Checking Out Honda’s Sportier CB350RS In All Its Glory

2021 has begun on a good note for Honda with the Japanese bikemaker launching the athletic version of the H’ness CB350, the CB350RS. Honda has made a few tweaks to the basic retro roadster formula and given the RS a few cool touches. Let’s take a close look at all the revisions:

Honda hasn’t changed the CB350 recipe much. It still retains its overall cool retro roadster silhouette.

In fact, in these new colours, especially the dual-tone black/yellow option, the CB350RS looks extremely delectable.

The round LED headlight from the CB350 gets a new matte grey nascelle.

The slimmer LED tail light and LED turn indicators seem to be borrowed from the CB300R.

Fork gaiters are a nice touch, something that we feel amps up its retro appeal.

The seat is admittedly shorter with a ribbed pattern for the rider’s seating area.

There are changes to the semi-digital info cluster as it no longer retains the smartphone connectivity module or even the integrated USB charging slot.

While the overall shape of the side panels seems more or less the same, the badging and extra edges on it make it stand apart from the regular CB350.

The RS gets revised riding ergonomics too. The posture is a bit more sportier with a flatter handlebar now giving it a hunkered down stance.

Even the footpeg position has been raised and shifted a bit rearwards, complementing the racier theme. Also notice, just a toe shifter here, no heel-and-toe arrangement for the RS.

You get all-black mechanicals on the CB350RS, with a few chrome bits. The motor retains the same tune, putting out 21PS and 30Nm.

The end-can has a more aggressive upwards taper and seems a bit stubbier.

Honda hasn’t made any changes to the suspension or brakes on the RS. The bike still employs a conventional fork and twin shocks to suspend the half-duplex cradle frame. It gets disc brakes at both ends.

What’s new here is the rear wheel. It is a smaller 17-inch unit that runs with a wider section MRF Zapper Kurve block pattern tyre.

Honda is asking Rs 1.96 lakh for the CB350RS, which is Rs 3,500 more than the CB350’s DLX Pro model. It does make a compelling case for those who are looking to have a bit more zing in their retro experience.