Honda CB350 H’Ness: First detailed walkaround video of Royal Enfield rival

Honda Motorcycle India launched their all new cruiser motorcycle H’Ness or Highness in the market recently. It as we all know is a new entrant in the 350-cc segment and competes with the likes of Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Jawa 42 motorcycles. Honda CB350 is a retro styled modern motorcycle that will sold via Honda Big Wing dealerships. The bike was launched recently and we have seen number of studio images of the bikes since then. Here we have a detailed walkaround video of the bike that shows all about this new bike.

The video has been uploaded by Power On Wheel on their youtube channel. The video starts by showing both the trims of Honda H’Ness CB350. It is available in DLX and DLX Pro variants. The video starts by showing the front of the bike. It gets a chrome plated front mudguard that gives it a retro feel. The front gets telescopic suspension and Y-shaped alloy wheels, LED turn indicators and the all LED headlamps with DRLs in them.

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The DLX version gets a single tone colour whereas the DLX Pro version gets dual tone scheme. Honda has concentrated a lot on giving this motorcycle a retro look with modern features. As per the video presenter, the bike gets a very comfortable riding position for long rides. The handle bar gets toggle switches on one end engine start stop and Hazard lamp switches on the right side. The instrument cluster is a single pod unit with a digital meter integrated in it.

The instrument cluster shows number of information and supports bluetooth connectivity showing turn by turn navigation, music control and call managing. It also has indicator lights for side stand, ABS, selectable torque control and so on. The engine itself gets a mix of black and chrome that goes well with the overall look and feel of the motorcycle.

Moving towards the rear, it gets saree guard, chrome plated rear mudguard with LED tail lights and turn indicators placed on it. The presenter even starts the motorcycle to show how the bike actually sounds. It is actually not that loud but feels grunty enough. It is powered by a 348-cc, single cylinder, fuel injected engine that generates 20.8 Bhp and 30 Nm of torque and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox with slipper clutch. The DLX version of the Hond Highness is priced at Rs 1.9 lakh, ex-showroom.

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Review: KTM 790 Duke long term review, second report

It’s a romantic thought, venturing out for a long ride on your bike through the pouring rain. My personal reality, though, is that shooting in the monsoon is a weary affair, with half the time spent on cleaning bikes and/ or waiting for the rain to subside so that the cameras can come out. Unsurprisingly, when you spend three days a week drenched to the bone, you want to just laze in over the weekend. As a result, the 790 Duke has only clocked 520km so far.

KTM states that the first service for a 790 Duke is scheduled for either 1,000km or one month. Since time has passed by much faster than my bike’s odometer, the job had to be done at the 500km mark.

Rs 4,018 for the oil filter kit jacks up the cost of a regular service.

Having owned a 390 Duke for six years before this, I can attest to the fact that the 790 gets special treatment at the workshop. There’s a specially trained technician who works on 790s, and no one at the service centre gets to take a test ride. Instead, there’s a rolling road platform outside, where Rajnikanth, the friendly KTM South Mumbai service manager, carefully ran the bike through the gears before and after the service was done.

The KTM 790 Duke’s first service consists of changing the oil and oil filter, brake-pad cleaning, chain lube/adjust, air-filter clean-up, an electronic firmware update and a thorough wash. The rest of the KTM line-up receives a similar treatment, but two things stand out for the 790 Duke. The first is that it requires a fancy tablet computer for its updates, and the second being that the service isn’t cheap. At Rs 9,914, this bike’s first service costs far more than what you’d have to pay for a 390 Duke’s, which uses about a litre less of the same 10W50 Motul 7100 engine oil.

With a recommended 91 octane, the bike runs fine on normal fuel.

Again, there are two major reasons. The first is that there’s no free first service for the 790 and that the service charge came to Rs 2,600. That’s quite reasonable for a big bike, but the harder pill to swallow is that the oil filter set (which consists of one filter and two plastic strainers) costs a ridiculous Rs 4,018. Yes, this kit is imported, but even a super-premium brand like Ducati has managed to price the Monster 821’s oil filter below Rs 1,000. As of now, the 790’s annual service cost is expensive, but if KTM can just correct the filter price, the 790 Duke will probably have the lowest service cost in the segment. Oh, in case you were wondering, I asked – using any aftermarket oil-filter kit will void the two-year warranty.

Over the last 500km, I have grown to understand the 790 Duke quite well, and if you keep it in Street mode it can be ridden in a reasonably civil manner – which is great, considering that the engine was being run in. With the first service done, the engine feels smoother, crisper, and ready to rip. I’ve now been given a free rein with the rev counter and, hopefully, there’ll be plenty more riding action for you to read about in the next report.

Also see:

KTM 790 Duke long term review, first report

Interview: Anand Mahindra on the new Thar

How important is the legacy of the Thar?

Legacy is the most appropriate word for the Thar because if you look back, the Thar owes its origins really to the Willys CJ3A, which is the first automotive product we ever made. What is absolutely unique is that this legacy is unbroken for over 70 years. From the first Jeep, to the MM540 to the Classic and now the Thar, I can’t think of any vehicle in India with such lineage. So everything that the original Jeep connoted for the world and for us particularly is embedded in the DNA of the new Thar.

The DNA of the Mahindra Jeep back then was that of an explorer, of something that went where nobody else would go, where no man dared to go, so to speak. And in India, it opened up areas that were either too unexplored or undeveloped. Our first products simultaneously appealed to the explorer spirit in the individual and to the development of the country. In fact, the original Jeep allowed the nation, which had just ceded to the union and didn’t exist in its present form before, to sort of get joined together. Hence, the Jeep in its humble way almost connected various parts of a new country.

