The Honda CB350RS has been launched in the Indian market with a price tag of Rs 1.96 lakh (ex-showroom, India). It is based on the recently-launched Honda CB350 H’ness and features a sportier design and riding posture which is intended to appeal to a younger audience.
For a while now, it has been known that Honda is working on a ‘Scrambler’ version of the CB350 H’ness. Now that motorcycle has been launched in the Indian market. It is called the Honda CB350RS with the RS denoting ‘Road Sailing,’ and is quite simply a sportier motorcycle based on the underpinnings and powertrain of the CB350 H’ness.
The Honda CB350 H’ness is one of Honda’s best products in the Indian market. It was intended to take the fight to the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and it did so to an extent. More than 10,000 units of the motorcycle have been sold in the few months since its launch. Now, Honda has brought in the CB350RS which seems to be more potent than the H’ness.
For starters, it looks much sportier and attractive. Up front is the same circular LED headlamp with LED DRLs. The front mudguard is now shorter and it even gets the same teardrop-shaped fuel tank, but the similarities in design end right there. It now gets a sleeker, tucked-in seat, and the large chrome mudguard has been replaced by a plastic mudguard.
The tail lamp has been placed under the seat while the turn signal indicators and the number plate have been mounted on the plastic mudguard. The new off-road biased tyres with its wide tread blocks add immensely to the design and styling of the motorcycle. The exhaust system has been redesigned slightly with a chrome guard on a blacked-out exhaust pipe.
While the CB350 H’ness comes with truckloads of chrome, the CB350RS comes with a darker and sportier blacked-out theme. While the CB350 H’ness looks more mature and grown-up, the CB350RS looks younger and more playful for sure. It is based on the same platform and makes use of the same chassis.
Suspension duties are handled by the same telescopic fork up front and twin shocks at the rear. The fork is now covered with a boot up front which adds to the sportier, off-road-ready styling. Braking is taken care of by a single disc at the front and at the rear, governed by a dual-channel ABS system.
Powering the Honda CB350RS is an air-cooled, 350cc, single-cylinder engine with a maximum power output of 20.7bhp at 5,500rpm and a peak torque output of 30Nm at 3,000rpm. A 5-speed gearbox drives the rear wheel via an assist and slipper clutch.
The Honda CB350RS is currently available in just two colour options — Radiant Red Metallic & Black with Pearl Sports Yellow. We expect more colour options to get added in the future. The Honda CB350RS will be retailed through Honda’s BigWing retail outlets across India.
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