Honda Bikes

There are two different systems as seen with Honda patented motorcycle airbags – One deploying from the front, and other from the backImage for illustration purpose
For a long time, airbags have been associated with vehicles with more than two wheels. They deploy during a crash and protect occupants from colliding with interiors. In case of an accident, the driver collides with the steering wheel, cracking his head or ribs.
For a long time, cars are considered safer than motorcycles as they are concealed and pose a structure around to isolate them from potential hazards from the outside. Motorcycles are not like that as the helmet is the rider’s only best friend where safety is concerned. Honda wants to change that by patenting airbags for scooters and motorcycles.
Honda is working on new airbag for motorcycles / scooters – that will deploy during crash, detach from the vehicle and stay with the rider.
Honda Working On Airbags For Motorcycles, Scooters
Is this the first time that airbags are part of motorcycles or scooters? No. We have seen airbags being offered as part of motorcycles before. Coincidentally, it was on a Honda Goldwing tourer. Honda offered airbags on Goldwing for as long as 2006. The associated costs around it and limited impact of it on rider’s safety must be reasons why it never came into mainstream 2W vehicles.
Honda’s recent patents show airbags offered with both motorcycles and scooters. With expertise to bank on, Honda seems to have come up with a new breakthrough. For starters, the new patents show detachable airbags that when deployed, cover not just the rider’s chest, but his back along with sides of their torso as well.
Honda Motorcycle Airbag – This patent shows the airbag getting deployed from in front of the rider’s legs and then goes on to wrap around the torso.
Airbags On 2W
Just like airbags on cars and trucks, this airbag system also requires a sensor to detect a crash, a detonator, and a bag where gases can expand. Reportedly, Honda’s new airbag system detaches from source after deployment and is sealed off using heat applications to retain expanded gases in the bag as is.
Honda Motorcycle Airbag Patent – Shows how the airbag will deploy
This means that the airbag ECU, module, sensor and actual bag are mounted on the vehicle. It will then detach once deployed, wrapping its rider. There seems to be a check valve too, which Honda is using to control the rate of inflation of gases. From the patents, we can see that there are two different designs Honda is working on right now.
One is demonstrated on a street-naked motorcycle where the airbag is mounted at the vehicle’s front. And the other is demonstrated on a scooter where an airbag is placed behind the rider and integrated into the seat. These look to be very rough around the edges as of now and are not likely to see the light of day anytime soon.
Honda Scooter Airbag – Deploys from behind the rider and surrounds the torso
Questions On Safety
On a tourer like Honda Goldwing, one would sit upright and an airbag for their torso and head is very logical. But as demonstrated by Honda in their patents, is it viable for a street bike? What if a rider is ducking to get a sportier position, will they survive a whiplash caused by an inflating airbag?
Honda Scooter Airbag deploying from behind the rider
Also, on a system demonstrated on a scooter behind the rider’s back, there are chances of airbag dislocating thighs from the pelvis of its pillion. If a rider is sitting behind a favourable spot, they can suffer injuries from a dislocated spine as well. There are jackets and helmets with gyro-sensors that detect a fall and deploy airbags. Those seem to be a better bet until new breakthroughs happen.
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2023 Honda CB350 and RS lineup now offers 6 different characters based on the same base vehicle2023 Honda CB350 Launched
With the launch of CB350 line by Honda, the Japanese bike maker aimed to get a piece of Royal Enfield’s massive pie. No matter how Honda positioned it, sales reports within 200cc to 500cc show that there is no beating Royal Enfield. Honda barely managed to push over 1,000 units in January 2023.
2023 Honda CB350 and CB350RS Launched
At the same time, Royal Enfield pushed out over 64,000 units of 350cc motorcycles. To expand the envelope of its products in India, HMIL has come up with a new strategy. Fruits of which are four custom kits offered with H’ness 350 and two custom kits offered with CB350 RS. Apart from these custom kits, Honda has also updated the CB350 for meeting BS6 Phase 2 norms. Prices start from Rs 2.1 lakh for the CB350 and Rs 2.15 lakh for the CB350RS.
