Classic Honda designs still pull at the heartstrings of many older motorcycle enthusiasts around the planet. It is interesting to see new Honda models interpret the classic lines of its bikes from the ’60s and the ’70s. The latest is the CB350RS announced earlier this week.
The CB350RS is based on the same platform as the CB350 announced several months ago. The design, while essentially retro, has sportier, more modern touches than the CB350. Both bikes use the same 21 horsepower, 350cc single-cylinder engine with a five-speed transmission.
While we don’t expect the CB350RS to appear in the U.S. market, it does give some indication of Honda’s evolving interpretation of its heritage, and a possible design direction for future U.S. bikes.
I think there’s always room in the market for a great looking, fun, practical runabout/explorer. Which this certainly appears to be.
HA. … just read an article out of India where the big rub against this bike is the lack of a good dealer network. Can you imagine anywhere in the world where there might not be enough Honda dealers? Lol
This CB350 is sold by Honda Big Wing division in India.
Unfortunately, the Big Wing franchise is present mainly in a few big cities.
The normal Honda dealers are all over actually.
Looks about like a motorcycle should. This bike could be a good city bike and be good for most 2 lane in the US. That covers a lot of folks.
Absolutely right but does the US market want that? Motorcycle and practicality tend to be further apart in the US than elsewhere.
Yeah but look at the popularity of Triumph!
Aaaaand people in the Philippines will be whining “why not make it a 400cc?”
“why not make it a 400cc?”
Yes! But wait: How about a 350 Twin? Or, a 500? And then we see: “If only it were a 700, I’d be all over it!” Hey – why not a… 750 Four!
It’s always the same.
Make it a V6 and I’m in!
Apparently, a CB500 single is in the pipeline for markets outside India.
If this were a twin, I’d be all over it.
Or a four cylinder like the CB350F of the seventies! although it would be more expensive.
I believe the 350 twin was actually a bit more powerful than the 4 cylinder, although I could be wrong, it was a long time ago.
Not wrong I owned both (1973). The twin topped at 92mph and the four at 83mph. The four had one of those newfangled disc brakes up front that actually worked.
A good looking scoot! Styling like God intended! I would like to see it available over here with a bit more moxie. If the RE boys can do it with the INT you can do it with the CB, c’mon Honda!
Give it an optional rear seat cowl so it has a monoposto look, add a fly screen….and lose the twin shock set-up.
I like the looks – but 20hp! I want 30hp, and a 350 twin, like back in 1970. Honda have done it once, they can do it again if they really try.
It looks like Honda left plenty of room for easy growth in this engine. Its 348cc is achieved by a tiny 70mm bore and a 90.5mm stroke. You could realistically bore or resleeve it to 92mm and you’d have a slightly over-square 601cc thumper. Assuming power scales linearly, that would be about 35hp, very similar to the XR600R. Tune it like you would an XR and you can get 45-50hp out of it. I like this bike and that would be a fun project.
Not sure how much room is available to enlarge the valves though
It would be a fun hotrod project for sure.
Just want to say how nice the styling is on that bike. You do something right and it should appeal to everyone. Despite being a Geezer, an SV Geezer, there is no nostalgia hold on me for the type.
Would like to see styling like this on a machine suited to the lower 48 and our roads and highways. Do that right it it just might be a hit.
There you are Suzuki, but with your 650 single.
crf 11…
sr400 has 32 hp.. and thats barely sufficient. how come only 20? C’mon honda
The SR400 is rated at 26hp at the crank. My 1990 GB500 single is 33hp, measured somewhere and I could hit 110 mph on that thing. The SR400 can do 80, easy, as my old 10hp yamaha 90 will hit ~70.
No first person experience, just going by what I’ve read. Cycle world once dyno’d sr400 @ 24 and that’s easy to google. I recall reading it had 31.x at crank, which basically jibes with the 24 rwhp #.
If little Honda has 20 at wheel then that’s not too bad. Seems like splitting hairs, but the power is so marginal every hp counts.
Wimpy rear fender and lack of rear rack , passenger seating. Major disappointment for Asian riders.
I had a similar Honda CL360 Scrambler years ago. Fellow bikers, if YOU were limited to only one bike to last you to age 90, what would it be? (no trikes allowed)
Dual Sport. Lightweight and multi-function.
Just ’til age 90? Turbo Hayabusa.
Hayabusa at age 90? I was leaning toward Ninja 1000 SX which has that “70% of full power” button for my sleepy rides.
