[TusharK]

It seems Honda is planning to introduce yet another 350cc bike in the Indian market. Leaked images suggest that a 350cc café racer could be on the cards.



The new café racer appears to be based on the H’ness CB350. It features a retro look with a bikini fairing up front, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank and a single seat. Several parts on the bike, including the fenders, handlebars and mirrors as well as the tail lamp housing are finished in chrome.



The leaked images also reveal another bike, which seems to be a variant of the H’ness CB350. It is equipped with various touring accessories such as knuckle guards, saddle stays, a pillion backrest, an engine guard and a front visor.



Both bikes are expected to be powered by the same 348cc, single-cylinder engine that powers the H'ness CB350. It develops 20.8 BHP and 30 Nm and is paired with a 5-speed gearbox via a slipper clutch.

Source: Rushlane

Link to Team-BHP News

[Gordon]

If Honda is calling that a cafe racer, I'm proud of Royal Enfield for the for doing a FULL-hearted job.

[v12]

Originally Posted by Gordon

If Honda is calling that a cafe racer, I'm proud of Royal Enfield for the for doing a FULL-hearted job.

Very well said - if this is a Cafe Racer then I am Prince Charles. How hard would it have been for Honda to make a full fledge Cafe Racer like the Continental GT. All it requires was a set of Clubmans, rear sets, upswept exhausts - 2hixh could have been done so easily. This feels like a half baked product - someone probably said "Add a seat cowl and call it a Cafe Racer "

[rajeevsulu]

Oops, that looks very bad!! It sure looks like an ugly patch up job!! Honda must pull up their socks if they want to have a decent presence!!

[aravind.anand]

They took all this time just to design that seat and that cowl?? At least the RS came with LED taillights, different panels, and stuff. This is plain laziness + a mindset that Indians would buy anything they sell.

This could have been launched along with the Highness itself.

Heck, even Hero made a more serious attempt by using clubman handlebar on their 100cc cafe racer - Splendor Classic Pro!

[PraNeel]

Rather than bringing put these lame editions, why not focus on localizing the 500cc dual cylinder engine platform here in India and then offer all the bikes which are available globally on that platform?
People are eagerly waiting for the CB500x updated version in India.
But Honda is content by selling the CB500F display bikes to customers in India.
CRF300L Rally is another bike which will sell like hot cakes in India, provided the price is right.
But sadly Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki have other plans for India

[joednazareth]

Originally Posted by v12

Very well said - if this is a Cafe Racer then I am Prince Charles. How hard would it have been for Honda to make a full fledge Cafe Racer like the Continental GT. All it requires was a set of Clubmans, rear sets, upswept exhausts - 2hixh could have been done so easily. This feels like a half baked product - someone probably said "Add a seat cowl and call it a Cafe Racer "

This is real.
How Honda treats the Indian Honda motors loyalists.
Do visit the Honda websites from East Asia.
You can make your own inference.

[Black_Star]

I was wondering why there wasn't any news regarding CB350, and was hoping for an update since their production stopped in Dec.

Now I am thinking no news was good news afterall

Seriously Honda this is a cafe racer, not the contraption you have put out

[saitvsk23]

A girl called Lin, from Japan has done a better job than the entirety of HMSI.

[mac13]

While we wait here for the likes of the CB500X or the CRF300 Rally, Honda is delivering such meaningless products.
Makes me admire Kawasaki which gets some good bikes in India. I know of someone who’s delaying buying a 650cc bike in the hopes that the CB500X will be launched soon due to the great reviews. I pity him as he waits for it despite having the option of getting the Versys 650 or the Tiger Sport 660.

[AutoDowntowner]

Honda, please press Ctrl+Z. This is not a café racer, please. Undo it. Don't launch.

[ICE_Swift]

Originally Posted by Black_Star

I was wondering why there wasn't any news regarding CB350, and was hoping for an update since their production stopped in Dec.

Is this true?
I can't find any news article.Do you have any source?
Also I hope this doesn't mean it's shutting down CB350 s in India.

I was planning on buying one soon.Mileage and refinement wise it's unbeatable in the segment.
But seating Comfort and accessories could do with a bit of help.

[Asoon]

This looks like modified Splendour.

They need to understand that 350cc is an aspirational segment, there is no success unless your product does not make the heads turn on road.

I feel that Honda is deliberately trying to fail in the motorcycle segment. Not just this one but all their effort across various motorcycle segment seems halfhearted.

Be it 150/160cc where with the fantastic product like first gen unicorn they do not have any market share, or 250/300cc segment where CBR was overpriced and generations behind the global CBR.
Same goes for their larger capacity bikes.

They need to first understand that 350cc is not a category creation but market share game. Now in a highly competitive (RE's 350cc offerings) segment if you want to do well then your product needs to be significantly better than the existing ones.

For example - KTM dukes offer a different road presence and power figures at a price point which none offered and they captured 300-400cc space in no time.

Neither Hness nor this seems something which feels generation above RE offerings, this will have the same fate as other Honda's 200cc + motorcycles.

[Formula1]

Splendor Classic at least lived upto its name.

It looked classic.

But sales wise, now it will have a sibling.

[KPR]

Honda cafe racer reminds me of V15 vikrant design.