Drag Race: Royal Enfield Classic 350 Versus Honda H'Ness CB350

Someone was bound to test which retro 350 bike was fastest.

09:49

Enrico Punsalang

By: Enrico Punsalang

Feb 25, 2021 at 3:48am ET

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When Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) unveiled their stunning, new middleweight classic bike, the entire Indian motorcycle industry watched in awe, as this new-comer dominated the market. The Honda H'Ness (pronounced as 'Highness'), CB350 draws inspiration from Honda's classic CB line of motorcycles—a model range which is greatly responsible for the Japanese company's global success.

Prior to the launch of Honda's highly-anticipated bike, a homegrown hero in the form of the Royal Enfield Classic 350 dominated the market. Equipped with a barebones, bulletproof engine, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 was both reliable and good-looking. On the performance side of things, the Royal Enfield has clearly been outgunned by the new Honda. Indeed, the former's 19 horsepower is at a noticeable disadvantage versus the Honda's 20 ponies.

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Now, I know what you're thinking, performance was never the name of the game when it comes to these types of bikes—and you'd be right. These two bikes are meant for cruising around town in style and comfort. However, it is human nature to pit two similar things against each other in all aspects, and that includes speed. That said, the folks at popular Indian automotive publication, GaadiWaadi, have set up a drag race to prove which bike is truly the fastest in a straight line.

Unexpectedly, the Honda takes the cake. Clearly, the H'Ness CB350's tech and power advantage ultimately make it the better performer. As you can see, the Honda absolutely decimates the Royal Enfield, gapping the classic cruiser by several bike-lengths. We see the Honda H'Ness CB350 hit a top speed just north of 130 kilometers per hour. The Classic 350, on the other hand, struggles to hit 120 kilometers per hour, taking twenty seconds to go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour.