Honda CB350(RS)/ GB350(S) - I bought one!

[RoverT]

Dear lord that is one good looking bike. Classy, simple, timeless look

 

[Deleted member 23845]

I have also pondered a small bike, test rode the Ninja 400 last year. This little Honda looks fun.

 

[Paul On The Run]

Very nice bike. They hit a homerun with the styling!

 

[jsb223]

my first street bike was a 1970 CB350

Mine was a '73 CB350

from an an article I read.

We recently told you about Honda’s attempt to compete with Royal Enfield in India.
To break into the market, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) manufactures
the new H’ness CB350 in Manesar (Haryana) India with 90% locally made content.


Its sales continue to exceed HMSI’s sales expectations. Apparently, so much so that
HMSI is now evaluating whether the bike should be exported to the rest of the world.

 

[humanrace]

my first street bike was a 1970 CB350

I wanted that bike, but the base credit union would only loan me $700 so I had to go across the street for a 250cc Yamaha for $695 out the door. This new bike's looks remind me so much of the old CB350. I'm a customer if Honda is listening and the credit union has upped my borrowing limit several times since 1970.

 

[cabanza]

The India only CB350RS will now be sold in Japan under the name GB350. It will sell for just about $2,500. I guess there's hope it will make it here.

https://www.visordown.com/news/new-bikes/honda-cb350-lands-japan-gb350-name-–-will-we-also-get-it

GB350発表まで待てない！ 先走りカスタム提案⑮「ゼッケンプレート付きはいかが？」

シンプル＆プレーンなスタイルのホンダ「GB350」は間違いなくカスタムが映える！ というわけで、ヤングマシンが得意の先走りCGで早くもカスタム提案をしてしまおうというこの企画。3月末の正式発表に向けて平日に毎日更新、日めくり方式でイメージC

young-machine.com

The Japanese version differs some from the Indian one:

https://www.visordown.com/news/new-bikes/honda-cb350-lands-japan-gb350-name-–-will-we-also-get-it

 

[cabanza]

Here's another pic:

And many more here:

【徹底解説】ホンダ新型「GB350」ついに登場!! 注目の空冷単気筒ハイネスCB350の日本仕様（WEBヤングマシン）の写真(4ページ目) | 自動車情報サイト【新車・中古車】 - carview!

エンジンの特許図も入手！ ホンダは、2021年2月20日よりWEBでスタートする「ホンダモーターサイクルフェス2021」にて新型「GB350」を公開。インドで昨秋発表されたハイネスCB350の日本仕様版で、...の写真(4ページ目)

carview.yahoo.co.jp

 

[Windmill]

So if it comes to America how much will it be . 5K or more if inflation keeps going like it is maybe more.
Got a feeling the muffler has a catalytic converter like my Royal Enfield did. In very few miles it and header were bluefish and brown even heat guard. Wonder if it pops on deceleration? It's a a clean machine, very lean and belongs on Penny Lane
Gotta love air cooled bikes.

 

[cabanza]

If it sells for about $2,500 in Japan, it would be about $2,500 retail here in the US. That's my guess when comparing other Japanese bike prices to US bike prices.

 

[ShafT]

If it sells for about $2,500 in Japan, it would be about $2,500 retail here in the US. That's my guess when comparing other Japanese bike prices to US bike prices.

I'd love to think that's accurate, but can't imagine they could or would sell this bike for significantly less than the Grom. They'd sell tons of them at that price, but I can't see it. The India-sourced KTM Duke 200 is $4k with an invoice to dealers only a few dollars below that.

 

[cabanza]

Yes but that KTM Duke 200 is miles away from that GB350. Look at the spec sheet.

 

[ShafT]

Yes but that KTM Duke 200 is miles away from that GB350. Look at the spec sheet.

Fair enough on the Duke 200 specs, air cooled vs. liquid (actually less HP than the Duke 200 too), no-abs, basic frame, budget suspension vs. WP, etc., but 35% less is a big drop when you're in this price range. For a more apt comparison and within the Honda brand, can they really bring the GB350 in at $800 - 900 less than a Grom (non-ABS). Does production in India cost significantly less than Thailand (Grom)? Again, I'd absolutely love it if it was true, but $2500 is crazy cheap. Revzilla article referenced $2600 - $2900, which is a little more credible, but still well below Grom pricing. It is a beautifully styled bike with significant cool factor bikes like the TU250 couldn't muster. I hope to see it here!

