Honda Bikes

Honda CB350RS Arriving At Dealer. Image – Motovin77
CB350 RS is Honda’s second locally manufactured motorcycle in India which is retailed through its premium chain of dealerships BigWing

Honda launched the roadster version of CB350 last year and now they have launched a more sporty variant called CB350RS. While most of the bike is identical to its classic sibling, it does feature some cosmetic variations that help distinguish itself as a sportier iteration of the former. Now, the Japanese bikemaker has commenced deliveries of RS to dealerships across the country.
Like its sibling, CB350 RS is exclusively retailed through the company’s premium chain of dealerships- BigWing which has limited footprints across India. The bike was launched in a single variant with two colour options at a price of Rs 1.96 lakh (ex-showroom) which makes it Rs 4,000 costlier than DLX Pro trim of H’Ness CB350.
Honda CB350 RS First Batch Delivery Starts
Cosmetic Differences
The bikemaker currently operates a total of only 32 BigWing dealerships in India currently- 6 BigWing Toplines and 26 standard BigWing dealerships. CB350 RS looks like a sportier version of H’Ness CB350 where RS stands for ‘Road Sailing’. It gets redesigned side panels and a revised tail section along with an all-black treatment on various body parts. Texture of the seat, as well as its cushioning, has been updated.
This iteration of CB350 also gets two separate grab rails for the pillion which are bolted to the rear fender unlike H’Ness which gets a single-piece grab rail. The footpegs are also a little rear-set with a slightly smaller handlebar which provides an aggressive lean forward riding posture.
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The frame, chassis, and other mechanical components are covered in a beautiful all-black theme that accentuates CB350 RS’s sporty nature. In addition, an engine bash plate and a wider rear tyre with a block pattern further distinguish the RS from H’Ness CB350.
Same Mechanicals
Both H’Ness CB350 and CB350 Rs share the same powertrain and hardware setup. They draw their power from a 348cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine which puts out 20.8 bhp at 5,500rpm with 30 Nm of peak torque at 3,000rpm. This unit is mated to a 5-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch.
Suspension setup consists of conventional telescopic forks at front and dual shock absorbers at rear. Braking is taken care of by disc brakes at both ends while safety net is provided by a dual-channel ABS.
Features on offer
In terms of dimensions, both motorcycles are identical to each other, however, CB350 RS is lighter by 2 kilos. Coming to its features, CB350 RS like its classic sibling also comes with Honda Selectable Torque Control System (HSTC) which is essentially Honda’s version of traction control. However, it misses out on Bluetooth connectivity as offered in H’Ness CB350. It is available in two paint schemes- a mono-tone Radiant Red Metallic and a dual-tone Black with Pearl Sports Yellow. The latter costs Rs 2000 more than the former. More

New Honda GROM
2022 Honda Grom will be made available in two trims- Standard and ABS and goes on sale in the US by May 2021

Honda has globally revealed an updated version of its mini bike Grom. The facelifted third generation Grom made its first international appearance back in October 2020 as a 2021 model in Europe. The Japanese automaker also announced that this new Grom will hit showrooms in the USA by May 2021.
Grom was introduced back in 2014 and since then has been a largely successful bike with over 7.5 lakh sales across the globe. The latest iteration of the mini moto will carry the same base price tag of USD 3,399 which translates to INR 2.49 lakh. Apart from the upgrade to Euro 5 compliance, 2022 Grom also receives subtle exterior redesign.
Styling & Feature Updates
The biggest highlight in the new Grom is its easily removable and swappable body panels that are held to its steel backbone frame by six fasteners. This has been done by Honda to provide extra flexibility to owners who wish to customise their bikes.
It features a clean-looking bodywork and gets a lot of sleeker and straighter lines. It will be offered in four paint options- Matte Black Metallic, Queen Bee Yellow, Pearl White and Candy Blue (only on ABS model) that can be mixed and matched according to the customer’s preference.
New Honda GROM
Apart from this, the buyer also gets an optional SP colour package which adds unique body graphics and a yellow-coloured mono-shock spring along with golden brake calipers, alloy wheels and front fork. The seat is also not flatter and firmer which provides better cushioning. There are no major changes on its equipment front, just its LCD instrument screen gets updated and now also shows a gear position indicator.
Mechanical Specs
Its hardware has also been left untouched with its suspension setup consisting of telescopic inverted forks at front and a mono-shock at rear. Braking is handled by single disc brakes of 220mm and 190mm at front and rear respectively. Its fuel tank capacity has also been increased from 6.6 litres to 7.23 litres. The major change lies at its heart.
2022 Grom is now powered by a Euro-5 compliant 124cc air-cooled single-cylinder which is now slightly more powerful due to an updated compression ratio of 10:1 against the previous iteration’s 9.3:1 ratio. In the process, it feels a little quicker and can now clock a top speed of 95 kmph which is 8 kmph quicker than the previous model. Honda has also made improvements in its rideability thanks to its 5-speed gearbox that offers a larger rear sprocket and a wider spread of gear ratios.
New Honda GROM
Grom in India?
The new Grom has been made available in two variants- standard and ABS while the latter being priced at a premium of USD 200 over the base variant. A couple of months, it was reported that Honda has indeed filed a patent for the latest iteration of Grom in India.
A few years ago, the automaker did the same but the bike did not reach our shores. Instead, the Indian market received a scooter-styled bike named Navi which did not find many takers and eventually got discontinued. We hope this time, Honda is seriously thinking of bringing it to India. More

