I have been riding bikes since I was 16. I guess I must have done over 2,50,000 km. My last bike before the CB350 was Xpulse. Somehow the off-roading bug bit me and I took the plunge. Although I did some challenging trails, age was catching up and a fall at my age (45) isn't a good thing. I did fall couple of times but got lucky with few bruises. It was during some hardcore trails, it dawned upon me that off-roading at my age is best done on a four wheeler and not a two wheeler. Also, long trips on my bike was no longer fun as it used to be in my thirty's. The aches on my body takes more of my attention than the scenery around. I bought a Thar and decided that Xpulse would be my last bike.
It was during one of our Ladakh trips that I drove my friend's CB350 there. It was love at first sight! I immediately decided that I'll book it once I returned from the Ladakh trip. I stuck to my decision and booked it immediately after I returned. Fast forward 6000 km on the CB350 in 8 months (I guess my fastest so far in any of the bikes I owned) and here is my observation...
1. Engine Refinement - This has the smoothest engine I have ever ridden. The exhaust note is music. I had Royal Enfield Classic 500 before. I have not ridden new REs, but compared to the old Classic 500, CB350 refinement is miles ahead. Don't be under the impression that there are no vibrations. There are handlebar vibrations above certain RPM, but it's very less.
2. Paint Quality - I was expecting a better job but I saw rusting within a few months. However, it was taken care by the BigWing service without any fuss.
3. Ergonomics - I find the ergonomics of the CB350 top notch. The seating position is perfect and I feel no backache/shoulder pain for really long rides. Seat firmness too is perfect and I don't feel my bum aching.
4. Fuel Efficiency - I get an average of 45 kmpl on long rides considering that I ride in the 70-80kmph range. I'm very happy with it.
5. Quality Issues - Now this is where it makes me wonder whether the CB350 really lives up to the Honda hype. Most Honda bike owner has this some sort of superiority complex that makes them believe that they own a marvel of engineering. I too felt the same for 6000 kms.
Then the dreaded day arrived. I started experiencing cone set problems. I had both top and bottom replaced. I was told that they don't come under warranty and had to pay around ₹2000. I got a rude shock. None of my bikes owned so far experienced cone set replacement in 6000 kms. In fact I never replaced one in any of my bikes. All my pride of owning a Honda machine went down the drain.
I have another issue that started appearing recently. During cold starts, the moment I shift to first gear, the engine rpm goes up and down rapidly. I was told by the service people that it is back firing and happens in cold weather. I'm not convinced as it appears every time I start cold, be it early morning or during day time. I'll be visiting the service guys soon on this and will update.
I have had some or the other issue with almost every bike I have owned, and I had come to terms that issues are part and parcel of owning any machine. However, when I bought my CB350, I had very high expectations. I was in fact owning a premium Honda bike. The recent developments have only made me wonder whether a Honda machine really lives up to it's name?