I want one
I want one too. But with a 500 motor!
I have a Rebel 500 and a CBR500R. For a 72 year old vertically challenged guy who weighs 112 lbs the 500 is the ticket.
I would love a 500. just pick it up and go on a 6 day trip to the keys and back
I have a CB 300 and it is fun to ride but I wish it looked like this. I don’t think adding a radiator would ruin the look.
Triumph seems to do ok with tidying up that look.
I agree with the others. This bike looks so awesome but 20hp probably isn’t practical for Americans if they want to ride out of a city environment. The Nighthawk 250 was a twin with more power and it’ll barely do 65mph if the wind is blowing the wrong direction.
I would not recommend it but many years past (1971?) I drove a bullet proof Honda SL-100 with maybe 10 hp all the way up Hwy 101 from the Bay Area in what is now the People’s Kalifornia Republik to my once conservative coastal college town in Arcata. Around 300 miles. It kept up with most traffic but was revving high past 50 mph. Might have hit 60 mph a few times. I survived that experience. A 250 with 20 hp would have done so much better.
Whether or not we were riding in the “People’s Republik” or not, we didn’t care. We were riding. In high school most kids rode 350cc and under. My brother had an SL100 (rated 11hp) and had no problem going wherever he wanted but he surely didn’t do the big slog down the super slab. But that’s just it, motorcycles were inexpensive transportation and not all were blazingly fast but we made do. You use what you got.
I did that same trip several times, alone, a little later in the same decade.
One of those trips, on a dark metallic root beer ’77 CB750 4-pipe with gorgeous metallic silver Windjammer SS full fairing, sleeping in a bag on the side of CA-1, was particularly beautiful and memorable. SF Bay Area motorcyclists of a certain age, who watched “Then Came Bronson” starring Michael Parks, could hardly resist the siren song of CA-1 in that era.
If you do not have a copy of the uncensored movie by the same name, you have absolutely got to buy one immediately and watch it. By uncensored I mean shots of young Bonnie Bedelia that will warm your heart and maybe more. A nearby functioning remote with reverse is mandatory. My all time favorite biker flick, but so much more than that. (The hard to swallow part is Bronson saying good bye to that brunette.)
As you suggest, CA is a mere shell of its self now…sad.
“‘where you headed?'”
“‘Wherever I end up i guess””
Prior to my Honda SL100 trip I traveled a few times up and down the West Coast with a 1967 Triumph TR-6 650cc and later on a much finer and powerful but under braked (in its day) 1970 Norton Commando 750cc. My high school years 1960-64 were all Honda 305cc CB77 Super Hawk which back then had plenty of power to keep up and pass 95% of the cars on the highways. All simple bikes to self maintain and I never had a need to visit a dealer for service. Must have driven well over 50,000 bike miles during a decade. No flat tires either despite spoked wheels. I would have driven more but I also had cars & pickup trucks. At my age now, that Honda 250 single would be as much as I could reasonably appreciate but not on a long trip. I guess 250cc on-road bikes will no longer be popular in the USA: just look at the slow sales of the Suzuki TU-250 which looks to be a very nice bike too.
#Joe and #Alexandria are going to make the US electric – “whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”
and #JimmyC tried to implement the metric system. Americans can be pretty stubborn about changing things they are comfortable with. lol
Have to wait until Honda double up to make a 700cc twin, as per RE. You have to look at the torque figures to see what this bike is all about. Still, it is a pity that Honda don’t combine the styling with their CB500 watercooled engine, itself very lowly tuned due to licensing in Europe (Honda able to get 45 horses from its sixties 450 twin fifty years ago!).
Owned a brand new, and broken in 72 CB450 and no matter how hard I tucked in, it would not go over 99 mph flat and level. Worst disappointment in my young life. Needed 46 hp ?
I owned a CL450. I would bet many dollars to donuts it made less than 40hp even at the crank shaft. My friend’s CB450 was about the same. I presume both were tuned exactly the same.
My orange and black RD350 would run circles ’round the 450, when the former was not fouling plugs, which was often of course, as any owner will attest who had not yet swapped the putrid OEM coils for automotive type.
Had a 71 CL450 for 30 years as my dirt bike. Stripped everything off it, ( starter, battery, all brackets, replaced metal with plastic, etc. ) ended up weighing 350 pounds. With a Hooker header and rejetting, the stock 43hp sounded like an Offenhauser wide open across the Mojave, and no problem hill climbing or dune surfing. Geared it for about 85mph. Keeping up with real dirt bikes in the rough was troubling though.
