Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350!

NH08 · 7th December 2020, 19:04

My vote goes to my own machine, this one:

Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350!-img_20201121_074629.jpg

To be honest, in the list of contenders, I have not seen any other motorcycle (except Africa Twin), leave alone riding these. My vote is not on the basis of the fact that I own CB350 or it is excellent (other contenders may be better), but for the simple fact that Honda has given us a choice, worth consideration, in a segment which is so massively dominated by one brand. And this comes at a reasonable price, considering the quality and reliability of the product.

Horizon85 · 7th December 2020, 19:20

Voted for the Meteor. It gets everything right according to me. RE has really put a lot of heart and soul in Meteor and it shows. Long term reliability is not known at the moment and so is for the Honda CB 350. It was a difficult pick between CB350 and Meteor. Having used a Thunderbird for long time, my vote is with the Meteor.

pms · 7th December 2020, 21:15

Voted for Honda CB350. A good all round product from Honda and believe the quality would be as good as their other products in market in terms of long term ownership.

ObsessedByFIAT · 8th December 2020, 00:34

My vote goes to the Royal Enfield Meteor 350, without a hint of doubt!
Look at the previous gen RE's and then ride the Meteor or the Interceptor. You will be hard pressed to ride it again and check if it is really an RE? Superb effort from Royal Enfield!!

Though I haven't ridden the Honda H'ness 350, because Pune does not have Big Wings showroom yet!!! That alone is the reason for me to keep it at number 2 position! A place where you have one of the biggest industrial area, a place where you have a huge IT park and a place which is Oxford of the east (read that as lot of young crowd) you don't have a showroom yet!!!! How cool is that??? Pune is one place where you would find maximum crowd on two wheels!

In any case, what Royal Enfield have managed to do with their newer offerings, takes a lot of guts to try and move away from the image which people purchased it for in the first place! They have broken the stereotype which was set for them!! Way to go!!

rajushank84 · 8th December 2020, 02:28

Why 390 Adventure: It opens up a new segment for the price-point. If the 250 Adventure were on this list, I would vote for that instead.

For the first time, "middle-class" guys can take an EMI and buy an actual Adventure-styled bike and get into those ergonomics. For those who ride Adv bikes, they would know that it the form-factor game-changing in terms of how long you can ride, while also being excellent in handling and ride. No other segment is this useful in a wide variety of ways, and kudos for KTM for bringing it to the common man.

(You could argue Himalayan fills this need too, but just personal opinion that it was never really an option at its tech and quality levels)

rednikhil · 8th December 2020, 02:45

Voted the Tiger 900.
The bike is a revolutionary change over the previous gen 800s.
Light, flick-able, super tractable engine, outstanding build quality, confidence inspiring ride; it has everything going for it.
The test ride is a revelation, truly blows you away.
It's the best ADV around; a one-bike-do-all if you may. Good as a daily commuter and to tour the country!
The only con is the high price.

Was very interested in the Honda launch but the product might as well be Honda Classic 350. Aside from better reliability, it does not really offer much over the RE Classic 350. So that launch sure disappointed.

ebonho · 8th December 2020, 09:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

Though I haven't ridden the Honda H'ness 350, because Pune does not have Big Wings showroom yet!!! That alone is the reason for me to keep it at number 2 position! A place where you have one of the biggest industrial area, a place where you have a huge IT park and a place which is Oxford of the east (read that as lot of young crowd) you don't have a showroom yet!!!! How cool is that??? Pune is one place where you would find maximum crowd on two wheels!

Poona guys are going to Thane to buy the CB350.

Though the news is that the Poona showroom is reopening in January.

Cheers, Doc

ashwinprakas · 8th December 2020, 10:11

I see a very undesirable trend taking over, I am not liking it one bit but then again it has been in the works for some time now, brings to mind the quote;

"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

My sincere condolences for the purists at heart.

As for my Vote it goes for the Husqvarna 250 simply because it's the least pretentious motorcycle in the lot, in my opinion. In an ideal world I'd have voted for the long stroke commuters but the kind of enthusiasm they're fueling is ethically unacceptable for me as a biker but as a MBA guy, Kudos!

Regards,
A.P.

rajushank84 · 8th December 2020, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

I see a very undesirable trend... ethically unacceptable for me as a biker

Since I am too thick to understand what that means, I would hazard a guess that there are a few like me out there. So.. are you referring to an image of crime associated with biker culture in mainstream media? Or something else?

ebonho · 8th December 2020, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Since I am too thick to understand what that means, I would hazard a guess that there are a few like me out there. So.. are you referring to an image of crime associated with biker culture in mainstream media? Or something else?

The RX 100 even today in certain locales of Bombay is famous as the "getaway" bike.

In the old days, when the underworld held sway and gang wars were at the peak, the RX 100 was regularly used by underworld shooters. With specialist "riders".

The term "rider" in local lingo in Bombay and Poona is still associated with such incidentally.

Cheers, Doc

nibedk · 8th December 2020, 11:19

Voted for Honda CB350.

