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    Honda CB350 vs Royal Enfield Classic 350 vs Meteor – Vibration Test

    Vibration Test By Nitin Autoroids
    Which is the motorcycle that offers the lowest vibrations?

    Vibrations from a motorcycle may not matter much for short, occasional rides, but it can have a dramatic impact during long distance touring. It can give you that shaky feeling and make you fatigued as well. If we consider a span of several years, motorcycle vibrations may also result in lower back pain issues. These risk factors make it imperative that we choose a ride that has the least vibration.
    Vibration test – Honda H’Ness CB350 Vs. Meteor 350 Vs. Classic 350
    The most popular cruiser motorcycle in the country is Royal Enfield Classic 350, which is known for its rugged quality and reliable performance. As may be recalled, Royal Enfield motorcycles are also used by the Indian Army in some of the most challenging terrains in the world. Royal Enfield motorcycles are no doubt good, but one common complaint is the significant amount of vibration they generate.
    The company seems to have acknowledged these issues and is in the process of making improvements in its next-gen products. The first of these is Meteor 350 that has significantly less vibration, as compared to Classic 350. We have already seen this in an earlier video.
    But how does Meteor 350 fare against its primary rival, Honda H’Ness CB350? Answer to that question has now been revealed in this new video by Nitin Autoroids, that compares vibration of Honda CB350 vs. Meteor 350 vs. Classic 350.
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    In this test too, a glass of water (plastic glass) has been used to test vibration. On Honda CB350, the water filled glass remains still on the fuel tank as well as on the rear seat. Results are the same at higher rpm.
    On Meteor 350, the glass remains still when the engine is idling. However, when the rpm is increased, the glass of water starts to move. On Classic 350, the glass experiences significant vibrations. It moves and falls off the rear seat at high rpm. As compared to Classic 350, Honda CB350 and Meteor were able to sustain the glass for much longer duration.
    Vibration test conclusion
    According to the YouTuber, Honda CB350 has the least vibration among the three bikes. At number two is Meteor 350, which had increased vibrations at higher rev speeds. Classic 350 is obviously the last in this test result.
    Disclaimer – It is important to note that although this test methodology seems reliable, it is not a replacement for measuring vibration using specialized tools. The results may vary if proper vibration measurement tools are used. That way, it will also tell us exactly how much vibration is coming from each of these motorcycles. More

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    2021 Honda Scoopy 110cc Scooter Unveiled – Delivers 59 kmpl Mileage

    2021 Honda Scoopy
    2021 Honda Scoopy new generation scooter makes global debut – Has been launched in Indonesia

    One of the popular scooters in Indonesia, Honda Scoopy has sold more than 4.5 million units since the time it was launched in the country in 2010. Honda has now launched the next-gen model that comes with a range of cosmetic upgrades and new features. It is available at a starting price of IDR 19.95 million, approximately INR 1.05 lakh.
    Design and features
    2021 Honda Scoopy is a lot more attractive in comparison to its predecessor. It has been designed in accordance with the styling needs of the fashion conscious young generation. A range of visual enhancements have been incorporated such as the oval shaped headlamp and tail lamp and splashier rear indicators. The new headlamp is also functionally relevant, as it comes with LED projector lighting system.

    Next-gen Honda Scoopy is being offered in four variants, Sporty, Fashion, Stylish and Prestige. Each variant has its unique colour options such as Prestige white and black, Stylish brown and red, Fashion blue and cream and Sporty red and black.
    Talking about comfort and convenience, new Scoopy gets a large 15.4 litre utility storage space beneath the seat. A USB charger has been added to the console box, allowing users to charge their mobile devices without the need for an additional adapter. Other key features include multi-function hook at the front and side stand indicator.
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    In terms of safety & security, new Scoopy has been equipped with smart keys that offer answer back feature and anti-theft alarm. It also gets tubeless tyres and brake lock lever.
    Scoopy engine
    Powering Honda Scoopy is latest generation 110 cc, SOHC, programmed fuel injection engine that is capable of delivering 9 PS of max power at 7,500 rpm and 9.3 Nm of peak torque at 5,500 rpm. It comes with eSP (enhanced Smart Power), which not only boosts performance but also improves fuel efficiency. The scooter also gets ACG starter, which ensures smooth engine starts without the usual spluttering sound.