Come on Frank, you do understand that torque figures measured at the crankshaft have zero indication of the performance of the vehicle. Like I’ve always pointed out, a rider on a bicycle can crank out 130 lb-ft of torque. I also used to point out to people that my old Peugeot 103 moped had more torque than a Harley when I was pedaling.
It has an incredibly mild state of tune. Honda is certainly not afraid of that. My 1965 Ducati 250 probably had 21hp. I doubt it is about reliability. There is a swarm of 150hp/liter and more bikes that can typically run 50K miles no sweat. I assume it’s about mpg which is fine.
I think high performance street bike engines last so long at least in part by virtue of being run hard very little of their lives.
I think you’re right about this being a mild state of tune but I don’t know the factors that make this desirable in India.
For Honda to bring that to the US as it sits they would have to go against their base principals.
When Mr. Honda came to the US he was amazed at the large open roads all over the country. He saw the need for large displacement open road motorcycles. Enter.. the cb750.
To bring this 350 single here just won’t cut it.
Now…. take that 1100 parallel twin engine and stuff it into that frame and I will be the first in line demanding they take my money in exchange for a yellow/black one.
Honda makes and sells a ton 125cc singles here. If they can make a Grom fit with their base principals, I’m sure they could fit this in as well. Whether people would buy it or not is a whole different story.
The Grom is a cute little around town bike but is not a full size motorcycle like the cb350.
Honda successfully sells scooters in the US as well.
The first bike I rode. The one that got me hooked.
Much nicer looking than the 2021 MT09. I actually gagged when I first saw the headlight assembly of the Yamaha.
Nice looking bike. Much better ergos than the H’Ness. Great as-is if the price were low enough. Bump up the cc & hp, and it would be welcome in the U.S.A..
In India they’re selling these for around $2,700 USD. And that’s enough to justify their business case apparently. I’d totally buy one even at 33% more. I once bought a KTM 390 Duke, and even with half the power of that Duke I’d still buy this to teach my kids how to ride.
A gorgeous motorcycle for the folks in lands of low-octane and crowded roads. For the first time I am somewhat envious of people in India.
Everytime one of these ‘classics’ or low-tech bikes appear people say bring it here I want one – but would they really buy one? Reminds me of the big singles of yesterday- all died a quick death
Honda has marketed a lot of retro bikes in the US over the years. Nearly all of them flopped.
The retro guys want to buy their youth back. When it comes time to actually spend the money, they realize that it’s just a motorcycle.
The whole lifestyle pitch is more effective.
I don’t know what’s worse. The torture of not being able to buy the past or, for me, the torture of waiting for a future that never comes.
Yeah, the guys who remember these bikes are now middle-aged. If they are still riding, they want the conveniences, full fairing, panniers, enough power to carry a passenger up the mountains.
Being a middle-aged relic myself. I would rather not be branded as someone wanting those sorts of things. Though I am aware that they are popular with many of the other fossils here.
I started riding as a boy on a dirt bike and didn’t bother with street bikes until I was 25. So I consider a dirt bike to be a perfect motorcycle. The further a street bike deviates from this perfect formula, with things like fairings and panniers and, most of all, weight, the further down on my list it gets.
My street bike is a converted dirt bike.
When these simple classic retro etc bikes come out a great horde say bring it here! I want one !
But would they really buy one? 20HP?
You nailed it. I made the foolish decision to purchase a CB250 back in the 90s. I was literally a sitting duck in traffic. Even for the urban commute it proved inadequate. This is one bike that could benefit from a kick of hybrid electric power to ensure you have sufficient torque to not get steamrollered by aggressive drivers in high-powered cars who are constantly leaping ahead of you when you’re on such a machine.
again, with the torque thing! If you want more torque, just adapt some foot pedals, crank set, and a chainring running to the rear wheel. If you add toe clips and some effort, you can easily pump out an additional 130 lb-ft at that crank.
Sure todd you can pedal 130 ft/lbs. Only problem is you have to gear it for .5 mph to do it! How’s that gonna help in traffic?
Todd specified “at the crank.” You could weld the crank arms in place and still produce that much torque. Gearing is irrelevant to the force applied to the pedals. Gearing multiplies the torque at the crank and sends it to the wheels. Bicycles are geared the way they are to work with and optimize the available horsepower, not a lack of torque.
