Retro classic bike for my 55 year old dad: Does Honda CB350 make sense

Taking a closer look at Honda CB 350 Classic, I have understood that its just looks alike with Royal Enfield but the ride is day and night apart.

BHPian FueledbyFury recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi Fellow Bhpians,

All this classic bike scenario started during my first year of college. My dad has been a fan of modern retro motorcycles and during the initial periods of my college days he opted for me to take a Royal Enfield Standard 350, on the other side I'm not very keen on this modern classic bike thing. But during that time I opted to use Suzuki Max 100 owned by my dad for local and college runs. Even if I had bought one, it would be mainly used by me as my dad comes to our hometown on weekends as he is working in a distant place. Also, I'm not particularly eager to spend my parent's money on the desire for motorcycles even though I have been a follower of ADV's. I have planned to own an ADV in 2-3 years. It can wait.

Coming to 2024, my dad will lead his retirement life from March onwards and the dream of owning a classic motorcycle re-ignited. Looking at today's market offering my dad has fallen in love with the new Honda CB 350 DLX Pro in Mat Marshal Green Metallic color. I hope some dreams will follow us no matter what.

Taking a closer look at Honda CB 350 Classic, I have understood that its just looks alike with Royal Enfield but the ride is day and night apart. The Honda CB 350 classic has a kerb weight of 187Kg which is 6 kilos greater than it's twin Highness. I have ridden both back to back for 4km and here are my observations:

• Initially in the first glance, seeing the highness alongside we knew how actually CB 350 is much bigger in all aspects. Surely an head turner in roads.
• The difference between deluxe and deluxe pro model is only 3K which additionally offers Bluetooth connectivity, chrome elements in headlight, coffee brown seats and a mudguard with same body colour( In deluxe models it came black as default)
• The engine is much refined and offers good low end torque, one can comfortably ride through the city in 3rd gear.
• The seats in CB 350 makes the whole ride different, it provides comfort orient split seat for rider and pillion. Also the upright relaxed riding posture adds upto it.
• It is a comfortable highway cruiser in 80-100Kmph range and the refined engine reduces fatigue and reduces frequent breaks for the rider.
• Highness is much more agile in city traffic and easier to handle due to its smaller size as compared to CB350.
• At standstill CB 350 needs some efforts to move around, but when it starts running it goes with the flow. Bigger size of the bike make it difficult for sharp U turns in the city and agility in city traffic.

I need opinions from BHPian on this motorcycle as not much information from owners is published on the internet.

Feel free to opt for any alternatives.

Here's what BHPian that_sedate_guy had to say on the matter:

You have most of the points outlined here itself. On paper, the difference of size between the Hness and the CB350 is not huge but the real life perceptive scale definitely changes by a huge margin

The modern purely classic category does not have a strong presence. Matching the words, one might suggest the RE classic but it's bulky and with that arrives the same challenges faced by the CB350

The hunt for agility gives up some riding comfort. This is the case with most bikes. Since your dad's the one who's going to ride it, I'd say pick comfort.

Unless the bike is going to be thrown into corners, you can pick the CB350 without sweating. Engine performance wise, both bikes are nearly similar as well.

You can tryout the Triumph Scrambler 400x. Which is also interestingly a shared powertrain sibling to the Speed 400. Granted it's also equally heavy but all these bikes show their heft only when parked. Otherwise they're easy to handle

I've also heard about the HD x440 which is a mixed bag. To me, it's just another bike without any specific head turning looks but is well built. Other users have said that it's a well made bike but lacks an element of passion

The new J series Bullet 350 may also be worth a test ride of you haven't tried it. Smooth, silent and properly styled modern retro.

Here's what BHPian Pythonic had to say on the matter:

Be careful in choosing 180+ kg bikes . My dad bought a H’ness when he was 50, the first lot after prebooking it. After 6 months he just dumped it on me as a graduation gift, the sly fellow. He found it hard to manage it daily, and my dad’s a stout 5’11’ guy with 0 health issues.

With this in mind I would suggest you to choose h’ness or cb 350 rs which can be easier to handle. Consider the triumph 400 twins but they may not have the presence or looks and I believe jawa offerings also have the same weight range but they don’t have the looks and presence of H’ness which is rivalled only by RE.

I would also look at kawasaki’s w175 as it’s much lighter at 130ish kgs. Congrats on retirement to your dad.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

Your intent to hold off your ADV dreams for yourself is admirable and how it should be

Retros, in order, for a test ride :

• Classic/Bullet 350 : RE service strengths, highly rated J series engine,
• Meteor 350 : a different experience might/might not work for you and since you mentioned the HDX 440
• Honda CB 350 Classic/H'Ness : all that you've mentioned but spares availability has been a concern for some.
• HDX 440 : Apart from some quality issues and Hero service situation at your location, its a good motorcycle. Engine has been spoken highly of.
• Triumph Speed 400X : I doubt its power delivery matches your expectations

Take a test ride of all, see what you like riding in your conditions and get that. Just ve mindful of the issues mentioned as they might/might not be valid at your location especially service related.

PS : You means Your Dad and You in that order

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say on the matter:

Talking more from a stance of age:

For a fit Father {subjective, but still, assuming to do a brisk walk everyday or can take 2-3 floors by steps} AND Has been riding all these years & will do so until the age of retirement AND Still interested riding a motorcycle {regardless of the style} AND The traffic conditions permits then = CB 350 or Triumph 400 eyes closed than Jawa or RE. If there're any other classics, simply avoid them for the trouble free ownership

My assumption: Triumph & Honda Bigwing ASC are not far from your home in EKM

Some practical Deterrent points to consider:

• Except daily errands, there ísn't much use for vehicles past certain age for most folks at that age
• And for errands, a scooter is more viable than a motorcycle & even for errands there're Zepto {hopefully they revive} & Dunzo these days & to commute there's Uber & Ola {otherwise good old autorickshaw}
• Most people {except bikers} aren't interested riding a motorcycle after certain age & prefer comfort, safety & convenience over interest
• Unless the motorcycle isn't going to be used for atleast 5000 Km a year {assuming 15 Km a day for 300 days}, its not yielding a full value
• The insurance & service costs are going to cost nearly to the cost of fuel and not to mention the vehicle itself gets deteriorated in the garage than the regular wear & tear by riding

Some practical Exceptions to consider hoping your Father is one among them:

• Opt for a light weight motorcycle than a heavy one is likely to dissuade from riding altogether
• An used Rx {still a classic but a rare find} will tick most boxes as it's light weight, a classic blast from past, easy to service {hard to find parts though}, great quality & doesn't need to be serviced often & still many can be found in Kerala
• Most folks prefer staying at home rather than venturing an adventure, including errands; from that POV a trip to fuel station or ASC can be avoided with the convenience of an EV scooter

Note: My stance is neutral & by no means I persuade or dissuade from buying what your Father or you want; I only request to consider the above points before spending your money, even if the cost of the motorcycle is 0.01% of your annual income please

Here's what BHPian adi.mariner had to say on the matter:

I have got the Honda Hness in October and have ridden it around 700 kms and all of it inside the City. The bike feels heavy when stationary but once moving it is very easy to handle. The clutch action is very soft and helps a lot during bumper to bumper traffic. Headlights can be improved. The riding position is more comfortable compared to the RS which is more aggressive. Take test rides of all the bikes and then go for the one which suits you. Spares availablity isn't a concern in Pune atleast where there are 2 BigWing Dealers..

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