    Another great feature is the advanced Idling Stop System (ISS) that turns the engine off when it is idle for more than 3 seconds. To restart, the user just needs to rev the accelerator. New Scoopy comes with a larger fuel tank that can hold 4.2 litres. As per EURO 3 testing standards, new Scoopy can travel 59 km per litre when used with ISS.
    The scooter’s improved performance is also made possible with the new eSAF frame. The new frame offers multiple benefits such as better ergonomics, improved agility to tackle city traffic and lightweight for enhanced fuel efficiency.

    It is not certain if Scoopy will be launched in the Indian market. Honda already has the top selling Activa in its portfolio, so, there’s limited possibility. More

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    Royal Enfield Meteor 350 vs Honda CB350 – Speed Comparison Test

    Image – Abhinav Bhatt
    Is the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 faster than the Honda CB350?

    In the 350 cc segment, there are several options to choose from. Apart from the obvious Classic 350, there’s Honda H’Ness CB350 and recently launched Meteor 350. The latter two is where things may get a bit difficult to decide, since both motorcycles offer superior performance and come with a long list of features.
    To help users make informed choices, YouTuber Abhinav Bhatt has uploaded a new video that details the real world performance difference between Royal Enfield Meteor 350 and Honda CB350.
    Meteor 350 vs. Honda CB350 acceleration, speed test
    For this comparative analysis, Abhinav chose to ride the Meteor 350 and asked his colleague to ride the CB350. The primary idea was to test the performance of these motorcycles in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th gear. The test was conducted on an open highway with limited traffic.
    In second gear, both bikers started accelerating from a speed of 20 kmph. It took Honda CB350 just a few seconds to race ahead of Meteor. The latter hit the speed limiter at 70-75 kmph, whereas CB350 achieved 80 kmph in second gear.
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    In the next round, both motorcycles started at 30 kmph in third gear. For some distance, both bikes were neck and neck at a speed of around 80 kmph. CB350 eventually raced ahead of Meteor that maxed out at around 100 kmph in third gear. CB350 did 110 kmph in third gear.
    In fourth gear, both motorcycles started at 40 kmph. Now was the turn for Meteor to show its strength, as it raced ahead of CB350 almost effortlessly. However, the lead lasted for only a short distance, as CB350 eventually overtook Meteor. Apparently, CB350 has a higher top speed in 4th gear, which allowed it to overtake Meteor.
    In fifth gear, Meteor 350 emerged as a clear winner. Not only did it accelerate faster than CB350, it was also able to maintain a significant lead. After driving for quite a long distance, it was felt that CB350 couldn’t possibly catch up with Meteor in 5th gear.
    Ride experience summary
    According to Abhinav, he liked Meteor’s performance, especially in 4th and 5th gear. The level of acceleration and top speed would be very useful during long distance journeys. Honda CB350 trailed behind Meteor in 5th gear, which is probably due to its tall gear setup.
    As is evident from this video, specs may only be able to provide a basic idea about a motorcycle’s capabilities. Numbers do not necessarily determine how well a motorcycle will perform in the real world. This is especially true when we are comparing two products. When unsure, the best way to find out the better one that suits your needs is to take them out for a test ride. More

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    Honda CB350 Deliveries Cross 1k Units – Sets New Standards In Segment

    From Sales Experience to Service, CB350 is setting new standards
    Honda H’Ness CB350 rivals the likes of Royal Enfield Classic, Meteor 350 and Benelli Imperiale 400

    Honda H’Ness CB350 has managed to woo a considerable size of audience and this can be established by its sales volume. Within its first twenty days of commencement of deliveries, Honda has retailed 1,000 units of the mid-segment retro motorcycle.
    Given its limited availability across the country, this is fairly a large number. As we all know, H’Ness CB350 is retailed only through Honda’s premium dealership chain BigWing. Also considering it is a brand new product in a segment clearly dominated by Royal Enfield, the CB350 seems to have pulled the trick.
    The Japanese brand has also revealed that demand for this bike has also spread to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities as well. Making its global debut in late September this year, this modern classic motorcycle has its genes from the brand’s legendary CB series of the 1970s. The CB350 has been developed with nine patent applications and five first-in-segment features.
    Features on offer
    Speaking of its features, it boasts of a long equipment list which includes full-LED lighting, a digital-analogue instrument cluster, contemporary and easy to use switchgear, engine start/stop switch, hazard switch, Honda traction control, Honda Smartphone Voice Control System and more.
    Honda CB350 First Service. Image – Abhinav Bhatt
    Coming to its dynamics, the CB350 is based on a half-duplex cradle chassis that rides on conventional telescopic forks at front and twin hydraulic shock absorbers at rear. Anchoring duties are handled by a 310 mm single hydraulic disc on the front and a single 240 mm disc at the rear. This is assisted by dual-channel ABS as standard. The bike rolls on 19-inch alloy wheels at front and 18-inch wheels at rear.
    In terms of powertrain, it draws its power from a 348.36cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled long-stroke engine which delivers an output of 20.8 bhp and 30 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 5-speed gearbox which comes with a slipper clutch and assist. Honda has emphasized on low-end torque in this engine which makes this motorcycle easy to ride in city commutes.
    Best in Class Experience
    Be it visiting their showroom, or the buying experience – Honda has managed to deliver best in class experience in the segment. No other OEM offers a 350cc segment machine in such an extravagant manner. From its large showrooms to well trained staff; even the after sales and service experience is much better than rivals.
    Reacting on this development, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing said, “Customers belonging to a wide spectrum of age group starting from 18 years to 70 years have made H’Ness CB350 as their first choice. We are proud that even with our limited BigWing network, we have been able to achieve this milestone of 1000 customer deliveries in such a short period of time.”
    Honda H’Ness CB350 is offered in two variants- DLX and DLX Pro which come in three mono-tone colour options on the former and three dual-tone paint options on the latter. The base trim has been priced at Rs 1.85 lakh and the top-end trim is offered at Rs 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom). More