2023 Honda CB350 and CB350RS Prices
A total of 3 variants are on offer with CB350 and CB350RS. These are DLX, DLX Pro and DLX Pro Chrome. Prices for the CB350 range from Rs 2.1 lakh to Rs 2.15 lakh, while that of the CB350RS ranges from Rs 2.15 lakh to Rs 2.18 lakh. All prices are ex-sh.
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Custom Kits Based on CB350 RS
Honda CB350 RS was Scrambler-ish in its design. While Honda H’ness CB350 was a classic retro cruiser. CB350 RS got a different rear subframe, fork gaiters, and sporty colours contrasting black finish on engine and exhaust. Adding more drama to this offering are SUV Custom and Cafe Racer.
Honda CB350RS SUV Custom Kit
CB350 RS SUV Custom kit is priced at Rs 7,00. It gets a small windscreen at front, knuckle guards, engine crash guards, rear pannier mounts and colour-matching pinstriping on black alloy wheels. If ORVMs were blackened, it would look much more cohesive. CB350 RS Cafe Racer gets a unique headlight cowl and a single-seater option. Pillion seat is replaced with a sporty cowl and pin striping. This kit is priced at Rs 17,500.
Honda CB350RS Cafe Racer Custom Kit
H’ness CB350 Custom Kits
With H’ness CB350, Honda is offering four custom kits. They are Comfort Custom, Solo Carrier, Tourer Custom, and a Cafe Racer. H’ness CB350 Comfort Custom as the name suggests is oriented towards comfort. Rider gets a tall windscreen, knuckle guards, crash guards. Pillion gets a backrest and Honda has bundled a pannier mount and front fork gaiters like seen with SUV Custom. Comfort Custom is the only one to lack pinstriping. Price of this kit is Rs 16,500.
Honda CB350 Comfort Custom Kit
Out of all the custom kits, Solo Carrier allows maximum luggage carrying capacity. The pillion seat is replaced with a luggage carrier. Chrome applique on side panel, fork gaiter and a tiny windscreen are offered too. Oddly, Solo Carrier misses out on pannier mounts, which could have added more luggage-carrying options. This kit is priced at Rs 16,200.
Honda CB350 Solo Carrier Custom Kit
Taking a look at the Cafe Racer with H’ness CB350, it looks exactly like the Cafe Racer kit with CB350 RS, sans blackened finishes. With H’ness CB350, we get chrome treatment. With both Cafe Racers, Honda should have offered low-set clip-on handlebars. Maybe lowered headlight unit to be in line with the fuel tank’s height. And remove engine crash guards. It is priced at Rs 22,200.
Honda CB350 Cafe Racer Custom Kit
Lastly, we have H’ness CB350 Tourer Custom. On the surface, it is similar to Comfort Custom. Tourer Custom gets a rear luggage rack behind pillion seat instead of backrest. Also, it gets pinstriping and chrome applique on side panels. It is priced from Rs 17,600.
Honda CB350Tourer Custom Kit
Specs & Features
Honda CB350 comes equipped with a 348.36 cc single-cylinder engine developing 15.5 kW of power (20.78 bhp) and 30 Nm. This engine is equipped with a 5-speed gearbox. Honda should have offered revised rider geometry with each custom kit with different handlebars and different foot peg positions. Instead, Honda has offered these “custom” kits like one size fits all.