Thought that was what I said Jeremy?
Maybe you did. Really, I’m just baiting Dave. Hold on… I think I felt a nibble.
Everyone agrees that the cb250’s engine has an adequate rev and gear range for the speeds it needs to reach. If it doesn’t accelerate it and it’s rider’s weight adequately then the shortcoming is torque.
Acceleration is the result of horsepower. Torque is an ingredient of horsepower, but it does not dictate how quickly something accelerates. In fact torque, by it’s own definition, does not “do” anything at all.
Torque makes you go, horsepower makes you go fast.
There is a reason an Ultra Glide emphasizes torque and a Hyabusa emphasizes horsepower.
I think it is fair enough to say an Ultra emphasizes torque. I know what people mean when they say that – they want more acceleration available at lower rpms. But the acceleration and speed, slow or fast, is a function of horsepower and gearing.
On the contrary, torque is the only thing that does anything. There are no rpm’s without torque to spin them up. There is no movement without force (torque) to initiate it. 50k/rom means nothing if there isn’t enough force to translate it into anything.
Torque is an ingredient. If you have revs and gears and the thing is still slow, torque is the missing ingredient.
Well, we both certainly agree that you can’t have horsepower without torque. And you are also right that the torque does the moving in this case. The horsepower is the rate of those movement “events” or how we define performance. All I’m saying is that 20 HP is 20 HP. Whether you make that with 15 ft lbs of torque or 130 makes no difference. They are both have the same potential for acceleration and terminal velocity.
Seriously, though… I know what people mean when they say they want “more torque.” Honestly, I don’t even care whether people understand the concept or not. We are all talking about the same thing ultimately – the sensations we feel on the bike. It’s just fun to watch Todd get worked up about pedaling and also bait others for a fun back and forth on torque vs HP!
Yes, my reaction is just an inconvenient byproduct of my professions in automotive and rocket propulsion. To top it off, now I’m getting recruited into spacecraft propulsion!
Cool stuff!
My B-KING puts out 160 hp and 98lb torque-
as measured by two magazines. Enough said!
Ok, ok…I will never again use the term “torque” colloquially to account for lack of acceleration in this forum ever again. But the point is clear, even if euphemistically, that its the lack of torque (oops I said it again)…ahem, the inability of a weak engine to move a schmuck like me on a underpowered set of 2 wheels to keep up with the flow of traffic and not turn into an electric scooter obstructionist with road privileges. Are we better now?
It is perfectly acceptable and technically correct to say the bike is “under-powered”.
the term I usually use is gutless
I own a 20 hp, 300# bike and can tell you it’s no “freeway flyer”. It’s great for short hops around the city and two-lane backroads where the speeds are kept to around 55. There is no passing ability above 55 as it takes a calendar month to attain its 73 mph top speed. The little Honda 350 will need an injection of HP if it is ever to come to the USA as 20 hp really limits its use. In a 3rd world nation 20 hp works great, even with 7 family members aboard traveling on a bumpy dirt road at 20 mph.
People blame emissions for the reason it makes so low a HP number, but if you notice all the other bikes deal with strict emission standards fairly well. Just look at KTM and their “Duke” for what’s possible. As one poster suggested, a 500cc version would make it a viable option for the American market and with those spiffy looks it would sell well.
HP numbers is so 80’s. They litterally mean nothing.
I’ll explain in a few simple steps:
Force equals mass times acceleration
Work equals force times distance
Power equals work per unit time
Play with the values and presto: there’s my desired power number.
https://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Power-Output
We really should be using kilowatts as a unit.
But then people might be inclined to start using other sensible metrics like meters and grams. We can’t have that.
I like it! I wish all the bike manufacturers would produce smaller affordable machines like this to attract youth buyers to keep the industry from shrinking in the U.S.
Nice. It’s just missing 2 pushrods to complete the look
Good looking bike for sure. But the motor is a lump. I’d love to see this design language wrapped around a small/mid-displacement Four; something in the 400-500cc range. It will never happen…but I’d much rather spend my money on a new bike like that then on a restored mid-70’s bike. While not a fan of IMU controlled bikes, EFI and ABS beats 70’s tech everyday of the week.
Not intended for the US market. It’s intended as a main competitor in markets like India where Royal Enfield plays a big role. Mildly tuned, no doubt to deal with lower octane/quality gas, it wouldn’t play real well here unless priced very low. Take it for what it is.
