Hi, I want to buy a 350 cc bike and am confused between the Honda CB350 and the Honda H’ness 350. I need a bike that is pillion-friendly, can handle occasional mountain rides, and offers good control in city traffic. Which one is better for both uses?

Autocar India

•1d

Since you liked the Bullet 350 on your test ride, sticking with it for your next purchase would be a good idea. Inside the city, this Royal Enfield bike will return better fuel economy and will be easier to manage than the Himalayan 450, although the latter is unquestionably a more capable motorcycle. Coming to the Himalayan, this machine has a greater spread of abilities than the Bullet but there are trade-offs. Its size and heft may get tiring after a while, especially in staccato city traffic. And like you pointed out, the warmth from its radiator is also noticeable. However, we'd advise you to not write off the Himalayan because of some warm air. Ask yourself if you're willing to put up with this one trait to gain spades of comfort, capability and performance because the Himalayan genuinely has a lot to offer. Since you're browsing through the RE stable already, the Scram 440 is another machine that deserves your attention. It has more performance than the Bullet and its suspension is compliant too, making it a good city companion. Should you want to browse through the catalogue of other brands, Honda's CB350 is an excellent city bike too. With its smooth engine, light clutch action and comfortable seating position, the air-cooled CB makes for a good commuting partner too. A test ride of the Scram and CB350 would be our recommendation so you can make a more informed decision. Also, take another test ride of the Himalayan and pay deliberate attention to the heat you're feeling in traffic before you rule it out.

Autocar India

•9h

While the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 may wear dual-purpose tyres, its hardly the ideal machine to take off-roading. Sure, it can tackle a gravelly rough road or a hard-packed trail but beyond that, it will feel out of its element. Think of the Guerrilla as a roadster that doesn't shy away from bad roads when you encounter them but you shouldn't actively go out seeking them. On the flip side, it is going to be fun to ride on the highway and inside the city with its torquey engine and sporty chassis - especially the Apex variant with its more committed riding position and grippier Vredestein Centauro ST tyres. On the other hand, the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 X will be more of a jack of all trades sort of bike and will be a great deal more capable off-road. Things to keep in mind here: this Triumph bike has a tall 835mm seat height (a significant 55mm more than the Guerrilla) and its downsized 349cc engine will feel much mellower in comparison to the Guerrilla's punchy 452cc single. While the Scrambler is a decent handling road bike, it cannot match the sportier Guerrilla's handling characteristics and if you spend your time predominantly on the road, the Royal Enfield bike is definitely the better choice. You need to decide whether you're actually going to venture off-road on a routine basis as well as considering the performance they have to offer and then, take a call between these two machines. To help make a decision, a test ride of both would be advisable.

Autocar India

•9h

Addressing the two single-cylinder machines first, between the 399cc KTM 390 Adventure and 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 XC, the KTM bike is sure to be the more fun and capable machine. Its engine is much more powerful, its suspension much more capable and it fits the brief better for your needs than the Triumph bike. One area where the 390 Adventure will not be as good as the Scrambler 400 XC is city manners, because its engine feels buzzy and frankly unhappy at lower revs and its large windscreen also blocks some cooling wind at predominantly slower city speeds. Now coming to the BMW F 450 GS, this is a machine that could be your one bike to do it all with its twin-cylinder engine, capable suspension and comfortable ergonomics. However, we still haven't spent enough seat time on the small GS - the first ride event was a rather rushed one - and BMW bikes are notorious for being expensive to own and maintain. Then there's also the fact that the F 450 GS is based on an all-new platform and its long-term reliability still remains a question mark. Our recommendation would be the 399cc KTM 390 Adventure of the three bikes you've chosen but should you decide to go for the GS instead, we'd advise you to at least defer your purchase by six months so that you have more real-world information on the GS and then make an informed decision.

Autocar India

•5d

Depending on your riding style, there are multiple different options to choose from in the segment you're looking at. If you're looking for a quick and sporty machine, then the 350cc Triumph Speed 400, KTM 390 Duke and Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 make good sense because they have energetic performance as well as good comfort (the KTM bike will be a little less comfy than the Triumph bike in this one regard, but will have more performance). On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you prefer to ride in an unhurried fashion, then look no further than the Royal Enfield Classic / Bullet 350, Honda CB350 models and Triumph Speed T4. These bikes have great comfort and should also be reliable in the long run.If you want something that prioritizes comfort and utility over all else, then an adventure bike is the way to go. You have the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, TVS Apache RTX 300 and KTM 390 Adventure models (with both 350cc and 399cc motors, depending on your needs and budgetary restrictions) in this class. In our opinion, as an all-rounder, nothing can match the versatility of the Himalayan and if you're comfortable with its size, this is definitely an option worth considering. As always, first decide what form factor appeals to you the most and will suit your usage best and then accordingly take test rides based on that before making your decision.

Autocar India

•19h

In the relaxed neo-retro space, you've already ridden the TVS Ronin and the Honda CB350 H'ness, that are two of the best bikes available in the class. We would also recommend you look at the Royal Enfield Bullet / Classic 350 because these bikes still remain the benchmark in the class, in our opinion. Especially since you've mentioned you're a heavier person and carry a pillion regularly. The Classic and Bullet both have lovely seating comfort, sorted suspension and neutral ergonomics. Pair that to a torque-rich engine and lovely fit and finish and you have a concoction that's hard to top - unless you're looking for more performance, that is. In that case, the 350cc Triumph Speed T4 makes a good case for itself although do bear in mind, it isn't as large a machine as the Honda bike or Royal Enfield 350s and could feel cramped for a larger rider as well as pillion. If you're open to considering ADVs, the Hero Xpulse 210 makes a compelling case for itself and will offer you more comfort and fuel economy than any of the machines listed above. Take a test ride of these bikes and compare them with your notes of previous test rides to see which one you like best before you make a decision.

Autocar India

•1d

The Royal Enfield Guerrilla comes with a 452cc engine, whereas the Triumph Scrambler 400 X now comes with a 349cc engine so its no surprise that the Triumph didn't feel as sprightly in comparison. However, for your usage, should you be willing to sacrifice some pep, the 350cc Scrambler 400 X is actually a great all-rounder. Especially since you're a novice and want to get into off-roading. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a great bike but we'd advise you to not consider this bike, at least not if you plan to start your off-roading journey with it. At 196kg, the Himalayan is a heavy machine and with its fuel tank full, it also feels rather top heavy, which could get challenging for a beginner to manage at crawling off-road speeds. However, for city commuting and highway journeys, this Royal Enfield bike will be quite nice - its only off-roading where its weight will be a serious deterrent.The 350cc KTM 390 Adventure would be a good middle-ground option between the two aforementioned bikes - in theory, at least. Its lighter than the Himalayan and has more power than the Scrambler. A test ride should shed more light on whether this KTM bike is the one for you. Since you said you're looking to get into off-road riding, we'd be remiss if we didn't recommend the Hero Xpulse 210 to you. Now, the Xpulse is definitely a smaller and slower machine than all the machines listed above but if you genuinely want to hone your craft and get better at off-road riding, there's genuinely no better place to start than here. City commuting is another strength of the Xpulse, although on the highway, its engine feels a little stressed post 100kph. If you don't mind compromising on outright performance on the highway, then the Xpulse will be a good option for you. Some other benefits of choosing the Xpulse would be that it returns excellent fuel economy - much higher than all other options - and it costs much less to buy too.You need to evaluate your priorities and make an informed decision after test riding all three bikes. Best of luck!