mess up my locking mechanism. On the contrary, my old Hero HF Dawn, which we never even covered during rains, never ever had a locking problem.

Sigh. I first bought the KTM 390 Adventure, used it for 6 months (6000 kms), got annoyed and sold it. The bottom end wass terrible and the quality left much more to be desired. Bought the CB350 next. Now I am annoyed and want to replace it. Question is, what do I replace it with? Maybe an RE650. God knows!

All I'm looking for is overall quality. Good quality will suffice, even if it is not premium really.

[nerdgalore]

I think CB350 is a confused product. It feels out of place at a Big Wings showroom. The next bike thereafter costs at least 5.5 lacs more. Honda has built CB350 aiming particularly at RE 350 Classic and they have done particularly well in some areas. But it also meant it has to be brought in at a specific price point and cost-cutting had to be done (brand new engine development etc.). If they would have done a proper cruiser - added more power, comfortable seating, windshield, TFT display etc. it would no way be available at CB350's pricing.

Alternatively, it might also have been more palatable if Honda just sold it along other smaller Hondas rather than mimicking as a "premium" product.

I have ridden some of its rivals as well and none of them are any better in terms of overall quality. A little bit better here, a little bit worse there. Even the Interceptor which is more than a lac expensive has its fair share of gremlins (ergonomics, seat comfort, front suspension).

I intend to keep my CB350 for a couple of years so have attuned my expectations to what the bike offers and enjoy that rather than focus on what's missing. I may make some mods here and there but overall I like it.

[Raghunath Singh]

Originally Posted by Sebring

The bike is wonderful Neil. I have no regrets at all. The butter smooth engine, soft clutch and features are a delight. Being a long-time user I'm highlighting an issue here and there, so people may take note (Or probably help Honda with their next iteration). When I called Honda Service regarding this - Ravi, the service manager has promised to send it over to my residence. I'll use Loctite thread locker on it

This is very concerning Sebring, glad nothing terrible happened. Your thread is proving to be a great value add for CB 350 owners like me. I'm extremely happy with the bike so far, mostly been riding within city limits due to personal work. One question, if you use the thread locker, will it fix permanently? I ask as I opted for the split seat and plan to swap it with the stock seat once in a while.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

I first bought the KTM 390 Adventure, used it for 6 months (6000 kms), got annoyed and sold it. Bought the CB350 next. Now I am annoyed and want to replace it. Question is, what do I replace it with? Maybe an RE650. God knows!

That’s a brutally honest opinion nutcracker, appreciate it. I think your problem (mine too) with these things is getting BORED really fast, more than this particular bike itself per se. Please do not even think of the RE650, with your thought process, you will want to sell it off even sooner I find the RE twins over hyped, sure for the price expecting better is not really practical though. If you go through the thread people have so many issues which are considered small, but in my opinion a royal pain.

I feel you should think big now for you to be satisfied with things overall. Minimum 650 and above to keep you entertained with the power delivery and dynamics. Changing a full exhaust system for something like that will transform the sound element and feel too. Actually I am thinking of the Triumph Speed Twin for you, of course a exponential increase in cost, but hey, always set the bar high

Keep us updated with your dilemma and ride safe.

Cheers

[texmonster]

Since I use Viaterra Seaty, I have removed and reinstalled the seat quite a few times during long rides with pillion. But never once I found the allen nut to be even slightly loose.

I guess the nut could have been not tightened properly and since Sebring uses a top-rack, he might have not noticed that. I hope even without the nut, the grab rail would prevent the seat from falling-off.

[nerdgalore]

Originally Posted by Sebring

On checking it, I found the 'solo' nut holding the seat in place had fallen off. Always knew this was a design flaw.

Hi @Sebring, I agree with you, the only bolt underneath the grab handle holding the seat does seem to be design flaw. The way it's designed, it is bound to get loosened by any lateral movement in the seat. I am now going to keep an eye on it once in while. Loctite might help as well since there is no storage under the seat and it would need to be opened rarely for maintenance.

A loose seat surely robs you of confidence while riding. Hope you get the replacement bolt soon and be back on the saddle

[Sebring]

Glad I'm of some help. There are two types of thread lock, one is permanent (Red) and the other (Blue) comes loose when some pressure is applied. It hasn't bothered my friend Texmonster here, and he is right when he says my top box hides that area. But when I found out, it was surely disconcerting. By the way, my friend too had this issue and he has put in an 'after-market' nut which he says 'is locked in nicely'

Originally Posted by Raghunath Singh

This is very concerning Sebring, glad nothing terrible happened. Your thread is proving to be a great value add for CB 350 owners like me. I'm extremely happy with the bike so far, mostly been riding within city limits due to personal work. One question, if you use the thread locker, will it fix permanently? I ask as I opted for the split seat and plan to swap it with the stock seat once in a while.

