According to a patent unearthed by Cycleworld colleagues, Honda is developing an Adventure from its CB350 platform built in India, where this model was born to compete in a popular segment. On this same platform, Honda has so far produced three different bikes: the 350 H’ness, the CB350RS and the CB350, a roadster, a scrambler and a classic, respectively. The same model is also on sale in Japan and Australia under the name GB350.
From the drawings in this patent, however, it seems that Honda would like to turn this platform into an Adventure and would do so by patenting some tubular protection and support structures for bags and luggage, according to a scheme that is quite common on Indian motorcycles in the same segment. In addition, one of the patented support structures could be mounted indiscriminately on both the front and rear of the bike, in a kind of modular concept.
If Honda really wanted to make an Adventure from the CB350 platform, the resulting bike would be equipped with the air-cooled single-cylinder engine with around 20 hp of power, while the frame would have to be adapted to increase ground clearance and suspension travel. But is this really possible? The first thought that comes to mind is that a bike of this type would already be taking on the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 in India, which boasts a more advanced engine with twice the power, and Honda itself on the global market already has an adventure bike in the same segment, the CRF 300 Rally, equipped with a 27 horsepower liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine.
It might therefore seem that an Adventure borrowed from the CB350 could be a gamble, but if we restrict the field to India alone – a gigantic market that in itself justifies studying a model – we see that a hypothetical 20-horsepower Honda Adventure 350 could have a reason to complete the range in the Indian market, a bit like the Yezdi (a brand virtually unknown to us, but quite well known in India) and taking into account that Hero has a best-seller like the Xpulse 200 on its list.
In short, even if a bike like this conquers only a small percentage of the 300/400 cc market in India, the sales figures could justify the investment, which would still only relate to the equipment. One wonders if this bike could make it to Europe, since the entire CB/GB platform is unfortunately not imported to the West.