Aug 27, 2024 08:49 PM
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Always been a huge Honda fan since the Unicorn and this is my 3rd Honda, the CBR 250 being the second one.
This should be my easiest review. And I will do that with just one awesome ride.
Bought the Highness in January and in July same year headed of to Leh Ladakh from Bangalore. Overall 7000 kms in 17 days of riding.
Fully loaded with Invictus - Pune saddle bags, Invictus tail bag and Guardian Gears tank bag, all kinds of terrain - good roads, bad roads, slush, pouring rains, the Highness just kept going on.
Loved the plush suspension, hated the poor headlight, had Mad Dog Aux lights added, Acerbis hand guards which saved the levers when I dropped the motorcycle twice.
The 15 liter tank was a massive help and the mileage hovered around 35kms per liter. The 5th gear is pure overdrive and I was averaging between 80 and 100 kms per hour on the speedo.
I never liked the round rear view mirrors and replaced the stock ones with Suzuki Burgman mirrors which did the job.
The longest ride was Indore to Delhi which took me over 16 hours and it was towards the last 2 hours that my butt started to hurt. The stock seat needs work for the long rides.
On the twisties the Highness was a joy, The MRF tyres did a decent enough job in the loose sands and water crossings.
And since I am a huge torque fan.30NM of it was just perfect. Couple that with the light handling and fun it was all the way.
The Honda reliability shone like the brightest star all through the ride.
Most owners of the Highness sang praises of the deep sounding exhaust but to be honest after a while I started to wish it was a little less prominent.
The Highness was undeterred in the heaviest rains I had ridden through from Srinagar to Pathankot.
The ONLY issue I faced was the battery terminal becoming loose at the GATA loops and no worries, just get the Highness rolling and you can jumpstart without too much effort. Once I reached the hotel, simply tightened the screw and it was done.
I wish the gears were not so tall, as I need to keep downshifting a lot more than compared to a RE Bullet and if the power figures were 25 BHP instead of 20 BHP, the Highness would be perfect. And of course more torque is always welcome.
The finish on the chassis is not quite Honda standard and that is pretty much the only complaint I have.
Yes, the Honda Big Wing service centers are few and that is not going to change as the 350s will not be sold from the normal Honda dealers. The Big Wings need a great deal more investment and these showrooms need their foot falls and mass products to sustain. But its a Honda, and as proof, except for the battery becoming loose, there were not even the slightest of issues on my Ladakh ride.
Of course you do need to take care and service the motorcycle regularly. When you do, it will last a life time and then some. My Unicorn is 19 years old, over 1 lakh kilometers. I can ride to Ladakh from Bangalore right now on the Unicorn and it will do just fine.
Would I recommend the Highness? YES wholeheartedly. It is a good alternative to the RE Bullet/ Hunter or anyone who wishes to move up from a 100cc commuter.
