Honda CB350 RS: Ready to Sail?

When Honda decided to add the suffix RS to their CB350 moniker, it got us thinking. What does the RS in the name stand for? Rally Sport? Racing Sport? Rally Scrambler? Well it turns out, it stands for "Road Sailing". Cheesy as it might sound, it at least sets the expectations right. 

So what's new in the RS? Lets start with the styling bits. The RS is a gorgeous looking motorcycle, especially in its dual tone black and yellow colour. It has more fiber where the Highness has metal and more blackened surfaces where the Highness has chrome. It has a tuck and roll seat, no pillion grab rail, sleek led indicators and a redesigned led tail lamp. The design from the rear end is greatly inspired from larger CB motorcycles: the 650s and the 1000s. The exhaust is upswept and the RS gets a bash plate and fork gators as standard fitments. It has on/off road tyres at both ends to complete the Scrambler look. It doesn't Scramble though. Nope, it Sails, remember? 

Now come the subtle but critical mechanical changes that give the RS a distinctive character of its own. It gets a lower, wider and slightly forward set handlebar. That puts more rider weight on the front end and gives better control and flickability to the motorcycle. The wider bars also give more leverage to the steering inputs, reducing rider effort to that extent. The footpegs are slightly higher and slightly rear set such that they sit squarely below the rider's seat. That makes the rider's weight more forward biased while giving better cornering clearance for some spirited riding on the twisties. It also makes straddling the motorcycle over bad roads a lot easier. These subtle changes in the rider triangle have made the riding character of the RS a lot more involving, a lot more engaging and a whole lot more fun as compared to the chilled out character of the Highness. Also, this handlebar and footpeg combination takes a lot of weight off the rider's back and makes riding through pothole ridden roads a lot kinder on your spine. 

Speaking of potholes, the RS gets standard telescopic forks at the front and dual hydraulic suspensions at the rear. Pretty basic, pretty classic, pretty archaic. Except that this basic, classic and seemingly archaic stuff is manufactured and tuned by the company that makes the most advanced suspension systems in the world: Showa. The tuning is so, so spot on, you can barely feel anything as you ride over potholes. The ride quality is taut yet plush and there is a very mature way in which the RS tackles bad roads. The next major update from the Highness are the tyres. The front tyre size is exactly the same as the Highness at 100/90-19 but the pattern is different, with the RS getting the block pattern MRF Kurve series tyres. The bigger change is at the rear where the RS gets a wider 150/70-17 MRF Kurve instead of the Highness' road biased 130/70-18. This keeps the rolling circumference roughly the same but you now get a taller sidewall. That makes a noticeable difference in the way the RS gobbles up bad roads. The marginally forward biased riding position, the superbly tuned Showa suspensions, the 19 inch wheels up front and the thick sidewalled rear tyres all come together in making the ride quality of the RS extremely plush. I'm gonna stick my neck out and say, if you have back problems, this is the motorcycle to turn to in this segment.

The handling on the RS is also very mature and it doesn't feel skittish in taking fast turns. I only wish Honda had pulled the rake in a little bit and shortened its wheelbase. That would have made the turn ins sharper and gone with the overall sportier nature of the RS. Still, even with the set up being what it is, I am not complaining. It's an enjoyable motorcycle on the bends. The RS also gets an excellent brake set up by another Japanese giant: Nissin. The bite is sharp, progression is good and the well calibrated ABS always has your back but never overdoes it. 

If you have seen popular reviews of the CB350 siblings, one common "flaw" that all of them point out is the tall gearing. Lets set the record straight. It's a matter of perspective. I LOVE the tall gearing. Once you tune your riding style to the RS' torque curve, she is a ballerina as she glides her way through "normal" looking commuters. Keeping the motor spinning in its low and mid range is the key. The clutch pull is the lightest of any motorcycle you've ever ridden, the release is one of the most progressive and judder free you've ever encountered, the gearshifts are crisp and precise. I don't understand what the fuss about tall gearing and frequent gear shifting is all about? If you don't like shifting gears, ride an automatic scooter, ride an electric motorcycle, buy yourself an Africa Twin DCT, if you can afford one but don't bad mouth a motorcycle you've not fully understood. I'm so, so glad that Honda have retained the tall gearing of the Highness in the RS as well. It gives this motorcycle its easy going, smooth sailing nature. What adds to the feel is the rumble that you get from the exhaust as you accelerate. If you're a fan Terry Williams' drum solo at the start of Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, you're going to love the soundtrack of the RS. It's like having your own personal Terry Williams at all times, playing double bass solos on demand. Beautiful!

Coming to the features, the RS gets an analogue speedometer with digital read outs for odo, trip, gear position, clock, fuel efficiency and the likes. It also gets a green light that lights up when you are going easy on the throttle and riding economically. The RS doesn't get bluetooth connectivity that the Highness does but given that it's an audio only connectivity, it's not a big miss. All in all, this console is basic but comprehensive. Moreover, the fonts are legible and well laid out. The switch gear is of high quality. Honda have gone with their unique swapped positions for the horn and the indicator. I like it. Maybe, just maybe it would lead to people honking less and using the indicators more. Fingers crossed. The RS also gets Honda's traction control system to save newbies from drifting on wet and slippery surfaces, given the torquey nature of the engine. Maybe an overkill, but I'm not complaining. 

All in all, the CB350 RS is an amazing package, very well put together by Honda. It gets better refinement, better riding dynamics, better brakes, better reliability, better ride quality and a better overall ownership experience as compared to its competition from India. If you can ignore the voices on YouTube and try out the motorcycle for yourself, you might just find your perfect match. The perfect motorcycle is not one that does everything perfectly, it is the one that matches you perfectly. That refinement, that rumble from the engine, that light clutch, that beautiful ride quality and those amazing brakes take you in a different zone altogether while riding this motorcycle. And yet you overtake, and yet you progress and yet you Sail. Ready for some Road Sailing? Well, I am!