Royal Enfield Meteor 350 vs Honda Hness CB350 vs BS6 Jawa vs BS6 Imperiale 400 Spec Comparison

 

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There’s no denying… when it comes to classic motorcycles in India, the name Royal Enfield Classic 350 absolutely rules the roost. More recently though, the Classic 350’s reign has been challenged by the likes of the Benelli Imperiale 400, the Jawa and the Honda H’ness CB350. Royal Enfield’s answer to this growing competition is the all-new Meteor 350 - a replacement for the Thunderbird 350 X built on a completely new, and modern platform. So while we will have a full-blown comparison coming up soon, it’s interesting to see how the new Meteor stacks up against all of these bikes... on paper!

Engine & Performance:

Specifications	Royal Enfield Meteor 350	Honda H’ness CB350	Jawa BS6	Imperiale 400 BS6
Engine	349cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, counterbalanced engine	348cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, counterbalanced engine	293cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled	374cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled
Power	20.48PS @ 6100rpm	21PS @ 5500rpm	26.51PS	21PS @ 6000rpm
Torque	27Nm @ 4000rpm	30Nm @ 3000rpm	27.05Nm	29Nm @ 3500rpm
Gearbox	5-speed	5-speed + slipper clutch	6-speed	5-speed

The Jawa is the only bike here using a short-stroke, performance-oriented engine with a 6-speed transmission. Sure it’s fast, but it lacks the retro laidback charm of an under square engine, something we think is crucial for a buyer in this segment.  

Honda, on the other hand, makes the best of both worlds, it’s not only powerful but also has a 3Nm torque advantage over all its rivals. Not to mention, it’s the second lightest bike here after the BS6 Jawa. All here, except the Jawa, run long stroke motors, with an even spread of torque throughout the rev range -- so they manage just fine with 5-speed transmissions.

While both the CB350 and Meteor sport counterbalanced engines for better refinement, the winner here based on specs alone would have to be the CB350 with its true retro charm and loads of bottom-end torque.

 

Underpinnings:

Specifications	Royal Enfield Meteor 350	Honda H’ness CB350	Jawa BS6	Imperiale 400 BS6
Frame	Double cradle frame	Half duplex cradle	Double cradle frame	Double cradle frame
Front suspension	Telescopic fork	Telescopic fork	Telescopic fork	41mm Telescopic
Rear suspension	Twin shock	Twin shock	Gas-charged twin shocks	Twin shock
Front brake	300mm disc with 2-piston caliper	310mm disc with 2-piston caliper	280mm disc with 2-piston caliper	300mm with 2-piston caliper
Rear brake	270mm disc with 1-piston caliper	240mm disc with 1-piston caliper	240mm disc with 1-piston caliper	240mm with 1-piston caliper
Front tyre	100/90 - 19	100/90 - 19	90/90-18	100/90-19
Rear tyre	140/70 - 17	130/70 - 18	120/80-17	130/80-18

There isn't much that sets these bikes apart in terms of their underpinnings. Except for the Classic, all bikes here are running a double cradle frame or at least a version of it. Same goes for the suspension setup across all bikes which is pretty much the same, with the only difference being their suspension tune. 

Larger front wheels are pretty much a norm on such motorcycles, but the Jawa’s 18-17 wheel combination makes it the most agile of the lot. Simply put, there’s very little between all these bikes when it comes to their underlying hardware.

 

Dimensions:

Specifications	Royal Enfield Meteor 350	Honda H’ness CB350	Jawa BS6	Imperiale 400 BS6
Wheelbase	1380mm	1,441mm	1369mm	1440mm
Ground clearance	160mm	166mm	-	165mm
Fuel tank capacity	15-litres	15-litres	14-litre	12-litres
Seat height	765mm	800mm	765mm	780mm
Kerb weight	191kg	181kg	172kg	205kg

In terms of outright dimensions, the H’ness and the Imperiale are the biggest bikes here, although the Imperiale ‘feels’ even bigger in terms of proportions and weight.

The Jawa, in contrast, feels distinctly compact and is lightest in this company, which might appeal to some people. What also works in its favour is an accessible low seat height of 765mm -- same as the Meteor 350.

The Meteor though, offers a larger 15-litre fuel tank, which will keep you on the road a lot longer, just like the CB350. Having said that, it still weighs in at 191kg which is 19kg and 10kg heavier than the Jawa and CB350 respectively.

 

Features:

Specifications	Honda H’ness CB350	Royal Enfield Meteor 350	Jawa BS6	Imperiale 400 BS6
Traction control	Yes	No	No	No
LED lighting	All systems	DRL and Taillight	No	No
USB Charger	Yes	Yes	No	No
Smartphone connectivity	Only DLX Pro model	Yes	No	No
Navigation	Only DLX Pro model	Yes	No	No

 

Let's face it, modern features aren’t an absolute must on classic motorcycles, but it's certainly a welcomed addition to say the least. Sure the DLX Pro variant on the CB350 is the most feature packed bike here. However, the inclusion of traction control feels a bit gimmicky in our opinion. Also, how practical the feature is, is all down to its real world usage. 

On the contrary, the Meteor packs similar connectivity features with a larger digital display that is a lot easier to read at a glance. These features also come standard across the range which means you don’t have to shell out more money, as is the case with the CB350. 

To add to this, Honda’s additional Bluetooth connectivity features are pretty much redundant unless you invest in a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

 

Price & Verdict:

Pricing	Honda H’ness CB350	Royal Enfield Meteor 350	Jawa BS6	Imperiale 400 BS6
	DLX - Rs 1.85 lakh DLX Pro - Rs 1.90 lakh	Fireball - Rs 1,75,825 Stellar - Rs 1,81,342 Supernova - Rs 1,90,536	Single Channel ABS - 1,74,228 Dual Channel ABS - Rs 1,83,170	Silver - Rs 1,99,000 Red - Rs 2,10,900 Black - Rs 2,10,900

*Ex-showroom Prices

When it comes to the spec sheet, there's no denying that the CB350 comes out on top, with the Meteor a close second. But that notion soon changes when you consider the Meteor's price features list. So when it comes to value proposition, Royal Enfield’s latest offering makes more sense, especially over the previous-gen Thunderbird 350X.

But what about real-world performance and usability differences between the H’ness and the Meteor? Well, you’ll have to be a bit more patient for that, so stay tuned to ZigWheels.

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