Image – Gyani Enough
Honda reached sales milestone of 1.5 crore units in South India

Honda 2Wheelers India witnessed 7th straight month of positive YoY sales growth as it ended February 2021 with 30.54% growth in domestic sales compared to the same month last year. The domestic two wheeler market is projected to have a double digit growth this year owning to a low base BSVI transition last year but Honda is confident of outperforming the industry average.
Honda 2Wheelers February 2021 sales
Last month, the Japanese two wheeler giant dispatched 411,578 units in the domestic market which is 96,293 units more than what it managed in February 2020. The MoM figure dropped marginally by 1.23% but then February has 3 less days compared to the preceding month.
As far as export markets are concerned, Honda witnessed a 16% YoY growth as BSVI models started gaining traction in overseas markets as well. 31,118 units were shipped last month compared to 26,736 units in February 2020. Overall, Honda 2Wheelers India clocked 442,696 units last year, an increment of over 1 lakh units compared to the same month last year (YoY growth of 29.44%).
Key sales highlights in February 2021
In February 2021, Honda 2Wheelers India expanded its BigWings premium dealership footprint by inaugurating three new outlets in Thane, Siliguri and Vadodara. With this, Honda now has 18 BigWing outlets in addition to the 5 BigWing Topline (retails the brand’s entire range of 300+ cc models). More outlets are set to be added in due course as the company is looking to maximize the potential of its new Honda CB350 lineup.
Honda 2 Wheeler Sales Feb 2021
Speaking of the CB350, a sportier variant called the CB350RS was introduced last month. The retro-classic motorcycle which debuted in October 2020 also crossed its 10,000 sales milestone last month.
With first-in-segment features like assist and slipper clutch, and Honda Selectable Torque Control, the CB350 emerges as a very attractive proposition, especially at a starting price of INR 1.96 lakh (ex-showroom). The motorcycle is sitting on huge number of bookings and Honda is working to increase the production capacity and decrease the waiting period.
February 2021 also marks Honda’s achievement 1.5 crore sales milestone in South India which establishes it as the leading motorcycle brand in that part of the nation. The company also claims to have become the first choice of 70 lakh families in North India.
Upcoming launches
Buoyed by the success of its new 350 cc motorcycle, Honda is gearing up to augment its well priced premium motorcycle portfolio. Rumors suggest that the company is getting ready to introduce the Honda CB500X medium displacement adventure tourer in April 2021.
Likely to be imported a a CBU, the motorcycle will slot between the KTM 390 Adventure and Kawsaki Versys 650 with a final balance between performance, features and affordability. Based on its reception, rest of Honda’s popular 500 cc lineup could make it to our shores eventually. More

Image – SVM Cars and Bikes
HMSI posted YoY domestic sales growth in Jan 21 boosted by that of the Activa Scooter and CB Shine while exports sales dipped 30.13 percent

