Honda H'ness CB350: Worth considering over its rivals?

The Honda H'ness CB350 first came out back in the year that shall not be mentioned, and back then, who would've thought Honda would try and take on Royal Enfield? While RE's cult following remains unmatched, Honda has been successful with the H'ness CB350, building a whole new community of buyers via its BigWing chain.

However, the question here is, should you put your money on the Honda H'ness CB350 in 2024? We are going to highlight some pros and cons to help you make that decision, but before going further, make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community for all automotive updates!

Honda H'Ness CB350 Pros

Exhaust Note

It seems as if Honda really benchmarked Royal Enfield when developing the H'ness CB350. It is very un-Honda like, in the sense that the exhaust note sounds louder than what a Royal Enfield would; it sounds bass-heavy and rather satisfying at idle, and when you nudge the throttle, it gets slightly raspier. Overall, it sounds exactly how some would picture a retro motorcycle to sound like.

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Engine Refinement

No surprises on that front there, eh? The H'ness CB350's 349cc single-cylinder falls behind the Yezdi Roadster and the Jawa 42 in terms of outright power. In terms of torque, however, the CB350 and the Yezdi are near-identical, followed by the RE and then Jawa.

The engine here is typically Honda in terms of refinement, and the Japanese bikemaker has done a good job of keeping vibrations in check.

Ergonomics

The H'ness CB350 gives you a rather neutral, upright riding posture; with a seat height of 800mm, you do feel like you're sitting 'on top' of the bike rather than 'in it', but the handlebar is well within reach and the foot pegs are set quite neutrally as well, in a centre-set position.

Design

The H'ness CB350 was unlike anything we had seen from Honda; it was properly retro, and the bikemaker's intentions seemed pretty clear from the first look itself. The large fuel tank, round LED headlamp, digi-analogue instrument cluster, chunky tyres, and chrome treatment on its parts lend it a handsome, retro look that appeals to a large audience base.

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Cons

Equipment

The H'ness CB350's equipment, simply put, does not make sense. There is a bluetooth system available and the Honda app that gives you features such as incoming call/SMS alerts, music streaming, and turn-by-turn navigation. However, in order to be able to actually use them, you will need to purchase a separate bluetooth headset, because if you notice properly, the instrument cluster on the CB350 is rather compact and leaves no space for the aforementioned features.

Gearing

The H'ness CB350 gets a refined engine and a nice-sounding exhaust note. Out on the highway, the motorcycle pulls quite cleanly and it doesn't feel like it is running out of steam. However, in the city, the H'ness CB350 seems to struggle a fair bit and that's due to the unusually taller gearing. This requires you to consistently work through the gearbox and make sure you're in the right revs, lest the bike stall.

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