It all started with Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, with the H'Ness CB350.
You could be forgiven for not remembering that was back in 2020, because a lot of things got kind of hazy right around then (fog of a global pandemic and all).
Here at RideApart, we write about bikes from around the world, including plenty of bikes from India. And since I've been here for a few minutes, I can confidently tell you that few, if any, bikes have instantly attracted as much fascination from an international audience as the H'Ness CB350 and its variants.
Because, you see, HMSI went on to release a slightly scrambler-looking H'Ness CB350RS a short time later. And then, Honda Australia and Honda Japan both got in on the action, renaming the H'Ness CB350 to the much simpler GB350 and GB350S for those markets.
But all that interest was as nothing compared to November 2023. What changed? The addition of color-matched fork shrouds on HMSI's CB350, that's what.
First Honda India announced it, and almost immediately, Honda Japan posted about it (renamed, quite naturally, to the GB350C) on its own social media channels. The colorways it planned to offer were a bit different than what HMSI had photographed, but that's OK. More colors always = more better, in my book at least.
But that was about nine entire months ago. Where's the baby, Honda?
Now, you could be forgiven for thinking that Honda is out here offering its take on the styling of the Royal Enfield Classic 350. And you wouldn't be wrong. It's really a question of how riders feel about the two in terms of riding experience, pricing, warranties, and so on.
I've ridden one (the Classic 350) and not the other, so I can't do a fair comparison between the two bikes and their riding experiences. Though I happily would, Honda, if you've got a spare one sitting around to lend me.
But that possibility would likely only come if American Honda brought the GB350C to the US, and there's absolutely no indication of that at the time of writing on August 28, 2024.
And you know what? I know that we (and I in particular) like to talk about bikes we don't get in the US a lot. If we're honest with ourselves, we can understand why a lot of these bikes don't make it here. The numbers they'd sell simply wouldn't justify bringing them to the small (but dedicated and loud) niche of fans that would eat them up with a spoon. Trust me, sad though it makes us, we get it.
But no matter what you call it in your market, the Honda H'Ness CB350/CB350RS/GB350/GB350S/GB350C family seems to have struck a unique chord amongst fans worldwide. You don't even need to take my word for it. Just go look at any official Honda social media post about any version of this bike, and you'll see comments from fans in Europe, North America, and elsewhere all asking when we're going to get this bike. Or why we don't already get this bike.
And honestly, I'm reasonably confident that Royal Enfield isn't too mad about Honda not putting this bike out in other markets. After all, those who want this specific type of retro styling certainly have options as I type this; they're just made by Royal Enfield and not Honda. It's up to you what you prefer and how you choose to spend your money.
For what it's worth, I think the Classic 350 is a fine choice, offering classic styling and good value for money. But at the same time, I question why it is that Honda wouldn't also want in on that market for itself. Especially given its rich history and penchant for paying homage to its own designs of the past.
And finally, it's also worth remembering that the Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X have been selling like ridable hotcakes since their introduction. And that Triumph has wisely made the decision to sell those bikes around the world, in a whole bunch of markets instead of only keeping them to a select few. If we're speaking strictly in terms of sales volumes, surely numbers like that should make an international OEM the size of Honda sit up and take note.
