The Honda H’Ness CB 350, pronounced ‘Highness’, has been officially unveiled in India and the company is directly targeting the popularity Royal Enfield enjoys in the midsize two-wheeler segment in the country. At the launch event, it was confirmed that the bike will be priced roughly ₹1.90 lakh and it will be available for an in-person look next month.
Honda Motorcycles and Scooter India has been promoting the H’Ness CB 350’s exhaust roar, but has now chosen to highlight a number of additional features that seek to make it a capable cruiser bike. It carries LED headlights, intelligent voice control system, ‘Honda Selectable Torque Control’ (Traction Control), among others, and will be offered in two variants: DLX and DLX Pro.
(Also read: Honda Forza 750, the flagship scooter to be launched in October)
Honda claims that the body of the motorcycle makes it capable of handling various terrains. It has a typical cruiser style flat handlebar that has been designed to be easily reached by the rider. The footrests are medium adjustment and there is a single long seat that keeps the body posture upright. It will be available in six color options, while dual-tone options will be part of the DLX Pro variant.
At the heart of Honda’s new retro-classic cruiser is a 348.36 cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine, known for delivering 20.8 hp of peak power at 5,500 rpm and 30 Nm of peak torque at 3,000 rpm. The motor is mounted on a half-duplex support frame.
Honda is hoping to mount a challenge for Royal Enfield and will sell the H’Ness CB 350 through its BigWing dealership, meaning this bike will become the most affordable offering on the company’s premium network.
Globally, Honda has a 37% share of the two-wheeler market and sells 55 million units each year. India is a key part of the plans of the Japanese company and the H’Ness CB 350 has a great weight of expectations.
Honda has already started reservations for the H’Ness CB 350 on the official website for a token amount of ₹5,000. The company expects a good response for the H’Ness CB 350 in the upcoming holiday season.
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