[ashwinprakas]

Don't mind me saying but you guys are overreacting.

Just cause you loose the bolt locking the seat in place you won't fly off the motorcycle along with the seat, the people who make these motorcycles aren't doing it for the first time. Also loosing a bolt or two on a single cylinder isn't much of a suprise, especially if you ride hard and far.

Also when on test runs we seldom fit all the parts back, below you can see my CBR without the rear seat and panels, even the front seat isn't bolted in place.



Even the fuel tank is usually held in place by a single bolt, so trust me when I say it is not uncommon to find the seat held by a single/double bolt. In fact I'd appreciate Honda for staying true to the period design.

Now coming to component quality, Honda has always been a defaulter, even on the CBR when taking things apart I do find it appalling that a once premium product has sub-par finish compared to my Bajaj's that are practically commuter motorcycles. As for engine reliability I will ask my buddy to share pictures of a Honda he rebuilt and compare it with the internals of a Bajaj which is his custom project(Pulsar Classic with 220 Engine), you'd be surprised to find that the Honda's gear box was practically crumbling and the motorcycle was barely out of warranty mileage.

As for the motorcycle i.e CB350, it's a Commuter motorcycle made to look and feel in accordance to a particular vintage, which it beautifully does and for which Honda charges a premium. I am no fan of these overhyped Japanese Motorcycles but I have to say, Honda was pretty transparent with this offering which is why I fail to see where the disparity lies.

Regards,
A.P.

Dear Mods, please attach this video to the above post.

https://youtu.be/MMaqWbcg-Ko

Even the Harley's that are basically modern classics or retros or whatever have their seat held in place by a single bolt.

If this doesn't set your minds at ease, I know not what will.

[Sebring]

Did you see my seat pic? One more inch and it's coming off completely. Anyways, Ill get that bolted down today. No issue

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Don't mind me saying but you guys are overreacting.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

I think your problem (mine too) with these things is getting BORED really fast, more than this particular bike itself per se.

You nailed it Cyborg. Exactly! Glad to know I'm not the only one who feels this way, well, it is what it is, and it needs to be addressed! I get bored too fast, and it took me a while to realize that only a big bike will cut it for me. This has never happened to me with cars, which I have been driving around since 20 years. I buy one and then stick to it and gradually love it more and more that I dont want to let go. Usually with bikes, I have seen the trend of people getting bored fast. Wonder what tricks the brain plays on the mind because it's such a different experience when owning a car.

I started riding bikes around 18 months back and man, what can I say. Bought 2 machines in the span of year, bored with both.

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Please do not even think of the RE650, with your thought process, you will want to sell it off even sooner I find the RE twins over hyped, sure for the price expecting better is not really practical though. If you go through the thread people have so many issues which are considered small, but in my opinion a royal pain.

I feel you should think big now for you to be satisfied with things overall. Minimum 650 and above to keep you entertained with the power delivery and dynamics. Changing a full exhaust system for something like that will transform the sound element and feel too. Actually I am thinking of the Triumph Speed Twin for you, of course a exponential increase in cost, but hey, always set the bar high

I did test ride the RE650, 3 times before I bought the CB350. I love the way the engine revs, but like you mentioned, not a fan of the overall build and the footpeg positions. The bike didn't feel that stable too.

You know what, I have been peeping around to see which big bike will suit me. And honestly, I have zeroed in on the new Hayabusa . For obvious reasons (lack of experience, finances) I wont be purchasing it now, but I have my sights on it. After watching multiple reviews, I feel it is truly a bike I can keep and use for 10 years. I don't want a bike that is only restricted to weekend rides (big bikes tend to do that). I want a big bike that I can thoroughly use in my life: commute, tours, joy rides etc. The Hayabusa fits that bill. The CB350 will be meant to things like really short trips (below 5km).

I do dig the new Honda 650s, they seem like really good machines. I haven't seen one in flesh. The build quality of the CB350 has made me a little skeptical on the 650s. I still reserve my judgement till the time I see it IRL.

I took multiple test rides of the Kawasaki catalogue: the Z900, the Ninja 1000SX, Z650. Kawasaki in Chatterpur Delhi are extremely generous that way: just walked into the showroom one day and got to test ride all these big bikes, at my own pace and liking. To be honest, none of the bikes excited me.

One day, I was out on my KTM, on a highway, empty roads, revving it out on top gear, and just all of a sudden, a Hayabusa literally just flew past me.. I was like, damn, that is some serious power. That is something I dont want, but need in my life.

[manojsolanki87]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Did you see my seat pic? One more inch and it's coming off completely. Anyways, Ill get that bolted down today. No issue

I too had some problem with the seat bolt. The service center people tightened it too much and when I tried to open it, it damaged the bolt and made it unusable.
I am also using a aftermarket bolt right now.