Is a Honda CB350 H’Ness Scrambler about to be introduced?
Honda India has released a teaser image showing a new CB350 H’Ness cafe racer or Scrambler
WHEN Honda launched the CB350 H’Ness at the tail end of last year, it was very clear that the first iteration of classically styled by was only going to be the tip of a sizeable iceberg.
And today we may just have caught our first glimpse of the next piece in the puzzle, as Honda India released a teaser image showing what the bike looks like. Well, when we say what the bike looks like, we mean part of it. The rear quarter to be precise.
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A fleeting glimpse it may be, but it’s not totally without its clues. The first change to the bike is the removal of the original machine’s classically styled chrome mudguard. In its place is a much more modern-looking item, something that wouldn’t look out of place on one of the neo sports café machines.
The is the original CB350 launched at the end of last year - check out the differences compared to the image at the top of the page
The new image also shows a bike that is wearing a beefier rear tyre, and it also looks to be wearing much more interesting rubber than the first bike. It’s not full-on off-road rubber but has deeper grooves and looks a bit more adventure-spec than the skinny hoops of before. Look, we’re not saying this is going to be ready for a trek across the desert or up into the Himalayas just yet, but we are liking what we see.
Another change seems to be the adoption of much less chrome and much more matt black. The exhaust, rear springs, and mudguard are all now finished in the moody hues. And I think it looks much better for it.
If this is a younger, funkier, and more mass-market version of the Honda, they could be onto a winner. The first H’Ness was a big hit when launched, receiving good reviews and lots of positive comments online. And all that bike really had to do was take some of the wind out or Royal Enfield’s billowingly retro sail. Now that bike is out though, Honda are free to play around a bit; and we can’t wait to see what they’ve done!
To find out what has happened, keep an eye on the Honda India social pages on the 16th February.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