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    Honda CB350 Cafe Racer Might Launch Next Year – Render

    Honda CB350 Cafe Racer – Render
    Japanese two-wheeler brand Honda is planning to explore other segments based on H’Nness CB350’s newly developed platform

    Honda made inroads into the premium cruiser segment of motorcycles with the launch of H’Ness CB350 last month. Priced at Rs 1.85 lakh (ex-showroom), this retro motorcycle has mostly received positive reviews from all quarters and is being pitched as a worthy rival to Royal Enfield and Jawa prodigies.
    While we can agree in unison that a retro classic body suits H’Ness CB350 in the best manner. However, Honda has spent hundreds of crores in development of this platform from scratch and would be looking to utilize it in other designs as well. Reports suggest, the Japanese automaker is planning to develop a cafe-racer based on this same architecture.
    Alteration in design – CB350 Cafe Racer
    A design render of CB350 turned into a modern cafe-racer has been doing rounds on the internet. Rendered by SRK Designs, the design artist only had to make slight alterations to make this look like a proper cafe racer.
    The overall stance of the bike in the rendering has become much sportier thanks to the clip-on handlebars which provides a more aggressive forward-biased riding position typical of a cafe-racer. However, it is doesn’t seem to be overly demanding since footpegs remain in their original position.
    The handlebar gets classic silver bar-end mirrors on either side and blacked-out shock absorbers. The fuel tank has been redesigned which can incorporate the rider’s legs in a forward set riding position. New body graphics on the fuel tank also enhance the cafe-racer looks and go well with the motorcycle’s character. The major update can be noticed in the seat where the designer has replaced the stock seat with a cafe racer-style single-piece one which features a seat cowl.
    At rear, the grab handles have been removed, although that might not be the case in the production-spec model where it is mandatory to install grab handles for the pillion. Side panels sport ‘Cafe-Racer’ decals which enhances the sportiness of the retro motorcycle.
    It continues to receive classic designing elements such as round headlamps, round taillamps, round LED turn indicators, chrome-finished front and rear fender and engine with chrome garnish and exhaust. Other notable finish visual highlights include semi-digital instrument cluster and alloy wheels with tubeless tyres.
    Specs
    H’Ness CB350 is based on a new half-duplex architecture which has been specifically developed for the Indian market. This frame also provides versatility to incorporate it in many other forms and a cafe-racer seems to be the appropriate match. CB350 is powered by a new single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected motor which generates 20.8 bhp and 30 Nm of peak torque. This unit is paired with a 5-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch and assist.
    Expected Launch
    If this proposed render does go into production it will be positioned as an entry-level cafe-racer and an affordable alternative to Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. It is expected to be pegged at a competitive price of Rs 2.2 lakh (ex-showroom). This bike is expected to come out at the end of next year or 2022.
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    2021 Honda NX 125cc Scooter Debuts – Gets LED Lights, Digital Speedo

    Honda NX 125
    The Honda NX125 gets dual LED headlamps, front disc and alloy wheels

    The Honda NX125 automatic scooter has been launched in China to cater to the entry level two wheeler market. The urban runabout now looks much sharper and sportier than most of its contemporaries. More international markets are set to receive the updated scooter but we don’t expect it to make it to our shores.
    2021 Honda NX125
    The new NX125 wears a properly urban bodywork with multi-layered front apron with sharp edges, angular peeled-up LED headlamps, generously proportioned seat and a heavily contoured engine cover. The dual-tone color theme goes very well with the overall styling. The NX125’s updated styling reminds us of the Honda Grazia in more ways than one but the Indian-spec scooter feels watered down in comparison.

