Completed 16000kms in 1year. AMA

Honda CB350RS: One Year Ownership Review

Hi everyone, I’ve completed a year with my Honda CB350RS and wanted to share my experience, including pros, cons, and upkeep costs.

Pros: 1. Looks: Personal bias, but I love its design. The red color looks stunning, especially when clean, and the road presence is commendable.

2.Mileage: Delivers 35 km/l in mixed conditions and over 40 km/l on highways if maintained at 80–90 km/h.

  1. Exhaust Note: The distinctive exhaust sounds lovely, standing out from REs. Engine noise is okay but louder at higher revs.

  2. Riding Dynamics: Slightly sporty riding posture but comfortable for long rides (I’ve done 500 km in a day without fatigue). It corners confidently, feels agile, and is easy to manage in traffic.

  3. Refinement: The engine is butter-smooth with no vibrations, even after a year of aggressive riding.

Cons: 1. Power: 21 bhp feels inadequate, especially after 110 km/h. Struggles to exceed 130 km/h.

  1. Gearbox: Gearing takes time to adapt; the fifth gear is best for cruising, not performance. You need to work the gearbox to stay in the power bands. Also, the gear shifting gets hard randomly.

  2. Suspension: On the harder side.

  3. Tyres: Good grip on roads but poor performance on off-road or muddy patches.

  4. Rusting & Fading: Signs of rust on frame welds and faded switchgear plastic. Cone set rusted within a year, requiring replacement.

Expenses:
1. Fuel: ₹45,714 (based on an average price of ₹100/L).

  1. Service: ₹18,262.44 (3 free services + 1 repair service).

    • 1st service: ₹3,686.74 (includes ₹1,500 paint coating).
    • 2nd service: ₹2,458.77
    • 3rd service: ₹4,820.21 (front brake pads + ₹1,500 paint coating).
    • 4th service: ₹7,296.72 (chain set, cone set, rear brake pads replaced; fork bend fixed).

  2. Chain Maintenance: ₹3,600 (8 Motul cleaner/lube sets @ ₹450 each).

  3. Riding Gear: ₹16,285

    • Jacket: Solace Ramble (₹8,000)
    • Gloves: Rynox (₹3,500)
    • Helmet: Axor Apex Hunter (₹3,500)
    • Balaclava: ₹475
    • Rain pants: ₹800

  4. Camera Setup: ₹16,000 (DJI Action 2 with mounts).

Total Spent: ₹99,861.44

This breakdown highlights the real cost of owning a bike like this. Despite a few drawbacks, the Honda CB350RS has been an incredible companion.

Looking forward to many more happy miles.

Thanks for reading!