Mr. Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said, “Ahead of the government’s deadline, HMSI has been aggressively working on upgrading the product line up with latest norms. Today, we launch the new OBD2B compliant 2023 H’ness CB350 and CB350RS which are future ready. Since inception, the CB350s have received tremendous response not only in India but globally. We are also very positive that the specially curated custom kits under the new customization section ‘My CB, My Way’ will further delight our new as well as existing CB350 customers.” More

The single-cylinder 330cc engine on Honda Forza 350 patented in India makes 29 bhp of power and 31.5 Nm of torqueHonda Forza 330cc ScooterBeing the de facto scooter manufacturer in India comes with its perks. Take Activa for example, it overshadows almost every other scooter in the Indian market including Honda’s offerings. Honda has gotten synonymous with scooters in India. All this success for Honda is limited to budget everyday scooters.Till now Honda has held itself from testing its luck with big-capacity scooters in India. That seems to be changing, as Honda has patented Forza 350 in India. It would be interesting to see if Honda actually steps towards launching it instead of stashing the patented file in the archives.Honda Forza 330cc ScooterHonda Forza 330cc Scooter PatentedWe say this because Honda has historically patented a lot of products in India. Only a handful of those have materialised. A stark example of this approach by Honda would be recently patented Hawk 11 Cafe Racer based on the same engine as Africa Twin. Will it launch? Very likely not.When Honda teased us with the formidable CB300F, the Indian automotive fraternity expected Forza 350 to be launched instead. Honda Forza 350 was showcased to Big Wing dealers before and all of them were sold out. By patenting it in India, Honda seems to have come one step closer to actually launching it. For what it is, Honda Forza 350 is a maxi-scooter with a 330cc engine. It debuted at the Bangkok International Motor Show in 2021.Honda Forza 330cc Scooter patented in IndiaEven though it looked very similar to the Forza 300, the Newer Forza 350 came equipped with a 330cc engine as opposed to the 279cc of the former. This new single-cylinder engine is capable of generating 29 bhp of power at 7500 RPM and 31.5 Nm of torque at 5250 RPM. Equipped with a lighter crankshaft, slightly larger valves and a slightly bigger throttle body, Forza 350 could clock a top speed of 137 kmph.Design & FeaturesOne look at it is enough to realise that Forza 350 is a big scooter. The huge body wrap around its rider, protecting them from wind blasts. The tall windscreen at the front adds to it as well. Flanking this windscreen are substantial-looking ORVMs with integrated turn indicators. Front fascia gets a split headlight unit that wouldn’t look out of place on a superbike.Handlebar and footpeg position allows for a neutral riding position enabling the rider to go the distance in reasonable comfort. Large and padded seats add to it significantly. It gets a single-disc setup on both sides, combined with dual-channel ABS. Suspension duties are handled by telescopic front forks and twin shock absorbers at the rear.Honda Forza 350 SpecsFront gets a 15” alloy, while the rear gets 14” unit. All of this componentry tips the scale at 185 kg. If launched in India, it will compete with other big-capacity maxi-scooters like Keeway Vieste 300 and the pricey BMW C 400 GT. That said, the chances of this getting launched in India are very meek. More

