Honda H’ness Goes Scrambling!

Published January 30, 2021
Views : 13398
3 min read

Honda has teased a new bike based on the H’ness CB350 which will be launched on February 16

[UPDATE: The upcoming Honda H'ness CB350-based variant might be a cafe racer. Check out the details in our report.]

It seems Honda is in a hurry! A few months after making its debut in the classic motorcycle segment to compete against the Royal Enfield Classic 350, the Japanese brand is now looking to expand its portfolio. Honda has sent us a teaser pic of its upcoming motorcycle, slated to make its India debut on February 16. While the Japanese two-wheeler giant has been tight-lipped about its latest offering, we feel it could either be a cafe racer or a scrambler. Given the fact that cafe racers haven’t been popular in India, our guess is that it could be a scrambler motorcycle based on the Honda H’ness CB350.

First, let’s guess the name. Given its nomenclature for its ADV bikes and off-road machines, we think it might be called the Honda CB350X Scrambler. That does sound better than H’ness, right? Now before you start dreaming of going off-roading, hold on. The Honda 350cc scrambler will be more suited to the urban jungles, similar to the Husqvarna Svartpilen 250 and the Benelli Leoncino 500. Also, the tyres in the teaser pic might look good for the rough road but are actually the MRF Zapper Kurve used on the Bajaj V15.

As for styling, we expect the new Honda 350cc bike to have a neo-retro design with scrambler vibes, which is completely different from the classic roadster design of the H’ness. It will get LED lighting all around, and as we can see in the teaser image, the sleek taillight and indicators seem to be inspired by the Honda CB300.

The alloy-wheel design is also sportier, and the rider seat gets a textured finish. Chrome elements have been restricted to the rear suspension, and we feel Honda has opted for a stealthy treatment for its new scrambler. The single-pod all-digital instrument console with navigation is likely to be carried forward from the CB350 H’ness.

Providing firepower to the Honda CB350X Scrambler will be the same 350cc motor from the H’ness, which generates 21PS and 30Nm. While the nature of this engine is fit for the roadster, we hope that Honda engineers have tweaked the motor or the gear ratios to suit the scrambler characteristic of the upcoming machine. It will use a 5-speed gearbox with slip and assist clutch.

Considering the twin-shock absorber has been carried forward, the underpinnings of the Honda CB350X are expected to be similar to those of the H’ness. However, the rear suspension seems to have more travel. The Honda scrambler will be equipped with dual-channel ABS, but if it would be a switchable unit or not remains to be seen.

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And finally on to pricing. Since the new Honda CB350X will be positioned above the H’ness CB350, a price tag of Rs 2.10 lakh (ex-showroom) looks quite possible. Watch this space for more updates.

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