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) revealed their sales figures for January 2021. The company has posted double digit growth in the past month, to 4,16,703 units, up 42,668 units as against 3,74,668 units sold in domestic markets in Jan 2020. The Honda Activa scooter, despite de-growth, was the best-selling model in the company lineup.
Honda Activa, CB Shine, Dio Domestic Sales
Honda Activa Scooter alone contributed to half of the company’s total domestic sales for January 21. Sales of the Activa stood at 2,11,660 units, down 9.84 percent as against 2,34,749 units sold in Jan 20.
The CB Shine also ended the month on a good note making it the best-selling motorcycle in the company lineup. Domestic sales of this entry level commuter motorcycle grew 73.90 percent at 1,16,222 units, up from 66,832 units sold in Jan 20. The Dio scooter was at No. 3 with sales in domestic markets at 28,914 units, down 11.45 percent as against 32,651 units sold in Jan 20.
At No. 4 on the sales charts was the Unicorn 160 with sales of 25,799 units. The Unicorn 160 BS6 was launched early last year with a more premium design, revised styling, added comfort and 160cc more powerful engine.
Honda Sales Jan 2021
Honda Dream, Grazia, Livo
Honda Dream managed a 5th spot on the list with domestic sales at 9,298 units, de-growth of 42.29 units as against 16,111 units sold in Jan 20. The Honda Grazia followed at No.6 with sales growth of 385.97 percent to 7,518 units, in the past month, up from 1,547 units sold in Jan 20. Sales of the Livo too surged by 165.97 percent to 7,338 units in Jan 21, over 2,759 units sold in the same month of the previous year.
Honda Hornet 2.0 and H’ness 350, two relatively newcomers to the company lineup saw domestic sales of 4,709 units and 3,543 units respectively while the XBlade also contributed 1,703 units to total domestic sales, up 1603 percent over just 100 units sold in Jan 20. Aviator scooter was taken off the shelves, Unicorn 150 was replaced by the Unicorn 160cc version and Hornet 160R has also been discontinued following the upgrade to BS6 emission standard.
January 2021 Exports
HMSI suffered de-growth of 30.13 percent for exports in Jan 21. Total exports stood at 20,467 units, down from 29,292 units exported in Jan 20. The Navi scooter was most in demand in global markets with 6,028 units exported, up 111.95 percent as against 2,844 units in Jan 20. Honda Navi was the most exported scooter from India during the month. The Navi scooter continues to be produced in India but is exclusively offered for export purposes.
Honda Exports Jan 2021
At No.2, exports of the Dio dipped 59.25 percent to 4,137 units in the past month, down from 10,152 units exports in Jan 20. CB Shine was in a 3rd spot with 3,558 units exported in the past month, up from 2,649 units shipped in the same month of the previous year. The Honda X-Blade and Grazia followed in quick succession at Nos. 4 and 5 and even as the X-Blade reported export growth of 50.13 percent to 2,342 units, exports of the Grazia dipped 25.24 percent to 1,256 units in the past month, down from 1,680 units shipped in Jan 20.
De-growth in terms of exports were also reported for the Honda Hornet 160R and the Livo. The Unicorn 160 also found 66.04 percent lower demand in global markets with 432 units exported last month as against 1,272 units exported in Jan 20. Even as the Honda Activa stood at No.1 in domestic sales, it, was at a 10th spot on the export list with 364 units exported in the past month, down from 784 units exported in Jan 20. The Honda H’ness 350, standing at No. 12 in terms of exports with 270 units shipped in the past month while the Unicorn 150 suffered a 50 percent de-growth with 160 units exported in Jan 20. More

2021 Honda CBR150R
The new HRC Tricolour livery on CBR150R and CBR250RR resembles Honda’s flagship faired sports bike CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade

The soft corner for the CBR nameplate in India is well known by all but unfortunately, the brand could not penetrate through the masses in the country and was discontinued a while later. The CBR moniker continues to grow stronger in overseas markets. Honda has now introduced two entry-level performance bikes of the CBR range in special edition variants.
Two of the most popular and affordable CBR bikes now come wrapped in a special HRC Tricolour Liveries which is usually associated with Honda’s motorsports history. In association with PT Astra, Honda has launched these special edition models of CB150R and CBR250RR SP in Indonesia.
Styling & Features
Both these motorcycles are now wrapped in Honda’s racing paint scheme of red, blue and white and hence, named Tricolour. Honda’s iconic racing Tricolour is a representation of the bikemaker’s years of dominance in motorsports.
The HRC livery is similar to the one seen in the brand’s flagship CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade. While performance-wise, both CBR150R and CBR250RR are no way as sporty as the litre-class monster, this new paint scheme and body graphics certainly amplify their sportiness to a greater extent, in looks of course.
2021 Honda CBR150R With HRC livery
Other than the new attire, there is no other change on either of these two faired sports bikes. They both offer common features such as a fully digital LCD instrument cluster, blacked-out designer alloy wheels as well as an all-LED lighting setup. However, being a more premium offering, CBR250RR doubles up on features such as a quick shifter, ride-by-wire and three riding modes as standard.
In terms of stylings, both CBR150R and CBR250RR get a sharp, fully-faired design with similar elements such as a muscular fuel tank, split headlight setup, an upswept exhaust, stepped-up split seats, golden-coloured front forks, a clip-on handlebar and a raised windscreen. Even the suspension setup is similar with inverted USD forks at front and a mono-shock unit. Both motorcycles are underpinned by a Diamond Truss frame.
Engine Specs & Price
Speaking of the engine specifications, CBR150R is a 149.16cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder which is good enough to return an output of 16.8 bhp and 14.4 Nm of peak torque. On the other hand, the MY2021 CBR250RR gets a heavily tweaked powertrain which features a 249.7cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor. This unit cranks out 41.5 bhp and 25 Nm of peak torque. Both units come mated to a six-speed gearbox with a slipper and assist clutch for smoother gear shifts.
2021 Honda CBR250RR With HRC livery
Coming to its pricing, CBR150R Tricolour is offered at a price of IDR 40,600,000 (equivalent to INR 2.09 lakh). On the other hand, CBR250RR SP Tricolour comes at a sticker price of IDR 77,300,000 (equivalent to INR 3.99 lakh). This makes both bikes slightly more expensive than their standard iterations. Unfortunately, Honda does not have any plans to launch any of these bikes in India anytime soon. More

2021 Honda CB500X
The Honda CB500X is expected to be positioned between the KTM 390 Adventure and Kawasaki Versys 650

Adventure tourers are two wheeled equivalents of SUVs, and given the world is going crazy for SUVs, we are not surprised the trend has an influence on two wheeler market as well. Of late, the Indian mid-premium motorcycle segment has been witnessing a steady inflow of adventure tourers which are very well received by the audience. So, a leading manufacturer like Honda simply can’t afford to sit back and stay indifferent to this trend, especially when it already has the right product at its disposal.
Honda CB500X coming to India
Honda’s 500 cc medium-displacement family of motorcycles come in a variety of flavors and have been significant volume generators in many international markets including Europe. A good blend of style, performance and pricing makes them highly attractive. A recent media report suggests that Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is gearing up to launch the CB500X adventure tourer as early as April 2021!
With Honda working intensely on increasing the reach of BigWing premium motorcycle outlet, the adventure tourer would come as a boost to the dealer partners. We expect the Honda CB500X to be locally assembled out of CKD kits to keep the costs competitive.
Speaking of costs, the upcoming medium-displacement Honda would slot between the KTM 390 Adventure which retails at INR 3.10 lakh and Kawasaki Versys 650 which is priced at INR 6.91 lakh (both prices are ex-showroom). It terms of direct competitors, the Honda CB500X has the Benelli TRK 502 to face. A better brand recall and wider dealership network gives the Honda a definitive edge.
2019 Honda CB500X
Specifications
Powering the Honda CB500X is a 472 cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected motor which pumps out 48 hp and 43 Nm of torque. Transmission is a 6-speed automatic. The performance on offer should be adequate for long distance touring while not burning a big hole in the wallet. For reference, the European-spec motorcycle has a fuel economy rating of 28.6 kmpl as per WMTC.
Underpinned by a tubular diamond steel frame, the Honda CB500X sticks to the basics with telescopic front forks and a monoshock rear suspension. The front-heavy stance is further enhanced by a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear alloy wheels which are wrapped by 110/80 – ZR19 and 160/60 – ZR17 tyres respectively.
Braking is courtesy of a 310 mm front disc with a two-piston caliper and a 240 mm rear unit with a single-piston caliper. A dual-channel ABS system comes as a standard equipment.
Features
The Honda CB500X keeps up with the industry standards when it comes to equipment but there are no fancy electronic gadgets in the interest of keeping the price at bay. You do get LED headlamp, negative backlight LCD instrument console with trip computer, fuel economy indicator, gear position indicator, etc.

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