Smooth Operator

Honda managed to bowl a googly when they entered the retro motorcycle segment by introducing the H’ness CB350. And to be honest, we tip our helmet to them for taking a gutsy decision when most of the competitors have been focusing on naked bikes or compact sports bikes. The CB350 is available in two variants — the DLX and DLX Pro, the latter offers additional features such as the dual-tone colour scheme, dual horns in chrome casing and the Bluetooth enabled Honda Smart Voice Control. So, there’s a new retro motorcycle in town, but will the Honda badge manage to lure buyers away from Royal Enfield? Let’s find out. The CB350 is a road bike which blends in classic retro styling like the big round LED headlamp, the flat seat, the beautifully crafted tail light with an LED ring inside it and a contemporary 15-litres fuel tank. There’s also a lot of chrome on the fenders, the exhaust and even the rear hydraulic suspension. The CB350 may sport a lot of retro design elements but it’s one very modern bike as it’s the first in the segment to come with all-LED lights and the indicators double up as running lights, which illuminate