The prefix ‘CB’ has always meant a great deal to Honda, and Honda aficionados. For more than 60 years, the CB roadsters have established themselves as a must-have piece of Honda craftsmanship. The demand is present still today.  Hence, to carry forward the legacy of CB roadsters, Honda 2 Wheelers India has unveiled the Honda H’ness CB350 – the company’s first-ever cruiser motorcycle in the Indian market. The new Honda H’ness (pronounced as highness)  CB350 will be available in two variants – DLX and DLX Pro – with prices starting at around INR 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

The H’ness CB350 has the look of a 70s race bike with cafe racer-inspired styling. The silhouette remains more or less the same as the CB750 and others. It gets a neo-classical LED headlight surrounded by retro-styled turn signal on either sides, a curvaceous 15-litre fuel tank, single-piece handlebar for an upright riding position, contoured single-seat for long saddle hours, alloy wheels, and a generous amount of chrome on the fenders, exhaust, mirrors, and the engine.

The CB350 is powered by a 348cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder long-stroke thumper that belts out 21 bhp and 30 Nm. The CB350 will also have a segment-first slipper clutch for a better riding experience and Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) that helps in maintaining rear-wheel traction. The CB 350’s closest rival, the Royal Enfield Classic 350, makes only 19.8 bhp and 28 Nm.

The Honda H’ness CB350 comes loaded with many features when compared to its rivals. You get a semi-digital info cluster with Bluetooth connectivity for call/music and navigation, and a semi-digital info cluster that displays a gear position indicator, Bluetooth indicator, fuel gauge, two trip meters, and other tell-tale diagnostics like battery health monitor, HSTC, ABS, side stand indicator and ECO indicator.

The bike sits on a half-duplex frame and gets telescopic forks at the front and twin hydraulic suspension at the rear for relaxed handling. Braking duties are provided by disc brakes (310mm disc in the front and 240mm rear disc) with dual-channel ABS.  The Honda H’Ness CB350 rivals the likes of the Royal Enfield Classic 350, upcoming Royal Enfield Meteor 350, Benelli Imperiale 400, and Jawa motorcycles.