[biju.bala]

Dear Team,
I have been wanting to buy a 350 cc bike and the Honda 350 RS is what i have in mind. The rising petrol costs and the popularity of Electric 2 wheelers is causing a confusion. I would require your valuable advice whether i should wait for some time and purchase an Electric vehicle or go ahead and purchase the Honda. My daily requirement office and back is only around 20 KM. I would like to take an occasional long trip maybe once a month.
Please could you guide me to reach a decision.

Thanks & Regards
Biju Balachandran

[howler]

You’re not getting any younger and fuels not going to get any cheaper. If the 350 RS is something you really want , go for it. Enjoy these things while you can, if there’s one thing covid has taught me is why put off something if you can do it today.

[AtheK]

350 RS hands down, EV time will come, and then you can buy one for now enjoy the last leg of the fossil fueled vehicles, they will soon be rare commodities.

[Emvi]

Originally Posted by biju.bala

Dear Team,
I have been wanting to buy a 350 cc bike and the Honda 350 RS is what i have in mind. The rising petrol costs and the popularity of Electric 2 wheelers is causing a confusion. I would require your valuable advice whether i should wait for some time and purchase an Electric vehicle or go ahead and purchase the Honda. My daily requirement office and back is only around 20 KM. I would like to take an occasional long trip maybe once a month

Electric bikes and touring, not a right combo at the moment. You might have to wait a bit longer than you think for that. RS 350 is a great bike which I think will suit both your commuting and touring requirements.

[abhishek46]

I would like to provide some numbers here.

In June 2021, the number of EV 2 wheelers sold were ~30,000.

In the same month, the number of petrol 2 wheelers sold were around ~10,50,000.

The gap, as you see is huge.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by biju.bala

My daily requirement office and back is only around 20 KM. I would like to take an occasional long trip maybe once a month.

Get the Honda. I'll say enjoy the ICE (internal combustion engines) as long as it is accessible before EV's take over the market and ICE vehicles become a rarity (I know it will be a long time but still).

Since the usage is on the lesser side, fuel costs wouldn't be a lot too unless you foresee an increase in usage.

[Mafia]

Not a choice here!

you have to buy both!

I am in a similar quandary. The decision is to buy an electric scooter and bike eventually. A KTM 390 Adventure, if it all works out.

I am not getting younger. It is kind of now or never already.

[GTO]

Go for the CB350 RS and high-revv away to glory . The sound, the gearshifts, the redline...enjoy good petrol engines while they are still around, man. Lots of time for EVs later. Plus, the electric motorcycle you buy 10 years from now will be way more mature than today's offerings.

Originally Posted by biju.bala

My daily requirement office and back is only around 20 KM. I would like to take an occasional long trip maybe once a month.

This ownership review (Smurfy - My Honda CB350 Ownership Review) says the FE is 38 kmpl. Let's say that is ~3 bucks a km. 60 bucks a day for riding pleasure is the cheapest fun you will ever have . It's the best money you will ever spend on yourself!

Plus, for touring, you absolutely need a petrol motorcycle. Electric isn't there yet.

[tharian]

I am not an electric mobility fan, but the Ather has caught my fancy and I was thinking of getting myself one which eventually my wife and sister can use too when required.
My initial plan was to get the Interceptor since my 19 year old Enfield 350 has grown old for highway rides. But now I am thinking electric first and then when I can, pick up a good IC engined motorcycle for those rides.

If you have enough dough to spare, like someone said, get both, the electric for city use and the other for those getaways.
That is the best choice.

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by biju.bala

Dear Team,
I have been wanting to buy a 350 cc bike and the Honda 350 RS is what i have in mind. The rising petrol costs and the popularity of Electric 2 wheelers is causing a confusion. I would require your valuable advice whether i should wait for some time and purchase an Electric vehicle or go ahead and purchase the Honda. My daily requirement office and back is only around 20 KM. I would like to take an occasional long trip maybe once a month.
Please could you guide me to reach a decision.

Thanks & Regards
Biju Balachandran

If I translate your question in the four wheeler parlance, you are basically asking if

"I should buy a Honda city or a Bajaj Qute?"

The two products are very different in terms of their league and maturity of the technology they use.

Electric bikes today are far from being finished products and are absolutely not suitable for a long trip. You occasional long trip will be limited to 30 kms one side with an electric vehicle (which have about 80 kms real world range)

[TorqueMonster]

The Bike any day. You can enjoy the sweet ICE bikes now, and in 6 - 7 yrs time, when electric vehicles become more mainstream, where people can use it without range anxiety, you can always upgrade to what is a much better electric vehicle, which will certainly have better range and faster-charging speeds

[matizcrazy]

Definitely the Honda CB 350.
Riding a good looking motorcycle does wonders for one's self esteem too.

The electric scooter will be very economical cost wise but sadly also in image and distance.

The Tesla of two wheelers is not yet here to be a one vehicle solution for all buyers.

[nerdgalore]

CB350 all the way. It’s good looking, sounds nice and is easy to ride. I am getting close to 40 km/ltr when riding sanely. I too might go electric on my next purchase but the current options are not enticing enough.

[Phantom 510]

I believe an EV would suit your requirements better since you are looking for an economical mode of transport for your 20 km commute. EV's are really promising as a commuter and unlike the conventional petrol/diesel vehicles they perform at their efficient best during the stop go traffic infested commutes. However, try to get an EV from a major manufacturer (and not the affordable imported ones) for the best ownership experience.

[Pkumarblore]

Hi, Its kind of difficult to have a common mobility to meet your requirements. I would choose in one of these 3 ways:-

1. If you want the Honda RS, just buy it and enjoy. These moments are forever. Let the heart rule over your mind.

2. If you are very concerned about rising fuel costs, you should buy an EV. Considering your weekly coverage of 120 kms, any good EV would return this mileage on a single charge. You can always rent a motorcycle of your touring purposes.

3. Buy a brand new EV for your daily commute and also a good used touring motorcycle. This way you can enjoy both the worlds while they are still available. I think a new Honda RS price should fetch you this combo. For eg. a new Ather Scooter + a used RE CL350-500/Bajaj Avenger 220/KTM 200-390/Benelli 250-300.

I am sorry if I have confused you even further.
Happy hunting.