Baby Inty: My CB350 RS

Mr.Sleeper · 18th March 2023, 16:38

Okay so what's up with the title?
The first time saw I the CB on the road, I thought it looked like a baby Interceptor. Now that I think about it , I guess it looks more like a Triumph speed twin but Baby Inty sounds catchy so it is what it is.

I have been an avid reader of this forum for quite a few years and I am glad to finally be doing my bit

I'm a college student, born and bought up in Bengaluru and currently studying in the beautiful hill stations of Munnar. Always thought of myself as a car guy right since I was a kid, never really understood motorcycling and felt it was unsafe and not worth the risk. My folks at home didn't really support two wheelers either which didn't help my case.

Moved to Munnar for college, and that's when the bug finally bit me. Beautiful scenic roads surrounded by breathtaking landscapes everywhere you go. Borrowed my friends bike and set out for a small ride by my own and I could finally see the point or should I say feel the point of motorcycling

Motorcycling is more of an experience than plain commute. Its not even like you need a fast bike. You just feel way more indulged and involved. Exploring new places and the sense of thrill and freedom that comes with it is something that one must experience. Realized it would be a shame if I missed out on this and decided that a motorcycle is just what I need.

Slow and steady would be the smart way to progress and so anything above 500cc wasn't really considered. Staying alive is equally important if I need to enjoy the experience lol. Having said that big shoutout to the RE 650 Twins, Kawasaki Z900 RS Café, Honda CB400SF and The Suzuki Katana. These bike are drop-dead gorgeous and I would love to own these someday.

Super aggressive Naked styling never appealed to my tastes. Felt like the bike was trying too hard to grab your attention. Would much rather prefer clean lines and a classic silhouette. Something that ages gracefully and will become a collectible in the EV future ($$$)

I personally felt the best bike for me would have been an MT-15 with a round headlamp; peppy engine, light weight, affordable with reasonable fuel economy too(broke college kid) but unfortunately we don't get the XSR155 in India :\

First instinct was to buy a Used RE Conti GT535 and fix it up to it's former glory along the way but considering the fact that I live in a hill station surrounded by forests, you could say reliability was pretty a important factor.
So that ruled out all the Jawas and Yezdis too. Great looking machines btw.
RE Classic, as much as it is a fine machine, felt a bit too mature for me styling wise and the weight didn't help matters either.
Adding to the fact that RE's sales success means that you see them everywhere, you sort off miss the exclusivity.

Read about the CB350RS on the internet and it seemed like a good candidate. Retro styled, 180kg curb weight, and legendary Honda build and reliability. Decided to give it a shot and signed up for a test drive.

Trust me on this, the bike looks good in pictures and GREAT in person. The photos do no justice to the stance and presence the bike pocesses out on the road. Took it for a spin and was very surprised. A long stroke engine that loves to be revved and pulls like mad when you do so too. This gave the bike such an unique character compared to the competition. I was grinning so wide under my helmet during the entire test drive and by the end of the test drive I was pretty sure this is the one.

Glad to finally experience motorcycling. And its been an absolute pleasure with the Honda. 660km Bengaluru to Munnar was a breeze. Very Memorable.

An absolute looker, especially from the rear. The stubby tail and the fat tires make it look so damn good.

The headlights do give the bike a unique face but are plain b-a-d when it comes to illumination. Overall front facia seems scrambler inspired.

An issue with the aesthetics of the CB350 h'ness was that there was way too many patterns and textures of materials used in the side profile, making it look too busy. The RS fixes it by using matte black as the default theme. Having said that I never really liked the stock stickering of the side panel and did a small mod-job to make it much cleaner.

The only gripe I have with an otherwise handsome motorcycle is the front headlight cowl. The grey plastic ring just looks plain silly to me and will be repainted to black very soon. Also have plans of replacing the entire cowl with the one on the h'ness Anniversary Edition(gloss black finish).

Don't let the photos fool you, the bike has immense presence

On an occasional errand run

The instrumentation is easy to read and provides sufficient vehicle statistics. Future mod plans include painting the handlebar matte black and replacing the stock mirrors as they are just too small.

The bike's a hoot to drive, sounds great and handles exceptionally well. You will never feel the weight and the riding position is a sweet spot between committed driving and long distance touring. The tall gearing does make it kind of annoying in the hills though, will need to see what can be done about that. A sprocket change most probably.

Overall, I love this bike and can't wait to just tweak it further to make it even better.

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WalterWhite · 21st March 2023, 16:00

Congrats and lots of love towards CB350RS. Wish you a lot of great time with the cub.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Sleeper

I personally felt the best bike for me would have been an MT-15 with a round headlamp; peppy engine, light weight, affordable with reasonable fuel economy too(broke college kid) but unfortunately we don't get the XSR155 in India :\

This is precisely what CB300R except for the affordability factor. I would go for this over other 300cc contenders including the CB300F sibling any day.

DeRive08 · 6th April 2023, 15:43

You my friend habe literally said what i feel about my 350RS and as you would feel so, the experience and the feeling of going on rides is just unmatched with any bike. Honda has just produced an absolute �� of a product that still is kind of unexplored by many . And i kinda like it that way i just wanted to know what phone mount you're using and any other suggestions you got that i can look upon.

