RE Classic 350 vs Honda CB350 vs Jawa 350 - Spec comparison

Royal Enfield has announced an update for the Classic 350. Here are the top 5 highlights. While you're at it, we'll also compare it with the Jawa 350 and Honda CB350, the direct rivals for the Royal Enfield Classic 350. All three bikes have a retro appeal, targeting a similar kind of buyer who prioritises design and brand heritage. While you, as a customer, will decide on the aesthetic aspects that appeal to you, we'll make it easier for you by comparing the specs.

Engine

The engines of the three bikes differ, with their specifications listed below for comparison. The Jawa 350 boasts a liquid-cooled, short-stroke engine making it the sportiest of the trio. In contrast, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 features an air-cooled motor that delivers a more linear and relaxed power output. With an abundance of torque, the Royal Enfield requires less frequent gear engagement, and this torque is available until the engine becomes busy at higher revs. The Honda CB350, on the other hand, is smooth. It too is an air-cooled motor, that produces peak torque at lower revs which feels rewarding if you are into shifting gears early. 

Underpinning

All three bikes have distinct frame types. Unlike the Honda, the other two bikes utilise the engine as a stressed member of the frame. Suspension components are similar across the board, featuring a telescopic fork up front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. The Royal Enfield Classic 350 has a chunkier 43mm telescopic fork, which is also covered with better weather protection. All three bikes come equipped with disc brakes and with the new update, dual-channel ABS comes as standard on the latest Classic 350. The Honda features the largest front disc brake at 310mm, while the Royal Enfield Classic 350 caters to the Indian riding style of more dominant usage of rear brake features a larger disc brake at 270mm.

The Honda CB350 has the longest wheelbase at 1441mm. Meanwhile, the Honda CB350 is also the lightest among the three, weighing in at 181kg. Additionally, the Honda CB350 has the largest fuel tank capacity at 15 litres, giving it the longest range among the three bikes. The above factors and the fact that the seat height is also the lowest, the Honda makes better sense for shorter riders.

All three bikes come with alloy wheels, but the Royal Enfield Classic 350 only offers them on the mid-two variants. In contrast, the Jawa 350 features an alloy wheel option across its entire range, while Honda does not offer spoke wheel options at all. Given that these bikes are designed for city riding, it's practical that they come with alloy wheels, as tubeless tyres reduce the hassle of fixing punctures and minimise the risk of being stranded.

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Features

In terms of features, the Honda CB350 boasts the most modern-looking instrument cluster. While all three bikes have semi-digital instrument clusters, the digital display on the Honda is larger and provides more information than the other two. The Royal Enfield now gets a gear position indicator with the current update but the display size is too small. The Honda CB350 features LED lights all around, a feature now also included in the Royal Enfield's package. In contrast, the Jawa still has a halogen headlight, although its turn signals are LED. The USB charger also comes standard on all three variants, while the Classic 350 gets a tripper pod for turn-by-turn navigation as an optional extra. 

Design

The three bikes - Royal Enfield Classic 350, Jawa 350, and Honda CB350 - share a retro roadster design language, but with distinct differences. The Royal Enfield Classic 350 boasts the most chrome accents, while the Jawa 350 has a slightly modern twist. The Honda CB350, on the other hand, resembles a stretched version of the Royal Enfield Classic 350 signals variant. In terms of overall design, the Honda CB350 and Royal Enfield Classic 350 have a similar straight and flat profile, whereas the Jawa 350 stands out with its staggered design, featuring a tall front end and a slightly lower tail section.

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Variants and Price

Honda has kept things simple with two variants and prices at ₹1.99 lakh and ₹2.17 lakh. The Jawa 350 comes with solid or chrome colours to choose from and then further there is the option of spoke or alloy wheels. It starts from ₹1.98 lakh and goes slightly above ₹2.14 lakh for the alloy wheel variant of the chrome colours. 

The previous Royal Enfield Classic 350 range offered 11 variants with 9 colour options, including two with dual-channel and single-channel ABS, and two with single-channel ABS only. However, Royal Enfield has now streamlined the lineup by discontinuing single-channel ABS, having only 5 variants, reducing the colour palette to 7, with Stealth Black and Gun Grey retaining their alloy wheel options. Pricing has not been announced, but it's expected to start above ₹2 lakh, slightly higher than the current range of ₹1.93-2.25 lakh, with alloy wheel variants potentially becoming more expensive due to new hardware.