A couple of months ago, Honda launched the all-new Honda H'Ness CB 350 in India and it became an instant hit. The new H'Ness CB 350 turned out to be a worthy rival to other 350cc retro classic motorcycles that were already on sale in the country. Now, to carry the legacy even further and to expand the 350cc family, the company has recently launched the new Honda CB 350 RS in India. So, today in this article, we will be doing a specification-based comparison of the New Honda CB 350 RS vs the H'Ness CB 350 to tell you what's same and what's different between these two motorcycles.
New Honda CB 350 RS vs the H'Ness CB 350 - What's Same?
Engine - The new Honda CB 350 RS is based on the H'Ness CB 350 and so both these motorcycles have a lot of things in common, including the mill. Both these retro-classic motorcycles are powered by a new BS6 compliant 348.3cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine. This motor churns out 21.07 PS of maximum power at 5500 RPM and 30 Nm of peak torque at 3000 RPM. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Talking about fuel-efficiency, one can expect these motorcycles to deliver around 30-35 kmpl of mileage in real-world conditions.
Hardware Components - The new CB 350 RS also borrows the hardware components from the H'Ness CB 350. Both these motorcycles are based on the same half-duplex cradle frame. These retro motorcycles get 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. They get a 310 mm disc brake at the front and a 240 mm disc unit at the rear with dual-channel ABS as standard.
Features - Both these motorcycle share almost all the features with each other, however, the new CB 350 RS misses out on the voice control system, which the H'Ness CB 350 offers you. Some other common features of these motorcycles include Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), an assist & slipper clutch, engine start & stop switch, hazard light switch, and many more. They also get an analogue instrument cluster along with a small MID that displays fuel gauge, trip meters, battery voltage meter, distance to empty, real-time mileage, gear-position indicator, etc.
New Honda CB 350 RS vs the H'Ness CB 350 - What's Different?
Ergonomics and Cosmetics - The new Honda CB 350 RS gets new design elements. For starters, it gets a ring around the round LED headlight, new front fork gaiters, new LED turn indicators, a new single-piece seat, new grab rails for the pillion and an under-seat LED tail light. The new Honda CB 350 RS also gets new blacked-out elements with a new underbelly bash plate, rear-set footpegs, blacked-out exhaust and a restyled rear mudguard.
Dimensions - The new Honda CB 350 RS and the Honda H'Ness CB 350 have slightly different dimensions and you can see the figures in the table below:
| Specification | H'Ness CB 350 | New CB 350 RS |
| Length | 2163 mm | 2171 mm |
| Width | 800 mm | 804 mm |
| Height | 1107 mm | 1097 mm |
| Seat Height | 800 mm | 800 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1441 mm | 1441 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 166 mm | 168 mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 15-litres | 15-litres |
| Weight | 181 kgs | 179 kgs |
Tyres - The new Honda CB 350 RS gets new dual-purpose tyres from MRF. It rides on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear tyre, the H'Ness CB 350, on the other hand, rides on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear tyre. The front tyre of the new CB 350 RS measures 100/90-19 while the rear one is a 150/70 section 17-inch unit. For comparison, the H'Ness' front tyre measures 100/90-19 while the rear one measures 130/70-18. Both of them get alloy wheels and tubeless tyres.
Colour Options - The Honda H'Ness CB 350 gets six colour options, three mono-tone options with the DLX variant and three dual-tone options with the DLX Pro variant. The new Honda CB 350 RS is available in two colour options only. They are Pearl Sports Yellow and Radiant Red Metallic colour.
Price - The price of the new 2021 Honda CB 350 RS starts at Rs. 1.96 lakhs, Ex-showroom Delhi. At this price point, it is around 3,500 rupees dearer than the top-end DLX Pro variant of the H'Ness CB 350. The DLX variant of the H'Ness CB 350 is priced at Rs. 1,86,500 while the DLX Pro variant retails at Rs. 1,92,500. All prices stick to Ex-showroom Delhi. This was all about the new Honda CB 350 RS vs the H'Ness CB 350. Between these two bikes, which one will be your pick? Do feel free to share your thoughts, 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 the owners. Further, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more such amazing motoring updates.