 

[cabanza]

Fair enough on the Duke 200 specs, air cooled vs. liquid (actually less HP than the Duke 200 too), no-abs, basic frame, budget suspension vs. WP, etc., but 35% less is a big drop when you're in this price range. For a more apt comparison and within the Honda brand, can they really bring the GB350 in at $800 - 900 less than a Grom (non-ABS). Does production in India cost significantly less than Thailand (Grom)? Again, I'd absolutely love it if it was true, but $2500 is crazy cheap. Revzilla article referenced $2600 - $2900, which is a little more credible, but still well below Grom pricing. It is a beautifully styled bike with significant cool factor bikes like the TU250 couldn't muster. I hope to see it here!

A GROM has higher specs (chassis) than the GB350 and then there is the production cost between Thailand and India which I know nothing about - just like pricing. I was guessing what pricing might be when compared to Honda bikes in Japan. I do like your comparison with the TU250. I think the Honda looks better than the TU as well.

 

[cabanza]

So RideApart reported that the GB350 was going on sale in Japan for the equivalent of $5,500. I thought it was a misprint.

Honda Japan Officially Launches GB350

Honda Japan has officially launched the GB350 in two variants. The bike bears a lot of similarity with the India-spec CB350 H'Ness.

www.rideapart.com

So I went to Honda Japan and looked up the model and found out that yes, they are selling the GB350 for $5,500. That is insane. It is about the same price as what the CB250R (they don't have the 300) sells for. They also have a GB350S that goes for about $6,000. Wow! That's a lot of money for what it is. But Yamaha brought the SR400 back and I think it retailed for $5,999 - I bought one at a discounted price. They have similar specs.
So I think Honda is going to sell it in Europe next year. Will we see it in the US as a 2022 model?

GB350 | Honda公式サイト

ライダーとの一体感を追求したスタイル。心を弾ませるクリアな鼓動。気軽に乗れる扱いやすさ。バイクが本来持っていた価値を、新しいライダーへ届けるために。The Honda Basic Roadster, GB

www.honda.co.jp

The GB350S:

 

[cabanza]

Review of the CB350RS (India) with lots of pics:

Honda CB350RS- Road Test Review

A few months back, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India launched the H’ness CB350 and now, the bike-maker has come up with Honda CB350RS

indianautosblog.com

 

[cabanza]

Here's the riding triangle for both bikes. They both look quite comfortable.

 

[cabanza]

Lots of technical info on the bike (you will need Google translate unless you read Japanese):

ホンダ「GB350／GB350S」の核心！ ロングストローク設定の空冷単気筒エンジンを解説

ホンダは、注目の空冷ロングストローク単気筒を搭載する「GB350」およびバリエーションモデルの「GB350S」を正式発表。この新型バイクの核となるのは、完全新開発の空冷エンジンにほかならない。一見するとローテクのようだが、中身はキッチリ造り

young-machine.com

You can see the differences between the G350 and G350S:

ホンダ「CB350RS」と「ハイネスCB350」は何が違う？ スペックと細部を写真で比較してみた！

インドで発表され話題のホンダ「ハイネスCB350」に早くも兄弟車が登場した。すでにスペックや価格も明らかになっているが、本記事では新たに独自入手した写真素材で細部をじっくりと見比べてみたい。2月12日にはインド現地法人がSNSで発売から4か

young-machine.com

There's even a comparison between the G350 and the SR400. They are very similar in terms of specs:

ホンダ「GB350」とヤマハ「SR400」は何が違う？ スペックと細部を比較してみた！

ホンダの快進撃が止まらない！ 2020年のヒット作「ADV150」や「CT125ハンターカブ」に続くブランニューモデル「GB350」は、インドで先行発売された「ハイネスCB350」の日本版。早くも話題のこのバイクを、普通二輪免許で乗れるクラ

young-machine.com

 

[Windmill]

The Indian reviews always amuse me. 125 kmph and will easily cruze au triple digit highway speeds.
I like the bike but ar 20 hp it will be tame. Sure it will cruse on a flat or down hill road at 104 kph with equils 65 mph which means nothing left of the top speed of 77 mph to pass , take a hill or ride in a headwind.
I owned a 2014 RE 500/ 28 hp. It was great for goofing around on or going to the store. Got great gas milage and I called it a fun toy. I suspect this will be the same and more fun than a moped and some scooters.
I liked the RE electric and kick starter and great seat.

 

[cabanza]

I read elsewhere that the CB/ GB was at the IMS show in California. If that's true, then Honda may bring the bike for 2022. Cool! My next bike.

 

[mr72]

I like the bike but ar 20 hp it will be tame. Sure it will cruse on a flat or down hill road at 104 kph with equils 65 mph which means nothing left of the top speed of 77 mph to pass , take a hill or ride in a headwind.

Just playing devil's advocate here, the truth is I just don't like riding motorcycles at >65 mph. Not everyone does. The roads which have posted speed limits of 65 or more are not any fun on a motorcycle, IMHO. I completely understand that some want to do touring or have to commute along big, flat interstate highways, and for those, a lightweight, low-powered motorcycle can't work. But there's a ton of fun to be had at <65mph.

