Honda GB350S vs the Competition

Why Japan Wins at £3,999

The retro 350cc class belongs, or so many assumed, to Royal Enfield. The Indian manufacturer has dominated the affordable classic segment in the UK for years. Then Honda arrived with the GB350S — a machine that undercuts the Royal Enfield Classic 350 on price, outruns the HNTR 350 on technology, and delivers something neither Indian rival can match: genuine Japanese engineering pedigree.

At £3,999 OTR, the GB350S is not a budget compromise. It is a considered rival. Here is how it compares — and where it wins.

GB350S vs Royal Enfield Classic 350

Cheaper, Lighter, Better Equipped

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is the benchmark against which all retro 350cc motorcycles are measured in the UK. It is handsome, historically significant, and genuinely popular. It is also £450–£500 more expensive than the Honda, heavier by 17 kilograms, and bereft of traction control at any trim level.

The GB350S weighs 178kg wet. The Classic 350 comes in at 195kg. On British back roads, that extra mass is felt — in slow-speed manoeuvres, at junctions, when filtering. The Honda's lighter frame and longer 1,440mm wheelbase (versus 1,390mm on the Classic) contribute to a more planted, composed ride without the heft.

Both bikes produce broadly similar power — the GB350S at 20.8bhp, the Classic 350 at 20.2bhp — but the Honda delivers Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) as standard. The Royal Enfield offers no traction control whatsoever. On wet British tarmac, that is a meaningful safety difference. The GB350S also carries 15 litres of fuel against the Classic's 13, giving a claimed range advantage of approximately 50 miles per tank.

All of this at a price that is lower than the Classic 350. The GB350S does not ask you to pay a premium for the advantage. It gives it to you for less.

The Japanese Advantage

What Royal Enfield Cannot Offer

There is a reason motorcyclists who prioritise reliability have historically turned to Japan. Honda in particular has built its reputation on engineering precision: tight manufacturing tolerances, exhaustive pre-production testing, and a global dealer network with the parts supply to match. The GB350S inherits that legacy.

Until the GB350S arrived in the UK, if you wanted a Japanese retro motorcycle, you were looking at a substantially higher budget. Kawasaki's retro-influenced Z650RS, a parallel twin with nearly twice the power, starts at £7,899. The Kawasaki W800, a more traditional air-cooled twin, commands similar money. Honda's own CB1100RS sits above £10,000. Japanese retro at the entry level simply did not exist.

The GB350S changes that. It fills a space in the UK market that had been ceded, by default, to Royal Enfield: the accessible, character-rich, low-stress single that rewards daily use without demanding a large outlay or a heavy licence. The difference is that the GB350S brings Japanese standards of fit, finish and reliability to a segment where those standards were previously absent.

Honda Selectable Torque Control. Dual-channel ABS. A slipper-and-assist clutch. Metzeler Tourance Next rubber. Auto-cancelling indicators. A centrestand as standard. These are not incremental improvements, they represent a complete rethink of what the retro 350cc class should offer its buyers.