Honda CB 350 RS vs H'Ness CB 350: Top 10 differences explained

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India recently revealed the new CB 350 RS which is a sportier trim of the H'Ness CB 350 bike. The latter went on sale in India last year. The new neo-retro offering has been priced at ₹1.96 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and will be sold through Honda's premium BigWing and BigWig Topline chain of dealerships. Here are the top ten key differences it carries over the donor model.

• New colours:

The Honda CB 350 RS has been introduced in two new color options – Radiant Red Metallic and Black with Pearl Sports Yellow. These options are different from what's currently on offer on its donor model.

• Tweaked headlamp cover:

While the H'Ness CB 350 gets a chromed treated circular housing, the sportier version of the CB 350 features a new external cover for the headlamp with gray finish.

• New sleek indicators:

While there are circular turn indicator units on the H'Ness CB 350, the 'RS' version gets much sportier-looking indicators which are also LEDs.

• Front fork gaiters:

While the H'Ness CB 350 was seen kitted with neat front suspensions forks, the CB 350 RS features fork gaiters at the front for a more sporty look. These will also help to keep the suspension rods cleaner for a longer time, thus requiring less overall suspension maintenance.

• Redesigned side panels:

The side body panels bearing the 'H'Ness' logo have been replaced with slightly angular-looking panels on the new RS model.

• Skid plate:

The new CB 350 RS gets a skid plate which protects the engine panels from the lower side for a more rugged use.

• Fatter, rugged tyres:

The new RS version of the CB 350 motorcycle features wider tyres with block pattern. These are completely different from the road-focused tyres offered on its retro classic counterpart.

• No Honda Smartphone Voice Control (HSVC) feature:

Honda has removed the Smartphone Voice Control (HSVC) feature from the CB 350 RS bike, although, the same is offered in the DLX Pro variant of the H'Ness CB 350.

• New seat and tail light:

The RS spec model gets a tuck and roll seat which as per Honda improves overall comfort during long rides. Moreover, even the tail light design has been tweaked to give the RS spec model a more intimidating appeal.

• Same design, minus chrome:

The CB 350 RS basically features a similar overall design and layout, albeit with a different colour theme. Apart from that, also the chrome detailing has been significantly reduced on the sportier version of H'Ness.