Lets see… Non-origami/manga style or superfluous tacked-on angular panels. Round non-insectoid headlight. Fenders. Sane non-butte-high 2-up seat. No beak. Good job, Honda. A winning design – get them approved and bring them here somehow!
Come on Honda! If Royal Enfield can meet emission standards with an air cooled engine we know you can! Heck, Honda’s tech center for developing power tools is probably bigger than all of RE’s R&D facilities in the UK and India combined. A CB400, both standard and RS versions (and a high piped CL too!), would push so many buttons – there has to be enough capacity at the factory in India to build the 3-5K total you’d need for North America, Europe and ANZ.
John Bryan you nailed it! Your thoughts took the words out of my mouth. I too think this would be a potential way to justify for American Honda Co. to justify bringing to the US shores, a unique (mid displacement) motorcycle that captures a lot of that current Royal Enfield/Triumph marketing success and at the same time appeals to a wide range (i.e. age) of American buyers (from new entry level riders to seasoned enthusiasts alike).Hope some of the folks in big “H” Torrance HQ see this.
Good try Honda, but being destined for “Asian markets” it does not concern us. Actually it looks kind of ‘fatigued’, so are the specs. To me, the best looking Hondas were 250 and 350 super-sports from mid 60s to mid 70s. I am talking European market now, to the N/A they came little later.
A 500 cc twin of similar design, just may concern “us” a lot….
Maybe so, but than the output would have to be increased to some 45HP to be attractive. Then again, single cylinder with that power would be a bit strained.
Lovely effort
Make it in expensive get them on the road under new riders and create a new generation of enthusiasts. Take a page out of R.E. Strategy with 650 interceptors.
Hmmm- Interceptor +CB350 = less money than ? And equal or greater fun
Clean, pretty and simple. Nice job Honda.
Since I don’t like getting passed by scooters, this is what I would want. 17” front wheel, 80hp 500 like in the Yamaha phaser snowmobiles, 6 speeds.
I read that engine is essentially a pair of YZ250f cylinders & heads cast together. #1, I am surprised it’s low enough maintenance for the snowmobile application (on the gas all the time). #2 I’m disappointed it’s not available in a motorcycle chassis.
Why oh why does a modern motorcycle based on a 60’s-70’s model loose so much HP? The original CB350 made 36HP, where did the 15 ponies run off to? I know the simple answer is emissions blah blah blah…have the engineers learned nothing in 48 years to counteract this issue? I bet it also weighs more!!!
I agree , my lawnmower makes more horse power.
My grandma makes more power when shes running home with my beer and peanuts
Well, it’s pretty clear. The Original 350 twin was free to rev to 10,500 rpm, and was able to have a correct or slightly rich, power supporting fuel mixture and a free-er flowing exhaust. The new single only revs to 5,500 rpm, likely because it has no additional balance shafts. The bore is woefully under-square not leaving much room for valves. It needs to be tuned ultra-lean to pass emissions without a catalyst and this kills power and holes pistons if you hoon it. It’s also likely limited to reduce repairs or warranty issues. It’s not like bikes need to make much power to get around in India!
“ The new single only revs to 5,500 rpm,”
Really?!? That’s the lowest revving motorcycle engine I have ever heard of.
Well, I looked up the VTX1800 and its redline was 5,800rpm, a slow revving engine also. I can’t think that many HD’s rev much beyond that either in stock form.
I’ve ridden Buells and sportsters with 6.5k/rpm redlines and that VTX is a huge long stroke twin. This is all the more remarkable for being a small-ish single. I wonder if the engine is t arbitrarily limited for market compliance?
The Yamaha Venture is 4 or 5k redline
Reason for most part is the local gasoline/ petrol octane number. Lower O/N – lover compression ratio – lower output. And then realistically, there is no need for ‘performance’ in India – unless you want to ram into flock of goats.
Looking at that motor again… it seems to me it has extended conrod ala older models of RE. That would suggest this motor is intended as a “moto a travajo” – very different kind that we are used to think about. Low stress and long life; hundreds of thousands miles to go.
It’s a single cylinder and not a twin cylinder like the late 60’s/early 70’s CB 350
It’s competition in the market is the 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet which makes 20.7 hp
That is what I try to say in my previous notes. Looks is deceived, this is about something else that we think.
They have learned: It’s called water cooling.
