My Honda CB350 RS ownership review: Pros, cons & modifications made

Honda has done a great job combining a retro silhouette with modern design elements.

BHPian Mr.Sleeper recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A Little About Me:

I've been an avid follower of this forum for quite a few years, and I'm excited to finally contribute my part.

Right from childhood I was really into cars and didn't like motorcycles much. I thought they were too risky and didn't understand why people were obsessed with them. Plus, my family wasn't keen on me riding bikes either, so that didn't help.

Then, when I moved to Munnar for college, things changed. The place is so beautiful with stunning roads and amazing views everywhere. One day, I borrowed a friend's bike for a short ride, and it completely changed my mind about motorcycles. It's not about having a super-fast bike; it's about feeling immersed in the journey. I loved the thrill and feeling it brought while exploring new places. I realized I'd be missing out if I didn't give it a chance, so now I'm all about getting my motorcycle.

The Companion Search:

I didn't want a bike over 500cc because I preferred a safer, more manageable ride for my riding skills. Safety matters when you want to enjoy the experience, right? Having said that big shoutout to the RE 650 Twins, Kawasaki Z900 RS Café, Honda CB400SF and The Suzuki Katana. These bikes are drop-dead gorgeous and I would love to own them someday.

I'm not into aggressively styled naked bikes that scream for attention. I prefer clean, classic designs that age well and might even become collectable in an EV-dominated future($$$). My ideal bike would've been something like the MT-15 with a round headlamp—peppy, light, fuel-efficient (I'm a broke college student)—but sadly, the XSR155 isn't available in India.

Initially, I considered getting a used Royal Enfield Conti GT535 and restoring it, but living in a hill station surrounded by forests made reliability a top priority. That ruled out bikes like Jawa and Yezdi, although they look amazing. The Royal Enfield Classic felt a bit too mature in style and heavy for my taste. Plus, they're so popular that the exclusivity factor is missing. The Hunter seemed a size small so that got ruled out too.

Then I read about the CB350RS online. It seemed like a good fit—retro style, manageable 180kg weight, and Honda's known reliability quality. So, I decided to give it a shot and signed up for a test drive.

First Impressions:

• 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 has out on the road.
• The bike manages its weight very well and offers a neutral and predictable handling.
• The engine is rev-friendly for a long stroke. The tall gearing gives it a unique character compared to the competition. Was grinning under my helmet during the entire test drive and was pretty much convinced that this was the one.

I'll list out the pros and cons of this bike as per my experience.

The Good:

1. Aesthetically Pleasing: Honda has done a great job combining a retro silhouette with modern design elements. The RS, with its stubby tail and fat rear tire, has a visual appeal very distinct compared to that of the H'ness, RE Classic and other neo-retro bikes in this segment. A few tasteful tweaks would make it look even better
2. Torquey Engine: The midrange is very strong and offers ample acceleration. While the engine's smoothness and eagerness to rev are atypical for a long-stroke engine, after 11,000 kilometres of riding in city and hilly sections, the tall gearing leaves me with mixed feelings. More on this later.
3. Balanced Riding Posture: The riding posture is a sweet spot between neutral and committed, making it perfect for spirited runs as well as mile munching. The large rider seat also adds to the comfort factor.
4. Excellent Weight Management: At 179kg, it isn't exactly a lightweight bike. However, the chassis does a brilliant job of masking this weight, ensuring it never feels top-heavy. Once the bike starts moving, you won't be bothered by the curb weight at all. This nimbleness helps when filtering through heavy traffic or leaning into corners.
5. Minimal Vibrations: The bike isn't exactly vibe-free, to be honest, but it is minimal and hardly intrusive. Only when revved hard does a little vibration creep into the handlebar.
6. Quality Components and Construction: The materials used throughout look and feel well made. Despite being aware of rusting and quality issues reported by other CB owners, my personal experience has been relatively trouble-free.
7. Exhaust Note: While the engine itself runs quietly, the exhaust note at the right RPMs, especially when heard through a helmet, just sounds made. It's bassy at idle and gets raspy as the revs climb. It pops and bangs too occasionally, which makes it sound so much cooler!
8. Reliable and Fuss Free: The RS has proven to be a reliable and hassle-free ride, never failing to start or leaving me stranded - a crucial factor when going for long/solo rides to remote locations.
9. Novelty: I'm not sure if this is a pro or con, but the bike isn't that common on the road compared to some of its competitors giving it an exclusivity factor.

The Bad:

1. Tall gearing: I feel Honda went with tall gearing to give it a unique riding character to that of the Enfields, but considering the power and engine type(long stroke), I am not sure if this was the best decision. Sure when given an open stretch, the rev-happy engine and awesome exhaust note will make you grin when you ride it the way Honda intended you to. However, in city and hilly sections, constant gear shifts are needed to stay in the power band. While the clutch and gearbox are excellent, doing quick overtakes or riding in a relaxed manner becomes challenging due to the engine lugging from the tall gearing.
2. Poor Headlights: The LED headlights add aesthetic appeal to the bike but are plain b-a-d when it comes to lighting up the road ahead.
3. Useless Front Fender: Monsoons are a nightmare due to the good-looking but small front fenders. Adding a fender extender won't work either as there have been multiple reports of the plastic fender breaking midway due to the extra weight.
4. Questionable Quality of Certain Parts: The brake pads were completely worn out at 7800kms, which is completely unacceptable from a legacy manufacturer like Honda. Furthermore, at just 11,000 kilometres, the chain and sprockets are starting to show issues despite timely maintenance. Add to that all the reports online about chassis rusting, silencers rusting and even shock absorbers rusting in some cases, this is indeed very surprising and Un-Honda to be honest.
5. Front-End Feel: This is a personal opinion but I feel the weight of the bike is slightly rear-biased. While light steering is beneficial when commuting through city and traffic, at higher speeds, especially in corners, a little more weighted feel from the handlebar would inspire extra confidence. This is not a deal breaker, but rather just a matter of personal preference. Simple fixes such as adding suitable handlebar weights or adjusting the position of the fork tubes in the tee should solve the problem.
6. Confused Identity: While the h'ness was made as a Roadster, with the RS Honda has attempted to blend elements of a roadster and a scrambler. The result is a mix of questionable design choices that don't fully support either identity. The block pattern tires compromise the bike's grip on the tarmac, limiting its handling and cornering capabilities. Yet at the same time, there's been no improvement in ground clearance to enhance off-road performance. The mix of cosmetic design elements from scrambler-inspired features to those derived from a roadster end up creating a visually confused appearance. However, this too isn't a deal breaker as a few minor modifications are all it takes to make the bike suit your visual tastes and performance requirements.

Continue reading BHPian Mr.Sleeper's review for more insights and information.