To come out and challenge the leader openly takes some planning and a very good product which CB 350 is. Better than RE in most respects except for slightly tauter suspension set up which makes it a better handler at the cost of ride quality.

But is out of reach for the common man. Not price wise but due to it being sold through Honda Big Wing dealers. Hope Honda has planned enough such dealers in Tier 2 & 3 cities.

Such products will push the homegrown manufacturers to bring better all rounded products to market.

Wish mega success to this product thus paving way for more higher end bikes from Honda.

ObsessedByFIAT · 8th December 2020, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonho

Poona guys are going to Thane to buy the CB350.

Though the news is that the Poona showroom is reopening in January.

Cheers, Doc

Sorry for the off-topic!

In this day and age, having to travel from Pune to Thane to buy a bike just doesn't cut for me. It's not that Honda does not have dealerships in Pune. They could have planned it a little better and have had atleast one big wings showroom in Pune operational by now.

ebonho · 8th December 2020, 12:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

Sorry for the off-topic!

In this day and age, having to travel from Pune to Thane to buy a bike just doesn't cut for me. It's not that Honda does not have dealerships in Pune. They could have planned it a little better and have had atleast one big wings showroom in Pune operational by now.

Maybe they believe that it's better to go to a nearby city to buy a superior product than compromise and buy a product just because it's available in their own.

I really can't say. But if someone is spending 2 lacs on a bike, I'm sure a drive down to pick it up is not really going to make him change his mind.

As a biker, would you?

Cheers, Doc

RT13 · 8th December 2020, 12:42

KTM 390 ADV for me. No contest!

What a fantastically affordable option for anyone interested in adventure touring or trail riding. I only wish they had given India the global spec with the Showa suspension. Really disappointed that they didn't but I'm guessing that would've upped the price significantly and not too many people would really appreciate it anyway.

The others are just sort of, kind of, meh. Not category defining IMO.

S.MJet · 8th December 2020, 14:07

Voted for CB350, simply because it got me interested in bikes after 14 years. Only bike I have owned till date was a Yamaha RXG135 and IIRC last I rode was in 2006.

Have test driven both CB350 and Meteor, CB350 is better of the two for my usage (read: city and short distance highway freak-outs).

Sharing few pros and cons:

Meteor Pros: Refined engine, no vibrations, nice gear ratios, easily picks up from low speeds, navigation pod, wide spread service network.
Meteor Cons: Riding position, will be cumbersome in daily stop-go traffic, no slipper and slightly heavy clutch, no LED lights at this age and price.

CB350 Pros: Better refined than Meteor, perfect ride position, slipper and very light clutch, easy to ride and very flickable in city stop-go traffic, you don’t feel the weight, all round LED lights, Honda reliability.
CB350 Cons: Only two for me, gearing could have been much better, had to downshift to 1st at 10-12 kmph on a very slight incline to get going. I think it will need frequent downshifts. Second concern is service network, only two dealers in entire MMR area and both are 1.5-2 hrs away (Mum traffic) from my place.
No idea on highway manners for both of them, various reviews suggest Meteor is much better.

View Poll Results: Your choice for Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020?
Hero Xtreme 160R	17	2.12%
Bajaj Chetak Electric	51	6.37%
TVS iQube Electric	22	2.75%
Royal Enfield Meteor 350	172	21.47%
Husqvarna 250	16	2.00%
Honda H’ness CB350	333	41.57%
KTM 390 Adventure	118	14.73%
BMW F900R / XR	11	1.37%
Triumph Tiger 900	38	4.74%
Honda Africa Twin	15	1.87%
BMW R18	8	1.00%
Voters: 801. You may not vote on this poll

7th December 2020, 19:04	#76
NH08 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Delhi Posts: 182 Thanked: 1,060 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! My vote goes to my own machine, this one: To be honest, in the list of contenders, I have not seen any other motorcycle (except Africa Twin), leave alone riding these. My vote is not on the basis of the fact that I own CB350 or it is excellent (other contenders may be better), but for the simple fact that Honda has given us a choice, worth consideration, in a segment which is so massively dominated by one brand. And this comes at a reasonable price, considering the quality and reliability of the product.
	(3) Thanks

7th December 2020, 19:20	#77
Horizon85 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Bangalore Posts: 143 Thanked: 96 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! Voted for the Meteor. It gets everything right according to me. RE has really put a lot of heart and soul in Meteor and it shows. Long term reliability is not known at the moment and so is for the Honda CB 350. It was a difficult pick between CB350 and Meteor. Having used a Thunderbird for long time, my vote is with the Meteor.
	() Thanks

7th December 2020, 21:15	#78
pms BHPian Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 210 Thanked: 414 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! Voted for Honda CB350. A good all round product from Honda and believe the quality would be as good as their other products in market in terms of long term ownership. Last edited by pms : 7th December 2020 at 21:16.
	() Thanks