To put the Thar’s legacy in another context, is to look at it as the source code for all our vehicles. We are SUV specialists and there is a bit of that source code in every vehicle we build. But apart from just being a source code of our vehicles, it’s also the source code for what Mahindra likes to see itself as today. Even our own tagline of ‘Rise’ is all about building the nation, helping communities to grow stronger, helping individuals to explore themselves and their capabilities. All of that comes back to this humble vehicle. So to cut a long story short, the Thar’s legacy is not just the source code to our vehicles, but it’s also the source code to Mahindra’s purpose as a company.

Is the Thar now more mainstream? Or will it still be a niche, lifestyle product?

The question that then comes up is, what is mainstream? If you are defining mainstream purely by volumes, then that’s something we are not projecting as we don’t give forward-looking statements on what we expect with sales. Let’s put it this way: we are definitely expecting the Thar to be much more appealing than to the very niche crowd that it serves now, purely because of its ability to be as comfortable on paved roads as well as off-road. So that definitely increases the scope of its appeal and to that extent, the Thar will break out of its very focused niche right now.

What volumes it does eventually, whether that justifies the label of mainstream, I don’t know. I would say that rather than quibble over the word mainstream, I think more and more people are looking for ‘lighthouse’ products. These are products that have been around for a long time. They connote reputability, trustworthiness, safety and protection. When they are refreshed and upgraded they become even more aspirational. In these fast-moving, volatile and unpredictable times, customers will want the reassurance of lighthouse products to help them navigate the stormy world we live in. We believe the Thar is a lighthouse product. The way the Thar has been conceived, it can definitely break out of its current niche for sure and therefore we are confident of it returning its investment in all the state-of-the-art technology we’ve thrown into it, a lot of which will also be shared in future Mahindra products.

Will there be a focus on building an even stronger Thar community which is the core of its customer base?

In fact the promotional activities of the Thar will be centred around community and in fact when we started Great Escapes and eventually the Mahindra Adventure division, the entire objective was to rally the community of people who loved this vehicle and what Mahindra’s good for. That commitment to community remains as strong as before. And we are now going to dedicate ourselves to make the tribe, the size of that community grow even further with the new Thar. Our Igatpuri off-road track has been built to serve the off-road community and I would like to see further investment in that facility to make the experience even better. In a post-COVID-19 world, people are going to want these kinds of outings, they won’t want to go into closed areas like theatres and malls. So I think any recreational vehicle like the Thar will have a newfound appeal in a post-COVID-19 world.

Also see:

2020 Mahindra Thar review, test drive

2020 Mahindra Thar first look video

2020 Mahindra Thar image gallery

Ferrari Omologata revealed

The Ferrari Omologata has been revealed as a one-off 812 Superfast-based special, designed to celebrate the firm's long history of GT cars.

The coachbuilt machine is the 10th one-off based on a V12 platform created by the Italian firm and was revealed to the public following a shakedown run at the Fiorano test track in Maranello. Commissioned by "a discerning client", Ferrari says the Omologata takes design inspiration from the firm's GT racing cars.

• Ferrari Omologata sports thoroughly reworked bodywork compared to the 812 Superfast
• Cabin features numerous elements designed to link to Ferrari's racing cars
• Ferrari hasn’t revealed the technical specifics and price details

Ferrari Omologata exterior design

The Omologata took around two years to develop and Ferrari said it has "unlocked every possible area of freedom from the underlying package of the 812 Superfast", with the windscreen and headlights being the only bodywork elements carried over. The bodywork is hand-crafted from aluminium and is said to feature "almost subliminal" detailing.

Ferrari said the design was inspired by its racing heritage, sci-fi and modern architecture, with the intent to "exploit the proportions of the potent, mid-front layout to deliver a very sleek design." The front features a flattened oval grille, emphasised by a contrasting stripe that wraps across the bonnet.

The rear of the Omologata features a large spoiler, which, Ferrari says, adds downforce as well as adding to the sporty appearance. The rear quarter lights and screen have also been removed to add visual muscle to the back end.

The Omologata is finished in newly developed custom Rosso Magma paint and features racing-inspired graphics.

Ferrari Omologata cabin styling

Inside, the Omologata has a number of trim elements designed to link to Ferrari's racing cars, including four-point racing harnesses for the blue seats. Metal elements of the dashboard and steering wheel are finished with a crackled paint effect, and a hammered paint finish used in the 250 LM and 250 GTO is applied to details such as the inner door handles and badge.

Ferrari Omologata engine details

Performance specifics for the Omologata have not been revealed by Ferrari. The front-engined, rear-wheel-drive 812 Superfast on which is it based produces 800hp from a 6.5-litre, naturally-aspirated V12 engine and can crack the 0-100kph sprint in 2.9sec.

Ferrari has also not disclosed details of the cost of the one-off special.

Ferrari 812 Superfast India connection

The Ferrari 812 Superfast has been on sale in India since 2018 and the model is currently available at a price of Rs 5.98 crore (on-road, Delhi). We’ve driven the potent GT in Maranello, Italy and sampled its explosive performance. Head here for our Ferrari 812 Superfast review and Ferrari 812 Superfast video review.

Also see:

Ferrari 250: The story behind Ferrari's legendary V12

Ferrari Roma India price revealed

Ferrari F8 Tributo India deliveries begin

Ferrari Portofino M revealed

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MG Motors Unveils Advanced-Features List On Upcoming Gloster SUV: Bookings Now Open

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Kia Sonet GTX+ Variant Prices Revealed: Range-Topping Petrol & Diesel Trims Offered At Rs 12.89 Lakh

Kia Motors has revealed the prices for its top-of-the-line GTX+ variant of the Sonet compact-SUV. The Kia Sonet GTX+ variant, powered by both petrol and diesel engine options comes with a starting price of Rs 12.89 lakh, ex-showroom (India).