Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Limited launched the all-new Honda H'ness CB 350 in the country in September last year. The H'ness CB 350 was launched in September 2020 and it became an instant hit. Then, in February 2021, the company expanded the CB 350 family with the launch of the Honda CB 350 RS. The CB 350 RS looks very sporty and in this article, we have shared with you all the Pros and Cons of the new Honda CB 350 RS.
2021 Honda H'Ness CB 350 RS Pros and Cons:
PROS
Striking Looks and Colour Options - The new Honda CB 350 RS looks very striking. Since it is based on the H'ness CB 350, it shares a lot of cycle parts with the H'ness but it has its own unique appeal. For starters, the CB 350 RS gets new design elements like a ring around the round LED headlight, new front fork boots, new LED turn indicators, a new single-piece seat, new grab rails for the pillion and an under-seat LED tail light. The CB 350 RS also gets new blacked-out elements with a new underbelly bash plate, blacked-out exhaust, rear-set footpegs, and a restyled rear mudguard. It is available in two colour options - Pearl Sports Yellow and Radiant Red Metallic colour.
Refined Engine with Good Performance - Just like the H'ness CB 350, the Honda CB 350 RS is powered by a 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. This all-new mill from Honda is a long-stroke motor and it is supremely refined, even at the higher RPMs and offers good performance. However, the H'ness CB 350 feels quicker than the CB 350 RS.
Hardware Components - The Honda CB 350 RS gets telescopic forks at the front and dual spring-loaded hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear. The braking duties on the motorcycle are performed by disc brakes at either end. It gets a 310 mm disc brake at the front and a 240 mm disc unit at the rear. It also gets dual-channel ABS as standard. Also, the new Honda CB 350 RS gets new dual-purpose tyres from MRF. It rides on a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear tyre and they are tubeless ones. The front tyre of the CB 350 RS measures 100/90-19 while the rear one is a 150/70 section 17-inch unit.
Affordable Service Costs - As is the case with most other motorcycles from the house of this Japanese motorcycle manufacturer, the new Honda CB 350 RS is very affordable to maintain and it will turn out to be very reliable too.
CONS
Only Available at Honda's BigWing Dealerships - Let's now have a look at some of its negatives. So, the first and the major con of the new CB 350 RS is actually not of the motorcycle but of the company's strategy. The H'ness CB 350 and the CB 350 RS are sold via Honda's premium BigWing dealerships and not through the regular outlets. The BigWing dealerships are available in very limited numbers and even all Tier-I cities do not have it, forget the small cities. Honda has promised that they will expand BigWing dealerships exponentially in the coming months but it will need some time for sure.
Price Seems A Bit High - The Honda CB 350 RS is based on the DLX variant of the H'ness CB 350 and it is priced at Rs. 1.96 lakhs, Ex-showroom Delhi. At this price point, the CB 350 RS is around 10,000 rupees more expensive than the H'ness CB 350 DLX and the price seems a bit on the higher side.
Also Read: Toyota Innova Crysta Facelift Price Hiked By Upto Rs 26,000 - New vs Old Price List
No Option Of Spoke Wheels - Just like the H'ness CB 350, the Honda CB 350 RS also doesn't get spoke wheels, not even as an option.
Some Ergonomic Flaws - Again, just like the H'ness CB 350, the Honda CB 350 RS has some ergonomic flaws. For instance, if you see the switch gears on the left side of the handlebar, the horn is positioned above where we normally get the switch of turn indicators while the switch for the turn indicators is placed below where we normally get the horn switch. This isn't a major issue but you will need some time to get used to it as every time when you wanna turn on the turn indicators, you might hit the horn switch.
So, these were the pros and cons of the new 2021 Honda CB 350 RS BS6. Do you own a Honda CB 350 RS and do you want to share any pros and cons of this motorcycle with fellow readers? Do feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with all of 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 owners. Further, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more such amazing motoring updates.