18th March 2023, 16:38	#1
Mr.Sleeper Newbie Join Date: Dec 2022 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 22 Thanked: 113 Times	Baby Inty: My CB350 RS Okay so what's up with the title? The first time saw I the CB on the road, I thought it looked like a baby Interceptor. Now that I think about it , I guess it looks more like a Triumph speed twin but Baby Inty sounds catchy so it is what it is. I have been an avid reader of this forum for quite a few years and I am glad to finally be doing my bit I'm a college student, born and bought up in Bengaluru and currently studying in the beautiful hill stations of Munnar. Always thought of myself as a car guy right since I was a kid, never really understood motorcycling and felt it was unsafe and not worth the risk. My folks at home didn't really support two wheelers either which didn't help my case. Moved to Munnar for college, and that's when the bug finally bit me. Beautiful scenic roads surrounded by breathtaking landscapes everywhere you go. Borrowed my friends bike and set out for a small ride by my own and I could finally see the point or should I say feel the point of motorcycling Motorcycling is more of an experience than plain commute. Its not even like you need a fast bike. You just feel way more indulged and involved. Exploring new places and the sense of thrill and freedom that comes with it is something that one must experience. Realized it would be a shame if I missed out on this and decided that a motorcycle is just what I need. Slow and steady would be the smart way to progress and so anything above 500cc wasn't really considered. Staying alive is equally important if I need to enjoy the experience lol. Having said that big shoutout to the RE 650 Twins, Kawasaki Z900 RS Café, Honda CB400SF and The Suzuki Katana. These bike are drop-dead gorgeous and I would love to own these someday. Super aggressive Naked styling never appealed to my tastes. Felt like the bike was trying too hard to grab your attention. Would much rather prefer clean lines and a classic silhouette. Something that ages gracefully and will become a collectible in the EV future ($$$) I personally felt the best bike for me would have been an MT-15 with a round headlamp; peppy engine, light weight, affordable with reasonable fuel economy too(broke college kid) but unfortunately we don't get the XSR155 in India :\ First instinct was to buy a Used RE Conti GT535 and fix it up to it's former glory along the way but considering the fact that I live in a hill station surrounded by forests, you could say reliability was pretty a important factor. So that ruled out all the Jawas and Yezdis too. Great looking machines btw. RE Classic, as much as it is a fine machine, felt a bit too mature for me styling wise and the weight didn't help matters either. Adding to the fact that RE's sales success means that you see them everywhere, you sort off miss the exclusivity. Read about the CB350RS on the internet and it seemed like a good candidate. Retro styled, 180kg curb weight, and legendary Honda build and reliability. Decided to give it a shot and signed up for a test drive. Trust me on this, the bike looks good in pictures and GREAT in person. The photos do no justice to the stance and presence the bike pocesses out on the road. Took it for a spin and was very surprised. A long stroke engine that loves to be revved and pulls like mad when you do so too. This gave the bike such an unique character compared to the competition. I was grinning so wide under my helmet during the entire test drive and by the end of the test drive I was pretty sure this is the one. Glad to finally experience motorcycling. And its been an absolute pleasure with the Honda. 660km Bengaluru to Munnar was a breeze. Very Memorable. An absolute looker, especially from the rear. The stubby tail and the fat tires make it look so damn good. The headlights do give the bike a unique face but are plain b-a-d when it comes to illumination. Overall front facia seems scrambler inspired. An issue with the aesthetics of the CB350 h'ness was that there was way too many patterns and textures of materials used in the side profile, making it look too busy. The RS fixes it by using matte black as the default theme. Having said that I never really liked the stock stickering of the side panel and did a small mod-job to make it much cleaner. The only gripe I have with an otherwise handsome motorcycle is the front headlight cowl. The grey plastic ring just looks plain silly to me and will be repainted to black very soon. Also have plans of replacing the entire cowl with the one on the h'ness Anniversary Edition(gloss black finish). Don't let the photos fool you, the bike has immense presence On an occasional errand run The instrumentation is easy to read and provides sufficient vehicle statistics. Future mod plans include painting the handlebar matte black and replacing the stock mirrors as they are just too small. The bike's a hoot to drive, sounds great and handles exceptionally well. You will never feel the weight and the riding position is a sweet spot between committed driving and long distance touring. The tall gearing does make it kind of annoying in the hills though, will need to see what can be done about that. A sprocket change most probably. Overall, I love this bike and can't wait to just tweak it further to make it even better.
	(28) Thanks

6th April 2023, 15:43	#3
DeRive08 Newbie Join Date: Nov 2022 Location: New Delhi Posts: 2 Thanked: Once	Re: Baby Inty: My CB350 RS You my friend habe literally said what i feel about my 350RS and as you would feel so, the experience and the feeling of going on rides is just unmatched with any bike. Honda has just produced an absolute �� of a product that still is kind of unexplored by many . And i kinda like it that way i just wanted to know what phone mount you're using and any other suggestions you got that i can look upon.
	() Thanks