On the 30th of Septemeber 2020, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt.Ltd announced the global unveiling of the Honda H’ness CB350. The all-new Honda CB350 aka Highness / H’ness is the 3rd BSVI model offered in Honda India’s BigWing portfolio. Prior to the official launch, we figured an all-new cruiser was on its way through Honda India’s “Highness” youtube teaser videos. However, we didn’t know it would be something from Honda’s CB lineup.
Mr. Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Globally, CB series of motorcycles symbolize Honda’s history of challenges. For more than 60 years, Honda has consistently given the prefix “CB” to models representing on-road sports. Also, the riders have always been the focus in the evolution of the CB. It was once again the Indian riders who motivated the development of H’ness – CB350. To this end, the latest technologies are generously reflected in its 9 new patent applications. Today, we are proud to usher in a new motorcycling culture in the mid-size segment with this global unveiling of H’ness – CB350.”
Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The basic value of H’ness is in its majesty which enriches rider’s motorcycling experience to “go further with free spirit”, encounter new roads and landscapes with Honda’s unrivalled reliability. With its authentic roar, upright road presence & a wide range of new values, H’ness – CB350 delivers an unmatched riding performance. H’ness – CB350, proudly takes forward the rich legacy of Honda’s CB DNA and provides the joy of riding through a wide range of situations like daily use in the city or long road trips. Get ready for a true companion that radiates royalty & evokes emotion.”
Joining Honda’s CB lineup, the new CB350 Highness blends Honda’s iconic CB design with modern tech. From the chrome headlights to handlebars, side mirrors and the exhaust; the CB350 echos the unique design characteristics of the CB series which Honda never failed to follow since the launch of the first Honda CB from the 1960s.
Starting off with the front, the round LED headlamp with chrome finish combines both modern tech with CB’s love for chrome. Aside from the headlamp, the CB350 comes with LED lighting all around too.
Adding onto the list, the dual leather seat, the cruiser-style handlebar, and the chrome Honda emblem gives the CB350 heritage-inspired look. Blending in with the design; the 7-Y Shaped spoke alloy wheels wrapping around 19-inch front tyre and 18-inch (130 section) rear tyre gives the Highness the cruiser stance, grip and the cruiser ride quality.
The new Honda H’ness CB350 features a 350cc, air-cooled 4 stroke OHC single-cylinder engine with Honda’s PGM-FI technology. Mated to a five-speed gearbox, the CB350 pushes class-leading peak torque of 30 Nm @ 3000rpm and a max net power output of 15.5kW @ 5500 rpm. Thanks to this powerful yet fuel-efficient engine, the CB350 is ready for daily commutes and long weekend rides.
Honda says the Main shaft coaxial balancer within the cylinder eliminates vibrations to offer a smooth ride.
The offset cylinder position within the CB350’s mill reduces sliding friction. While the asymmetrical connecting rod and closed crankcase ensure minimal energy loss. Aside from this, the piston cooling jet in the CB350’s mill further improves thermal efficiency and in turn, improves the fuel efficiency. Given the Honda Highness also comes with a large 15 Liter fuel tank, you wouldn’t have to worry much about fuel stations during long trips.
Combined with a large 45mm chrome exhaust, the CB350 wouldn’t fail turn heads. Honda says the single one-chamber structure helps the deliver rich thumping exhaust note. Also, the exhaust pipes are double skinned to prevent discolouration which guarantees to maintains the visual appeal for long.
The new Honda CB350 boasts 5 class-leading features. To begin with, the CB350 features Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) which maintains traction by controlling the torque of the engine via FI based on the speed of the front and rear wheels. However, the rider has the option to turn on or off the HSTC via the switch on the instrument cluster based on his/her preference.
Secondly, Honda has added in the world’s first-ever Honda Smartphone Voice Control System (HSVCS) on the Honda Hn’ess CB350 DLX Pro variant. HSVCS lets smart devices (: phone, headset) to be connected via Bluetooth which lets the rider to receive phone calls, navigate and listen to music on the go.
Moving on, the Assist and Slipper Clutch on the new Honda H’ness CB350 makes shifting gears a breeze with minimal clutch lever operation.
The retro-inspired digital-analogue instrument cluster presents details like ABS, HSTC, side stand indicator, ECO indicator, HSVCS, gear position, battery voltage, RPM, speed and of course mileage. Aside from this, the fuel efficiency details are presented in 3 different ways: real-time mileage, distance to empty and average mileage.
Braking duties are done via dual-piston calliper with 310mm disc upfront and 240mm disc at the rear. Aside from this, the Honda Highness comes with Dual-channel ABS as standard!
Moving onto the suspension, being a cruiser; the telescopic front forks and nitrogen-charged rear twin shocks are ready to offer you the smoothest ride in the segment anytime.
Speaking of the chassis, the new CB350 is built around a steel half-duplex cradle frame. Wrapping the 350cc mill at the lower front, the lower overall centre of gravity of the bike enhances the road presence and manoeuvrability of the bike.
To go hand in hand with the nitrogen-charged rear shocks; rigid box-section steel is used for the swing arm to reduce distortion and efficiently transmit the torque and driving force to cater to a smoother comfortable ride.
The all-new Honda H’ness CB350 comes in two variants: DLX and DLX Pro. The DLX Pro variant gets Honda’s Honda Smartphone Voice Control System, Dual Chrome Horns, and Dual-tone fuel tank.
As for the colour options, the Honda H’ness CB350 in 6 different colours. 3 for DLX variant and 3 for DLX Pro Variant.
| Variant | DLX | DLX Pro |
| Colour | Precious Red Metallic | Athletic Blue Metallic & Virtuous White |
| Pearl Night Star Black | Pearl Night Star Black & Spear Silver Metallic | |
| Mat Marshal Green Metallic | Mat Steel Black Metallic & Mat Massive Grey Metallic |
The starting price of the Honda H’ness is INR 1.9 Lakhs (ex-showroom price in India). Which is about US$ 2,600 or MYR 10,800. Although the full price list isn’t out yet; Honda India says the final pricing details would be updated by the first week of this month. Booking and test rides are already available in India through Honda Big Wing dealership nationwide.
Readers outside of India, don’t worry. Given Honda generally sees the CB series as a global model; we think the Honda H’ness CB350 would soon make its way into markets outside of India, so hang on!
Source: Honda 2 wheelers India