Honda has released a teaser for an upcoming motorcycle that we believe will be based on the CB350 platform. The image reveals the rear of the motorcycle, along with a date for the reveal, February 16.
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New CB350 based motorcycle to launch on February 16
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Features more modern design, less chrome components
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Will likely feature the same 348.36cc engine
The teaser image also consists of the text “Powered by legacy”, which follows a similar tone to the Honda H’ness CB 350’s pre-launch activity.
Upcoming Honda CB 350: What we know so far
From the little of the motorcycle that’s been revealed, we can see that the twin shock absorbers look nearly identical to the ones on the H’ness. However, from this angle, it appears to be the only major point of overlap.
This upcoming model looks like it will feature a fatter tyre on what appears to be a 17-inch rear wheel; the H’ness uses a 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel combo. What is obvious, however, is that this upcoming model uses tyres that feature a completely different tread pattern than the ones on the H’ness.
Next, there’s the tail-light and the indicators - the H’ness uses retro-looking units, while these look much more contemporary. It also seems like they will be LED units, and the indicators appear to be borrowed from the new Hornet 2.0. The very same design was seen on the modern retro CB300R as well.
Another major design difference visible in this teaser when compared to the standard CB350 H'ness, is the way the rear mudguard is mounted, which may be camouflaging the same subframe. The H’ness uses a retro mudguard on to which the tail-light and indicators are mounted, while this upcoming model has a tail-light that’s integrated into the rear seat with a more modern plastic fender for the indicators and number plate.
Upcoming Honda CB 350: Street naked, cafe racer, scrambler?
Lastly, there’s the seat and the exhaust. The shape of the exhaust looks quite similar but it’s clear that it’s mounted at a more aggressive angle. The seat, too, has a different contour with the pillion’s being noticeably shorter than the one on the H’ness. The design of both these aforementioned elements, along with the apparent tyre profile, leads us to believe that this upcoming motorcycle will either be cafe racer, a more modern-looking street naked, or a scrambler.
The transition to the BS6 era seems to have been the end of the road for the CB300R in India. With its high price, the bike sold in limited numbers and the new CB 350 could take its place.
The 348.36cc, air-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine that powers the CB 350 platform, develops 20.8hp at 5,500rpm and 30Nm at 3,000rpm on the H’ness and similar numbers are expected of this upcoming model.
Upcoming Honda CB 350 price and launch
Honda may reveal a little more about the upcoming bike as we near the launch date, but for all the official information, we’ll have to wait until February 16. As far as pricing is concerned, this model could sit slightly above the H’ness, prices for which range between Rs 1.86 lakh and Rs 1.92 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Azaman Chothia
