The Interceptor 650 has been a huge success for the Royal Enfield. It is the most powerful and the smoothest motorcycle that Royal Enfield has ever produced. The Chennai-based manufacturer also launched the Meteor 350 recently as a replacement to the ageing Thunderbird. Just before Meteor 350 was launched Honda launched the H’ness CB350 through their BigWing dealerships. While the Interceptor 650 and H’ness CB350 belong to different segments, we have a video of an owner of the Interceptor 650 who sold his Interceptor and bought a Honda CB350 H’ness. The video is uploaded on YouTube by God’s Own Rider.
Both the motorcycles are largely different from each other in terms of pricing and performance. The Honda H’ness CB350 comes with a 348.36 cc engine that produces 21 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 30 Nm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox with slip and assist clutch. Whereas, the Interterceptor 650 gets a parallel-twin engine that produces 47 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 52 Nm. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip and assist clutch.
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The rider shares that he sold the Interceptor 650 because he was looking for a more comfortable and practical motorcycle for touring. He says that he wanted to have two motorcycles, one for commuting and another for touring. But the Interceptor 650 was sitting somewhere between both the riding styles. While the Interceptor 650 is a good urban motorcycle and a mile muncher on highways. Thanks to its grunty engine. The Interceptor 650 is not so comfortable for long tours. So, the rider was ready to sacrifice the performance and the smoothness of a twin-cylinder to something that is more practical and comfortable over long distances.
After test driving many motorcycles such as KTM Adventure and Royal Enfield Meteor 350, he settled for the Honda H’ness CB350. He likes a slightly committed posture with a slight bend towards handlebars and centre set footpegs. He is not a fan of cruiser-style motorcycles so he did not opt for the Meteor 350 by Royal Enfield. Next, he goes on to do a comparison of the Interceptor 650 and the H’ness CB350.
He really missed the refinement of a twin-cylinder engine but could not find the same refinement levels. Ultimately, it was the H’ness CB350 that came close to the Interceptor 650 in terms of refinement and smoothness levels. He also mentions that he likes the fact that Honda has offered alloy wheels with tubeless tyres. When compared the Interceptor 650 does come with tubeless tyres but the rims are not airtight due to which the tyres need a tube or the air can simply leak. Having said that Royal Enfield is planning to launch alloy wheels for the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 as an accessory. The alloy wheels should hit the Royal Enfield showrooms by February 2021. You can read more about it by clicking here.
Honda is also offering a multi-information display that shows you various information such as a clock, two trip meters, average fuel economy, real-time fuel economy and range. It also comes with all LED light so there is LED headlamp, LED tail lamp and LED turn indicators. These are the things that the rider really likes. He also appreciates how light and nimble the H’ness CB350 feels when compared to the Interceptor 650. The H’ness weighs 181 kgs whereas the Interceptor 650 weighs 202 kgs. The rider also comments that the clutch feel and the throttle action is also light when compared to Interceptor 650. The seat and the suspension setup on the H’ness CB350 are also better by a small margin.
Currently, the biggest competition for the Honda CB350 H’ness is the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. However, Royal Enfield will soon be launching the new generation of Classic 350 which will be the real competition for the H’ness CB350 because the CB350 is a retro motorcycle whereas the Meteor 350 is a Cruiser. Royal Enfield Meteor 350 cost Rs. 1.75 lakhs ex-showroom which is Rs. 10,000 less than the Honda CB350 H’ness which costs Rs. 1.85 lakhs ex-showroom. The Royal Enfield Interceptor costs much more at Rs. 2.66 lakhs ex-showroom. However, it is a much bigger and more powerful motorcycle.
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