8th December 2020, 00:34	#79
ObsessedByFIAT BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: - Posts: 955 Thanked: 1,105 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! My vote goes to the Royal Enfield Meteor 350, without a hint of doubt! Look at the previous gen RE's and then ride the Meteor or the Interceptor. You will be hard pressed to ride it again and check if it is really an RE? Superb effort from Royal Enfield!! Though I haven't ridden the Honda H'ness 350, because Pune does not have Big Wings showroom yet!!! That alone is the reason for me to keep it at number 2 position! A place where you have one of the biggest industrial area, a place where you have a huge IT park and a place which is Oxford of the east (read that as lot of young crowd) you don't have a showroom yet!!!! How cool is that??? Pune is one place where you would find maximum crowd on two wheels! In any case, what Royal Enfield have managed to do with their newer offerings, takes a lot of guts to try and move away from the image which people purchased it for in the first place! They have broken the stereotype which was set for them!! Way to go!!
	(1) Thanks

8th December 2020, 02:28	#80
rajushank84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,116 Thanked: 1,097 Times View My Garage	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! Why 390 Adventure: It opens up a new segment for the price-point. If the 250 Adventure were on this list, I would vote for that instead. For the first time, "middle-class" guys can take an EMI and buy an actual Adventure-styled bike and get into those ergonomics. For those who ride Adv bikes, they would know that it the form-factor game-changing in terms of how long you can ride, while also being excellent in handling and ride. No other segment is this useful in a wide variety of ways, and kudos for KTM for bringing it to the common man. (You could argue Himalayan fills this need too, but just personal opinion that it was never really an option at its tech and quality levels)
	() Thanks

8th December 2020, 02:45	#81
rednikhil BHPian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Bangalore. Posts: 174 Thanked: 153 Times View My Garage	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! Voted the Tiger 900. The bike is a revolutionary change over the previous gen 800s. Light, flick-able, super tractable engine, outstanding build quality, confidence inspiring ride; it has everything going for it. The test ride is a revelation, truly blows you away. It's the best ADV around; a one-bike-do-all if you may. Good as a daily commuter and to tour the country! The only con is the high price. Was very interested in the Honda launch but the product might as well be Honda Classic 350. Aside from better reliability, it does not really offer much over the RE Classic 350. So that launch sure disappointed.
	(1) Thanks

8th December 2020, 10:11	#83
ashwinprakas BANNED Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Kollam Posts: 2,018 Thanked: 6,636 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! I see a very undesirable trend taking over, I am not liking it one bit but then again it has been in the works for some time now, brings to mind the quote; "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." My sincere condolences for the purists at heart. As for my Vote it goes for the Husqvarna 250 simply because it's the least pretentious motorcycle in the lot, in my opinion. In an ideal world I'd have voted for the long stroke commuters but the kind of enthusiasm they're fueling is ethically unacceptable for me as a biker but as a MBA guy, Kudos! Regards, A.P.
	(1) Thanks

8th December 2020, 11:19	#86
nibedk BHPian Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 181 Thanked: 558 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! Voted for Honda CB350. To come out and challenge the leader openly takes some planning and a very good product which CB 350 is. Better than RE in most respects except for slightly tauter suspension set up which makes it a better handler at the cost of ride quality. But is out of reach for the common man. Not price wise but due to it being sold through Honda Big Wing dealers. Hope Honda has planned enough such dealers in Tier 2 & 3 cities. Such products will push the homegrown manufacturers to bring better all rounded products to market. Wish mega success to this product thus paving way for more higher end bikes from Honda.
	(1) Thanks

8th December 2020, 12:42	#89
RT13 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 370 Thanked: 1,036 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! KTM 390 ADV for me. No contest! What a fantastically affordable option for anyone interested in adventure touring or trail riding. I only wish they had given India the global spec with the Showa suspension. Really disappointed that they didn't but I'm guessing that would've upped the price significantly and not too many people would really appreciate it anyway. The others are just sort of, kind of, meh. Not category defining IMO.
	(2) Thanks

8th December 2020, 14:07	#90
S.MJet BHPian Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 670 Thanked: 1,182 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2020. EDIT: It's the Honda H'ness CB350! Voted for CB350, simply because it got me interested in bikes after 14 years. Only bike I have owned till date was a Yamaha RXG135 and IIRC last I rode was in 2006. Have test driven both CB350 and Meteor, CB350 is better of the two for my usage (read: city and short distance highway freak-outs). Sharing few pros and cons: Meteor Pros: Refined engine, no vibrations, nice gear ratios, easily picks up from low speeds, navigation pod, wide spread service network. Meteor Cons: Riding position, will be cumbersome in daily stop-go traffic, no slipper and slightly heavy clutch, no LED lights at this age and price. CB350 Pros: Better refined than Meteor, perfect ride position, slipper and very light clutch, easy to ride and very flickable in city stop-go traffic, you don’t feel the weight, all round LED lights, Honda reliability. CB350 Cons: Only two for me, gearing could have been much better, had to downshift to 1st at 10-12 kmph on a very slight incline to get going. I think it will need frequent downshifts. Second concern is service network, only two dealers in entire MMR area and both are 1.5-2 hrs away (Mum traffic) from my place. No idea on highway manners for both of them, various reviews suggest Meteor is much better.
	(2) Thanks