Honda is getting ready to launch a new 100cc motorcycle this month – Likely to help boost sales significantlyImage – Being TechnozzHonda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) figures for February 2023 are lackluster. Sales fell both on YoY and MoM basis to a total of 247,175 units. This was a 20.93 percent YoY de-growth over 3,12,621 units sold in Feb 2022 and  2,96,363 units sold in Jan 2023.Honda 2W Sales Feb 2023Honda 2W sales in Feb 2023 dipped both in terms of domestic sales and exports. Of the total 2,47,175 units sold in Feb 2023, domestic sales accounted for 2,27,064 units, a 20.52 percent YoY de-growth from 2,85,677 units sold in Feb 2022. This was a volume de-growth of 58,613 units and a 91.86 percent share.Honda 2W Sales Feb 2023Exports also fell YoY by 25.36 percent from 26,944 units shipped in Feb 2022 to 20,111 units in the past month. Volume de-growth was at 6,833 units with an 8.14 percent share.MoM sales on the other hand saw total sales in the red, down 16.60 percent from 2,96,363 units sold in Jan 2023. This was a volume de-growth of 49,188 units. Domestic sales dipped 18.36 percent from 2,78,143 units sold in Jan 2023 while exports ended on a more positive note, up 10.38 percent when compared to 18,220 units shipped in Jan 2023.Honda is now getting ready to launch a new 100cc motorcycle, teaser of the same has already been released. It will be a direct rival to Hero Splendor, the No 1 selling motorcycle in the world. Likely to be called Honda Shine 100, launch will take place on 15th March. This new motorcycle could help boost HMSI sales to a great extent, and has the potential to make Honda as the No 1 two wheeler brand in India.HMSI RDE Compliant ModelsHonda has expanded its Premium Motorcycle Business Network with new BigWing outlets in three new locations at Kannur (Kerala), Raghunath Ganj (West Bengal) and Patna (Bihar). The company has also undertaken several safety initiatives in view of the 10th anniversary of its Traffic Training Park in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The two wheeler maker also celebrated the 4th anniversary of Children’s Road Safety and Traffic Park in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and 2nd anniversary of Safety Driving Education Centre (SDEC) in Guwahati.The company launched its new Activa with Smart Key in January 2023, its first OBD2-compliant two wheeler in India. HMSI also gears up to update all its other models to comply with these new and stringent emission norms that will be made mandatory by 1st April 2023. The new Activa with Smart Key is priced at Rs 80,000 and is being offered in Standard, Deluxe, and Smart variants. Honda Smart Key, trademarked as H-Smart, is similar to what one sees on cars. It enables features like Smart Find, Smart Unlock and Smart Start. It also gets Mapped Smart ECU, which connects the ECU and Smart Key as an added security device.Honda Activa Smart draws its power via a 109.51 cc motor offering 7.85 hp power and 8.84 Nm torque, mated to an automatic transmission. Suspension and braking is via telescopic front forks and 3-step adjustable spring loaded hydraulic at the rear along with 130 mm drum brakes at the front and rear. More

Honda 2W sales dipped YoY both in terms of domestic sales and exports in Jan 2023 while MoM performance was somewhat betterNew Honda Activa. Image – Real Gaadi.Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India sales in January 2023 suffered significantly. Sales dipped both in domestic markets and globally with most models in the company portfolio finishing in the red. Total sales (domestic + exports) in the past month stood at 2,96,375 units. This was down from 3,54,228 units sold in Jan 2022 relating to a 57,853 unit volume de-growth.Honda sales in domestic markets dipped 11.76 percent YoY to 2,78,155 units in Jan 2023. The company had sold 3,15,216 units in Jan 2022 leading to a 37,061 unit dip in volumes. Honda Activa remained the No.1 selling model in India with 1,30,001 units sold in the past month, down 9.24 percent from 1,43,234 units sold in Jan 2022. Every model in the company lineup posted sales de-growth except for the Unicorn.Honda 2W Sales Breakup Jan 2023The Activa commands a 46.74 percent share. It was at the end of January 2023 that the company introduced Activa Smart variant. It comes with an advanced security system and is priced at Rs 80,537 (ex-showroom). Honda CB Shine was at no. 2 with 99,878 units sold last month, down 5.02 percent from 1,05,159 units sold in Jan 2022. The CB Shine currently commands a 35.91 percent share. It was also the 2nd best-selling motorcycle in India in the last month after the Hero Splendor.Sales of the Honda Unicorn improved by 94.02 percent YoY. Sales in domestic markets stood at 22,019 units in Jan 2023, up from 11,349 units sold in Jan 