Out & about
Hang on, just twenty-one horsepower? Ed Armitage heads to the local bike meet to see if our bargain-priced new Honda GB350S test bike really can deliver
It’s been one of those nowt-nor-summat kind of days. Warm, muggy, overcast and dreary, with the odd splash of rain. But the forecast on optimistic weather.com promises a dry evening with the possible appearance of actual sunshine, so my younger brother Lyle and I decide to get out the house and venture to one of the many bike nights that are dotted across Leicestershire. As it’s a Tuesday we’re heading to The Carrington Arms in Ashby Folville, as there’s usually a right mixed bag of bikes, they stick a tent out the front doing decent food, and – most importantly – it’s a decent ride there.
The biggest incentive is waiting outside, though: our new Honda GB350S test bike. Looks-wise it’s right up my street, and I’ve seen the superb sales figures, but after a few months on a faster and more powerful twin-cylinder CB500 Hornet, I’m intrigued to find out what the two-valve 21bhp single really delivers. The power-to-weight of Lyle’s Yamaha R125 isn’t that dissimilar…
We endure the boring A46 dual carriageway to make use of the pleasingly cheap fuel stop at Six Hills, and the Honda seems fairly happy bobbing along at 75mph. Then we head onto some beloved twisty country lanes and sweeping corners, and the GB350S comes into its own. The engine makes its power low down and in the middle of the revs, and the five gear ratios are widely spaced – dawdling through villages in third gear it sounds like it’s firing every other house, but is also smooth. Swinging down lanes, the single feels nice switching lazily between third and fourth gear. Lyle’s 125 might be about as fast in a drag race, but it has nothing like the Honda’s roll-on flexibility (or its pleasingly deep old-school exhaust noise). Rolling gracefully through turns with a low centre of gravity and upright riding position, the GB350S gives a great sense of confidence and control. Handling is easy, but with a feel of weightiness; it’s what my dad would call ‘steadfast’ on slightly too narrow country lanes.
We trundle up to the pub a little later than intended and it’s beginning to wind down, but there’s still a dictionary of bikes to drool over. By pure luck I manage to wheel our bike wheel-to-wheel with an original CB750, the bike largely responsible for how the GB350S looks, and I’m surprised to find the new single is as big as the old four. The 750 is much shinier, but it also looks like it’s been stamped out of tin; the new bike looks like it’s cast from aluminium in comparison.
The 350 also gets ‘bloked’ quite a bit, other people stopping to ask about it. Telling them it’s £3999 with a six-year warranty get lots of nods of approval.
The ride home is great. With a nice long stretch of road and the wind behind me, the Honda could probably squeeze out 90mph if I climbed inside the tank. But that’d be missing the point. I’m entirely content bumbling around comfortably at 50-60mph and enjoying the feel and the ride, rather than the speed. The CB500 I did my A2 licence on and have been using so far this summer offers twice the power and has a chirpy nature that encourages more ‘spirited’ riding, and its chassis has upside-down forks and better brakes. But of all the bikes I’ve ridden so far (mainly 125s, admittedly, but probably nearing a dozen) the GB350S is by far the most enjoyable. It’s not fast or flash. But the way it rides is perfectly in tune with its great looks.
The sun eventually bursts through the cloud as we head past the old airfield on the way into Melton Mowbray, and we can’t resist stopping to take some pictures (Lyle loves a bit of Instagram). With its modern tech and features neatly hidden away within the classic image, the Honda looks mega. If you had a black and white photo of some quaint Somerset village, you could just drop the GB in. It wouldn’t stand out but would subtly make the picture. It doesn’t make a show, and that’s what I love about it.
We get home bright and cheery, lightly dusted with flies, and very impressed with the GB. I thought 21 horses may be disappointing, but it’s a fine package. Actually, for a quid under four grand it’s a hell of a lot of bike. If you’ve just passed your A2 test, don’t be swayed by fancier-sounding spec lists.
EA
