The Retro Classic Motorcycles are very popular in the Indian market. While the affordable retro bike segment in India is principally dominated by Royal Enfield, in recent times, we have seen a lot of newcomers. Now, we have the Jawa Classic and Forty-Two, Benelli Imperiale 400, RE's own Meteor 350 and the new Honda H'Ness CB 350. The H'Ness CB 350 is the first sub-500cc retro motorcycle from Honda in India. Well, if you are not a RE fan but still want a good retro cruiser, today we have an interesting comparo for you. Here, we have a detailed specification-based comparison of the new 2020 Honda H'Ness CB 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6.
Honda H'Ness CB 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400 - Looks and Colour Options
Well, looks are a subjective choice and it depends on one's personal tastes. But, in general, both the motorcycles look very handsome. The new Honda H'Ness CB 350 does have an old-school retro charm but it is loaded with all the modern-day elements like LED headlight, LED turn indicators, dual-tone paint job and a LED taillight. The new Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6, on the other hand, is an old-school Italian beauty. It doesn't get any fancy elements and is a proper retro-classic machine. You can have a look at the pictures of these motorcycles and let us know which one looks more appealing to you.
Talking about colour options on offer, the new Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 is available in three different colour shades. They are Silver, Red and Black. The new Honda H'Ness CB 350 BS6 is available in two variants - Deluxe and Deluxe Pro. The Deluxe variant is available in three different colour shades - Precious Red Metallic, Matte Marshal Green Metallic and Pearl Night Star Black. The Deluxe Pro variant also gets three colour options - Matte Steel Black Metallic with Matte Massive Grey Metallic, Pearl Night Star Black with Spear Silver and Metallic Athletic Blue Metallic with Virtuous White.
Honda H'Ness CB 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400 - Engine, Transmission and Mileage
| Specification | H'Ness CB 350 BS6 | Imperiale 400 BS6 |
| Engine | 348.3cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected | 374cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected |
| Maximum Power | 21.07 PS at 5500 RPM | 21 PS at 6000 RPM |
| Maximum Torque | 30 Nm at 3000 RPM | 29 Nm at 3500 RPM |
| Cooling System | air-cooled | air-cooled |
| Transmission | 5-speed | 5-speed |
| Mileage | 30-35 kmpl (real-world) | 30-35 kmpl (real-world) |
The all-new 2020 Honda H'Ness CB 350 is powered by a new BS6-compliant 348.3cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine. This motor churns out 21.07 PS of power at 5500 RPM and 30 Nm of peak torque at 3000 RPM. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The new Benelli Imperiale 400, on the other hand, gets a BS6-compliant 374cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine. This motor churns out 21 PS of power at 6000 RPM and 29 Nm of peak torque at 3500 RPM. It also comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Talking about fuel-efficiency, both the motorcycles will deliver around 30-35 kmpl in real-world conditions.
Honda H'Ness CB 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400 - Dimensions and Capacity
| Specification | H'Ness CB 350 BS6 | Imperiale 400 BS6 |
| Length | 2163 mm | 2170 mm |
| Width | 800 mm | 820 mm |
| Height | 1107 mm | 1120 mm |
| Seat Height | 800 mm | 780 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1441 mm | 1440 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 166 mm | 170 mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 15-litres | 12-litres |
| Weight | 181 kgs | 205 kgs |
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Honda H'Ness CB 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400 - Tyres, Brakes and Features
Both the Honda H'Ness CB 350 as well as the Benelli Imperiale 400 rides on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear tyre. The H'Ness CB 350's front tyre measures 100/90-19 while the rear one is a 130/70 section 18-inch unit. The front tyre of the Imperiale 400 BS6 measures 100/90-19 while the rear one is a 130/80 section 18-inch unit. However, while the Honda H'Ness CB 350 gets alloys wheels with tubeless tyres, the Benelli Imperiale 400 gets spoke wheels with tubed tyres. For braking duties, both these motorcycles get disc brakes at either end along with dual-channel ABS as standard. The suspension duties on both the motorcycles are performed by telescopic forks at the front and dual spring-loaded hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear.
Talking about other features, so in the feature-department, the H'Ness CB 350 is a clear winner. It is the most feature-rich motorcycle in its segment. The new H'Ness CB 350 gets an analogue instrument cluster with a small MID that displays fuel gauge, trip meters, battery voltage meter, distance to empty, real-time mileage, gear-position indicator, etc. It also gets an assist & slipper clutch, Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), hazard light switch, Voice Control System too (HSVCS), etc. The Benelli Imperiale 400 also gets a semi-analogue semi-digital cluster. It gets analogue dials with a MID or a multi-information display in between that displays a host of information.
2020 Honda H'Ness CB 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 - Price and Verdict
Finally, talking about the price, so the Deluxe variant of the all-new 2020 Honda H'Ness CB 350 BS6 is priced at Rs. 1.85 lakhs while the Deluxe Pro variant retails at Rs. 1.90 lakhs. All prices strick to Ex-showroom Delhi. The new Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 is available in a single variant only and its base Silver colour variant is priced at Rs. 1.99 lakhs. The Red and the Black colour variants are priced at Rs. 2.09 lakhs, Ex-showroom pan-India. Lastly, talking about the verdict, so if your city has a Benelli dealership and you want a good retro cruiser with old-school charm, get the Imperiale 400. But, if your city has a Honda BigWing dealership and you want a good-looking retro cruiser loaded with all the modern-day elements and a well-refined powertrain, then you should get the new Honda H'Ness CB 350 BS6.
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So, this was our detailed specification-based comparison of the all-new 2020 Honda H'Ness CB 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6. Which retro classic bike between these two will be your pick? Do share with us in the comments section below. You can also join our 91Wheels Auto Enthusiast Telegram group (click via mobile to join) curated exclusively for the fans, enthusiasts and the owners. Further, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more such amazing motoring updates.