2022. It was followed by the Dio scooter, sales of which fell by 32.64 percent to 18,752 units, down from 27,837 units sold in Jan 2022.Honda 2W Sales Breakup Jan 2023Honda Dream sales also fell 78.86 percent to 2,752 units from 13,021 units sold in Jan 2023 and Livo sales also finished in the red, down by 66.36 percent to 1,819 units. Grazia sales in Jan 2023 dipped by 68.70 percent to 1,490 units even as the company had sold 4,761 units in Jan 2022. Honda H’ness 350 suffered a 66.22 percent YoY de-growth to 1,085 units, down from 3,212 units sold in Jan 2022. The H’ness 350 was the 8th best-selling model in the 200-500cc segment last month. New CB350 Cafe Racer will launch on 15th March.Honda Hornet (213 units, CB300R (85 units) and XBlade (55 units) also featured lower down the list along with 3 units each of CB200X and Gold Wing while sales of the CBR650 and CB500 were down to 0 units last month. Honda is getting ready to launch a new 100cc motorcycle on 15th March, which will rival Hero Splendor.Honda 2W Exports Jan 2023Honda 2W exports were down to 18,220 units in Jan 2023. This was a 53.30 percent YoY de-growth from 39,012 units shipped in Jan 2022. Every model on this list finished in the red except for the Unicorn 160. Honda Navi sales fell to 7,682 units in Jan 2023, down 25.76 percent from 10,348 units sold in Jan 2022. This was a 2,666 unit volume de-growth with a 42.16 percent share. Dio sales also fell 59 percent YoY to 2,898 units in the past month, from 7,069 units sold in Jan 2023.Honda 2W Exports Breakup Jan 2023The Unicorn 160 saw increased demand globally with exports rising 105 percent YoY to 1,968 units in Jan 2023 from 960 units shipped in Jan 2022. Export numbers dipped for the X-Blade and CB Shine by 45.88 percent and 79.47 percent respectively to 1,680 units and 1,064 units in Jan 2023. It was also an 80.66 percent YoY de-growth for Dream exports which fell to 748 units in the past month from 3,868 units sold in Jan 2022.Honda Grazia (680 units), Hornet 160R (624 units), Livo (600 units) and Activa (156 units) also featured on this export list lower down the order with each seeing YoY degrowth. Exports of CB350 also fell 91.67 percent YoY to 120 units even as the company had exported 1,440 units in Jan 2022. Unicorn 150 and Aviator exports were down to 0 units in Jan 2023. More

Honda Two Wheeler India is getting ready to launch a new commuter motorcycle in the 100cc segmentNew Honda 100cc Motorcycle Launch TeaserHonda is the No 1 scooter maker of India. With Activa in its arsenal, Honda is practically unmatched. To put it into context, Activa alone accounts for more than 50 percent of Honda’s total sales. If you take top 10 best-selling scooters in India, Activa sells almost as much as the rest of the nine contestants combined. In the global two wheeler market, India plays a leading role for Honda bringing in lakhs of units in sales each month.Honda doesn’t enjoy the same monopoly when it comes to motorcycles. That is because Hero MotoCorp has always been the champion in this era. With the Splendor range of budget bikes, Hero has unmatched popularity among rural customers. This is where Honda is currently falling short. This is where Honda is planning to chart a stronger path forward.Honda Upcoming 100cc BikeThis development is in the form of a 100cc bike to challenge Splendor. Right now, Honda’s lowest capacity commuter motorcycle engine is a 110cc unit (109.51cc) that does duties on CD 110 Dream and Livo. Above these are Honda Shine and SP 125 which come with a 125cc engine. However, its arch-rival, Hero offers a 100cc platform (97.2cc) which promises more frugality. Something which target audiences appreciate. This engine is offered with HF Deluxe and Splendor Plus, which is the highest-selling motorcycle in the country.Honda has now shared the first official teaser of their upcoming 100cc motorcycle. The teaser features actor Jimmy Sheirgill in a rural fair setup, highlighting the fact that Honda is going to target this new motorcycle at rural segment. Take a look at the official teaser of the new Honda 100cc motorcycle below.