    The 2021 Honda NX125 comes with decent under seat storage space in addition to a pair of cubby holes on the front apron. As far as equipment list is concerned, the facelifted scooter offers a fully digital instrument console, USB charger, LED headlamps and so on.
    Powertrain and specifications
    Powering the China-spec 2021 Honda NX125 is an air-cooled fuel-injected engine which is not very different from the one employed by the India-spec Grazia. The 125 cc motor is rated at 8.7 hp and 9.7 Nm of torque. Of course, the transmission is a CVT.

    The NX125 is equipped with telescopic front forks, rear monoshock and sits on 12-inch front and 10-inch rear wheels. Braking system is composed of a front disc and a rear drum unit, both governed by cost-effective combi-braking system.
    Despite its imposing looks, the automatic scooter weights a reasonably light 106 kg. The fuel tank has a capacity of 6 liters. The scooter is priced at 9,580 yuan (around INR 1.07 lakh).

    Automatic scooter segment in India
    Not long ago, the 125 cc automatic scooter segment in India was considered to be premium but the BS6 emission regulations have transformed it into a mass market segment. This space in India is currently populated by Honda’s Grazia and Activa 125, TVS Ntorq, Aprilia Storm 125, Suzuki Access 125, the Vespa range and the Yamaha scooter range which includes RayZR and Fascino.
    It is not just the 125 cc scooters that are witnessing increased demand. The country is also starting to embrace fully electric scooters as evident from strong starts of several brands. From established OEMs like Bajaj and TVS to startups like Ather, Ampere and BGauss, things are moving pretty fast in this space.
    With increased importance for private mode of transport in the current times, we expect automatic scooters to widen their market share in our country. More

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    Honda Hornet 185cc Adv Motorcycle Render – Hero Xpulse 200 Rival

    Digital Render
    Currently, Hero Xpulse 200 is the most affordable adventure tourer bike in India and Honda will be looking to disrupt this segment of entry-level ADVs in India

    Adventure motorcycles are the next big thing in the Indian automotive market. Gauging by the segment’s immense popularity over the past couple of years, every two-wheeler brand now wants to have an adventure bike in its product profile.
    Sometime earlier we had reported that Honda is developing an entry-level ADV bike based on the CRF250L Rally motorcycle. It will reportedly be rebranded to Africa Twin moniker and will be retailed as an entry-level model in the ADV range. However, that bike is most likely for international markets and not for India.
    But there is good news for Honda fans in India. Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) is planning to develop an all-new adventure motorcycle based on the recently launched Hornet 2.0. It is speculated that this new adventure tourer could utilise the naked roadster’s new platform.
    In a recent interaction with CarAndBike, Atsushi Ogata, President, CEO and MD, HMSI, confirmed this development. During this interaction, Ogata stated to exploring other options on both newly launched platforms of Hornet 2.0 and H’Ness CB350.
    250cc Honda Africa Twin Render
    One of the possibilities is the entry-level ADV based on Hornet 2.0’s architecture. During this discussion, Ogata did mention the CRF in a passing comment. From this discussion, it is clear that Honda is willing to expand its range of ADVs.
    Expected Details
    We can expect the design of this new bike to be in line with the Hornet 2.0. It will most likely be the same thing what KTM has done with their Duke and ADV range. That said the engine is expected to be the same as the one offered in Hornet 2.0. Its 184.4cc single-cylinder, fuel-injected motor is capable of pushing out 17 bhp of maximum power and 16.1 Nm of peak torque.
    It will be fair enough for Honda since it has invested a lot in developing an all-new platform for Hornet 2.0 and would be feasible for the company to utilise it in developing other new products. As of now, there are very little details as to how or when we can see this bike in our market but judging by the conversation, it seems like Honda is still in planning stages and it would take years to finally hit the roads.
    But one can never be sure with Honda. Out of the blue there will be a launch announcement, and before you know it, owners are posting video reviews of the new Honda Hornet 185cc Adv Motorcycle. We have already seen how efficient they are in hiding their upcoming projects before the actual launch – CB350 is one such example.
    Expected Availability
    This Honda ADV will be made in India from locally sourced components to keep the cost in check and will be retailed through its regular chain of dealerships. If plans do materialise then this new ADV from Honda will be the first real competitor to Hero Xpulse 200.
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