You seem to be under the impression that this is a motorcycle aimed towards the U.S. market and designed for American needs. It isn’t. Not at all. You will NEVER see this bike here as it isn’t for us.
It is designed for the Indian market. It’s designed to be cheap to build and cheap to sell, not for performance. Note that it has a cheap water-pipe frame and stone simple suspension, to keep the cost down. This bike isn’t a performance design with expensive parts. It is designed for low octane fuel, with a wide power-band for transversing tight roads at lower speeds…with an inexpensive single cylinder engine that has a low compression ratio and soft cam timing to achieve these goals.
If Honda wanted to give us a modern take on the CB350 of the late ’60’s and early ’70’s, they would most likely design a water-cooled twin-cylinder bike with dual overhead cams, high compression, four valves per cylinder, and modern frame and suspension.
Actually, they’ve already done it. It’s the CB500F. It’s the 500cc twin that folks here say that they are clamoring for. It makes a modern 50hp. Now, are you going to run out and buy one?
https://powersports.honda.com/street/standard/cb500f
You are probably right about Honda being unlikely to bring the CB350RS to the U.S.A., but I doubt that many Americans who would like to buy the CB350RS will race out to get a CB500F.
Correct. Because what people say in this forum isn’t the honest truth. They either are hoping for a bike with specs that can’t really exist at a price that they are willing to pay, or they aren’t really in the market for a new motorcycle at all.
For instance they aren’t going to see an air cooled motorcycle offering modern levels of performance. Or a lightweight single cylinder motorcycle making similar power to a similar displacement four cylinder motorcycle. Or a motorcycle that makes enough power to comfortably cruise and pass on a freeway for only a few thousand dollars.
This must drive the motorcycle manufacturers crazy when they do market research. Because even if they come close to what folks say that they want…folks aren’t going to rush out and buy it.
Well to be honest, some do and some don’t. I bought 2 CB1100’s and belong to a forum with 5,399 members from 22 different countries the vast majority of which according to their posts are thrilled with the air cooled 1100cc inline 4 retro with 88 hp offering from Honda. It is what we asked for, what we wanted, and we put our money where our mouths were and bought them. Although considered a poor seller in the USA, it has been in production for 12 years now in different markets around the world, having sold first in Japan and Australia in 2010, coming to the USA in 2013.
I think at lease some of the would-be runners would instead run to the Kawasaki dealer and get the nearly $1,500 cheaper Z/Ninja 400, which has nearly equal power & features.
If Kawasaki produced a Z400RS at the same price as the current Z400, almost everyone (IMHO) who would seriously consider the CB350RS would be down at the Kawasaki dealership.
If Honda brought the CB350RS to the states at the Indian price of $2700 (see Kevin’s post), it would (IMHO, again) sell extremely well. With our legal (regulations and litigation) environment, the price would almost certainly be higher.
This bike could be the second iteration of “you meet the nicest people on a Honda”. Pleasant, unthreatening, practical, and extremely fun. See The Hondells – Little Honda > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lyp5cbJEyo
This would sell better than a Vitpilen/Svartpilen 401, or a SR400, or a TU250, and all those are available over here. Heck, I even see Sym brand bikes running around often enough that those must be selling well. I don’t understand the thinking. Isn’t it better to sell some than none at all? These would go over really well in dense urban areas.
Needs a chrome exhaust pipe, happy paint job ( BRG # 2 ), and wire wheels. Then perfect for a fun ride.
It would be too much to wish for a natural metal color engine and trans.
This is the scrambler/cafe version. Have you perchance checked out the base CB (even linked on the article)? Much more like your wishes maybe.
And why can’t we get that in the US? Maybe in a 500? That’s a simple, beautiful little bike.
Damn that looks good. Wish it were a 500.
Looks like a winner to me, could be just the bike to get some newbies into the fold here in the USA. And some aging riders looking for a lightweight rider too. But since this is an engine that has not been used before (not in the USA anyway) to get it approved would be needing an investment that may or may not pay off. Too bad.
I am encouraged they see the value in form follows function or “retro” design. I am so tired of seeing new models with styling gimmicks. Now, how about a KTM style V twin with state of the art chassis,engine,brakes?
Agree with you Jeremy. Honda will sell a gazillion of these in Asia
That’s a really pretty bike. Looks clean and simple. I don’t think it is anything that would sell in the US market at numbers great enough to justify, but I’d wager it is worlds better than the Royal Enfield bullet it was likely designed to take on.