[embedded content][embedded content]Rural market is not too great for bigger motorcycles in the 125-150cc segment as budget and versatility is the deciding factor here. With a well-tuned suspension and a good frame, this new platform might yield good results to Honda and help close in the marginal gap that it currently has against Hero.Specs and PricingCurrently, Honda’s 125cc platform, which consists of Shine and SP125 is powered by a 124cc engine that makes around 10.6 bhp of power and 11 Nm of torque. Shine gets a 4-speed gearbox. SP125 gets a 5-speed unit. This category of motorcycles offer around 60 km/l of fuel economy in the real world.Its arch-rival Splendor Plus and HF Deluxe get a 97.2cc engine that is capable of making around 8 bhp of power and 8.05 Nm of torque. This engine is only coupled to a 4-speed gearbox. This platform is even more frugal and offers around 65+ km/l fuel efficiency. Honda’s upcoming 100cc bike might also make power and torque figures around the same ballpark. Patent of this new motorcycle has leaked.New Honda Motorcycle To Rival SplendorWith an aggressive price point, Honda upcoming 100cc bike may make a dent in Splendor sales. Apart from Splendor Plus and HF Deluxe, it will also compete with Bajaj Platina too. Upcoming 100cc bike will take Honda’s reach even further and is expected to be well received in India. Honda is also planning to launch Activa Electric next year, Jan 2024. More

2023 Honda Scoopy retro scooter makes 9 bhp and 9.3 Nm from its 109.5 cc engine2023 Honda ScoopyScoopy is a neo-retro scooter from Honda, which is on sale in many South East Asian countries. It has even been patented in India, as Honda might be toying with the idea of launching Scoopy in India. Ahead of that, Honda has updated the Scoopy scooter to 2023 model year with new features and colour options.In Indonesia, Honda Scoopy is in its fifth generation. It is offered in four different trims namely Sporty, Fashion, Prestige and Stylish. The main highlight of Honda Scoopy is its design. Especially at the front where a large headlight assembly lies in its apron.2023 Honda Scoopy DebutsIt consists of a large projector unit, like a jewel held in an oval casing. Turn indicators are shaped like water droplets flanking the headlight assembly in an encircling fashion. On top of this apron is a small protruding element housing Scoopy’s instrument console. Round ORVMs add to its overall retro appeal.Behind this apron is a storage area including a USB charger for smartphones. It gets Honda’s new smart key that recently debuted in India with Activa on top-spec trim. Side body panels are reminiscent of scooters of the past and blend in neatly with the overall design of Honda Scoopy. There are a total of 8 colours offered with 2023 Honda Scoopy.2023 Honda ScoopyWith dual-tone shades, Honda offers a contrasting seat, floorboard, apron plastic and decals on side body panels. At the back, we get similar turn indicators like we saw at front engulfing a circular tail light housing. Rear grab handle is neatly designed too and flows with seat contour. Chrome-finished exhaust heat guard adds to its retro vibes.2023 Honda ScoopySpecs & FeaturesComponentry for Honda Scoopy is very similar to that of Activa’s. Front telescopic forks, rear single shock absorber, single-sided swingarm, 12” to 14” wheels, swingarm-mounted engine and more. Honda Scoopy gets front disc brakes and drum unit at the rear. With 4.5L fuel in the tank, Scoopy weighs just 95 kg. Updated 2023 Scoopy now gets Smart Key, a feature which was recently launched in India with the new Honda Activa.Honda Scoopy retro scooter is powered by a 109.5 cc single-cylinder engine, mostly similar to Activa 6G’s in India. Because it is EURO 3 emission compliant and not EURO 6 (similar to BS6 in India), Scoopy makes 9 bhp of power and 9.3 Nm of torque. Activa 6G’s numbers tip the scale at just 7.68 bhp and 8.84 Nm.2023 Honda ScoopyHonda has a premium scooter in its range in the form of Grazia. As seen in December 2022, Honda Grazia sold slightly over 2.5K units, whereas Activa sold 175K units. Honda’s premium scooter offering for India needs more finesse and drama. Something which Honda Scoopy retro scooter has in abundance. We hope Honda considers launching this in India replacing Grazia. More