Could A Honda Cafe Racer Based On The CB350 H'Ness Be Coming Soon?

A sportier take on this classic style machine.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jan 4, 2021 at 8:45pm ET

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When Honda debuted the H'Ness CB350 (pronounced 'Highness'), in the Indian market a couple of months ago, to say that the bike was the center of quite a bit of hype would be an understatement. Much like markets the world over, Indians have an affinity for retro-styled machines. As it would appear, the CB350 ticked all the right boxes when it came to machines whose classic styling was skin deep, but bore all the features of a dependable machine.

That being said, it would hardly come as a surprise to note that, less than a year into the bike's debut, Honda will be rolling out another iteration of this classic machine, but this time in sportier trim. The cafe racer will more than likely receive all the same underpinnings as the standard H'Ness, so it's safe to say that the 348.36cc single rated for a docile 21 ponies will be retained for the new variant. Now, the H'Ness isn't exactly a big bike, however it's currently being sold under Honda's Big Wing dealerships in India. Of course, if and when the cafe racer makes its debut, it'll be sitting right next to the big shiny toys.

Right now, the Honda H'Ness CB350 is pegged at Rs 1.85 to 1.90 lakh or the ballpark of $2600 USD, depending on trim level. As expected, the cafe racer carries a premium, and is expected to retail for just over the Rs 2.15 lakh mark, or closer to the $3,000 USD mark. That being said, the H'Ness is the most affordable bike to be sold in Honda Big Wing dealerships.

As far as components are concerned, we can expect the CB350 cafe racer to come with an LED headlight, LCD instrument panel, and LED turn indicators, all of which are also found in the CB350 H'Ness. Performance will also likely be the same, although there is a chance that the cafe racer will receive a different state of tune versus the H'Ness. Unfortunately, for the time being, it would appear that other markets particularly in North America, will miss out on the new Honda CB350.