I would also point out, you don't HAVE to pass! I am not kidding. This is one of my pet peeves. If there's a farmer on a tractor going 15mph on your 55mph rural highway then of course you will need to pass, and a bike like this will totally make that pass. But get real, man. If you're on some 2-lane TX highway with a posted 65mph speed limit and you come upon a driver going 60, you can just, you know, go 60 for a while. This idea that you must absolutely be able to do a pass at >10mph above the posted speed limit is silly, IMHO. I hear about this a lot, but after a few years of putting 5-10K/yr riding, I just don't find that this is a big deal. In >10K miles I put on my Bonneville, I can count exactly one time I needed to use WOT on the road, and zero times when I actually had a reason to go faster than 75mph. 99.999% of the time I use <10% throttle and shift at half the redline.

That said, a bike with a flat-road max speed of 77mph would get very annoying on the short stretches of 70mph posted highways you probably have to go on to get anywhere more than 50 miles from home in Central TX, but it's not a deal breaker. It's just annoying. As much as I try to plan routes that don't include these roads, sometimes it's simply not possible. Getting from my house to my parents' place by Castell requires about a 10 mile stretch of 71 that's not only posted 70mph and 2-lane double stripe, but it's hilly, so you may wind up on a long hill and find yourself not able to go over 50 mph, long way from what the dude tailgating you in the F350 pulling a horse trailer wants to do. So I personally won't buy for myself a motorcycle I plan on riding very far outside my neighborhood that's only 20 hp. But my garage is half full of scooters that max out at 50mph, and they are a blast. I could totally see getting one of these Honda 350s that looks like a Jr. Bonneville for my wife to ride, because she has no interest in highways at all on a motorcycle, and this would be completely appropriate for enjoying back roads or the occasional trip to Marble Falls down 1431.

 

[Jarrett]

I would also point out, you don't HAVE to pass! I am not kidding. This is one of my pet peeves. But get real, man. If you're on some 2-lane TX highway with a posted 65mph speed limit and you come upon a driver going 60, you can just, you know, go 60 for a while. This idea that you must absolutely be able to do a pass at >10mph above the posted speed limit is silly.

Blasphemer

 

[xcaliber]

just a small thing but would look a little better with a seamless tank. All scrambled out with a skid plate , headlight protector, combo tire and high pipe would be really cool.

 

[humanrace]

Just playing devil's advocate here, the truth is I just don't like riding motorcycles at >65 mph. Not everyone does. The roads which have posted speed limits of 65 or more are not any fun on a motorcycle, IMHO. I completely understand that some want to do touring or have to commute along big, flat interstate highways, and for those, a lightweight, low-powered motorcycle can't work. But there's a ton of fun to be had at <65mph.

I would also point out, you don't HAVE to pass! I am not kidding. This is one of my pet peeves. If there's a farmer on a tractor going 15mph on your 55mph rural highway then of course you will need to pass, and a bike like this will totally make that pass. But get real, man. If you're on some 2-lane TX highway with a posted 65mph speed limit and you come upon a driver going 60, you can just, you know, go 60 for a while. This idea that you must absolutely be able to do a pass at >10mph above the posted speed limit is silly, IMHO. I hear about this a lot, but after a few years of putting 5-10K/yr riding, I just don't find that this is a big deal. In >10K miles I put on my Bonneville, I can count exactly one time I needed to use WOT on the road, and zero times when I actually had a reason to go faster than 75mph. 99.999% of the time I use <10% throttle and shift at half the redline.

Having ridden many small bikes as touring bikes, I totally agree.

"Blasphemer" I totally agree.

Something is wrong with me.

 

[mr72]

Something is wrong with me.

You and me both, I guess. I am an actual grandpa, but I've always driven kind of like a grandpa. I just see this passing thing as 90% ego and 10% utility. You have it in your head you want to go N speed, someone in front is going N-M, so you just HAVE to pass them, and since N in some cases might be 70 and m might be only 3 or 4, you have to be able to go N+30 in order to make that pass. Or grow a quantum of patience.

 

[humanrace]

I solve both.

You and me both, I guess. I am an actual grandpa, but I've always driven kind of like a grandpa. I just see this passing thing as 90% ego and 10% utility. You have it in your head you want to go N speed, someone in front is going N-M, so you just HAVE to pass them, and since N in some cases might be 70 and m might be only 3 or 4, you have to be able to go N+30 in order to make that pass. Or grow a quantum of patience.

I solve both. I use my FZ10 for sport and touring. It passes easily and keeps me on mainly paved roads. I use my DRZ400SM for sport and touring also. It makes me plan ahead and sometimes just chill out and enjoy the ride. I think I would enjoy one of these bikes.