Honda H’ness CB350: Road Test Review In Images

Right off the bat, one thing that the Honda H’ness CB350 gets right is design. Unmistakably classic but with a distinct modern touch, this is a proportionate and handsome motorcycle.

Sure, the H’ness’ 348.36cc motor is a long-stroke unit on paper, but it fails to deliver a good dose of low rpm grunt. Once past the initial sluggishness, though, there is a healthy and even spread of torque all the way to the redline.

Gear shifts are light and smooth, and the ratios are quite tall. The speedo needle will sweep past 100kmph in 3rd gear, with 4th and 5th being extremely well-suited to highway cruising. These wide ratios minimise the frequency with which you need to shuffle through the gearbox, both in the city and on the highway.

Like most Hondas, the H’ness is a sweet and easy handling machine, beautifully masking its 181kg kerb weight. While it is pretty effortless to steer, the lack of feedback from the front end inhibits you from pushing too hard in the twisties.

The easy steering proves to be a blessing inside the city, where, combined with a low seat and loads of steering lock, the H’ness comes across as a friendly and manageable motorcycle.

One of the highlights of the H’ness is the terrific ride quality offered by the telescopic fork and dual shock absorbers. Road imperfections are flattened excellently, and the bike always remains composed.

Braking hardware is from Nissin, which explains why the 310mm/240mm disc brake combo bites hard and feels good. ABS is also well calibrated and brings the bike to a stop in a drama-free fashion.

With no Bluetooth headset at our disposal, we couldn’t explore the CB350’s connectivity options, but the digital inset is well laden with information, and has good legibility.

The gorgeous design is one of only two things that are really old-school about this bike, the other being the sonorous exhaust note. In terms of riding experience, the H’ness feels like a thoroughly modern machine.

So if you have your heart set on buying a classic looking motorcycle, and you’re not fussed about it feeling classic, it’s hard to do much better than the Honda H’ness CB350. For a more in-depth review of the H'ness, check out our comprehensive road test.