Bike Files: Honda GB350S

Honda tiddler muscles in on the small retro market, but is it any good…?

Tell us about the Honda GB350S then?

The Honda GB350S is the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer’s contender in the small retro/modern classic sector. It was introduced to Europe for 2025 but has been around for a few years previously in Asia. With just over 20bhp at its disposal, it’s no ripsnorter, but it looks great, has loads of character and is very competitively priced?

How competitively priced?

The GB350S came in at just under £4000 when it was introduced in 2025, pretty much exactly the same price as a Royal Enfield of similar capacity, but certainly doesn’t feel cheap. It costs less than many of the more premium learner bikes, but is well built and offers a little more performance.

But only 20bhp. That’s not much more than a 125!

Sure, but the way the GB350S makes its power is far more accessible than any 125. The 348cc engine is traditional and has a very long-stroke design, which means it is low revving and has all its torque (the pulling power) on tap almost immediately. Where a 125 needs to be revved hard to get the best acceleration, this wafts along.

30mph comes quickly, as does 60mph. Top speed is around 70mph, around the same as the best 125s, but the bigger engine helps it sustain motorway speeds much more easily than a smaller engined bike.

Sounds like it would be great around town!

It’s brilliant around town!

Honda pitch the GB as a trendy city bike and when you ride it you immediately understand why. That lovely torquey engine is so easy, the seat is low and the tight turning circle means it’s great for darting between traffic.

There are also loads of cool Honda accessories which allow you to modify the GB350S and add on the bits that enhance your riding, like saddlebags or a natty little screen.

What about the open roads, how does it cope there?

If blasting around everywhere is your thing you probably want to look elsewhere, but if you want something really chilled out it delivers a really laid back and enjoyable experience.

The GB350S has quite basic cycle parts, the suspension and brakes are nothing to write home about, but they are more than capable of handling the meagre power output. Ride between 50-60mph (to be honest there’s not much more) on back roads and it can be a lot of fun.

Surf the torque, enjoy the relaxed nature and you’ll experience the very essence of stripped back motorcycling.

So it’s a bit like a classic motorbike?

In some ways, yes. Honda used the GB prefix once before, for the GB500TT of 1985, and it stood for ‘Great Britain’ in recognition of the classic British singles to which it paid homage.

The GB350 has a bit of a similar vibe, with that long-stroke engine delivering a very traditional power delivery, but the smoothness of the engine and the refinement of the gearchange are far removed from the vibey old clunkers of days gone by.

The looks are classical too, with some really swish touches like the nicely machined cooling fins on the engine, the polished badges and the tuck roll style seat. Honda’s done a great job of building a small bike that looks well proportioned, and which carefully bridges classic and modern.

So it’s not old fashioned?

Not at all. It might look traditional, and it might be basic, but it takes a lot of work to create such a clean classic motorbike look these days. There’s a lot of clever engineering inside the air-cooled engine to help get it through modern day emissions regulations, while you get LED lights, traction control and the mandatory ABS brakes all integrated seamlessly into the GB350S.

Who’s likely to buy a Honda GB350S?

The Honda GB350S has proved hugely popular with a wide range of riders. It’s a trendy city slicker, a neat first ‘big’ bike and a laid back second (or third) motorcycle for experienced riders looking for something simple to add to their garage.

It’s a very traditional motorbike, a simple iron horse in these days of technologically advanced (and usually expensive) rocket ships. The appeal is so broad: young or old, tall or small, rookie or veteran… the Honda GB350S has something for everyone.

What are the alternatives to the Honda GB350S?

Small and simple retros are proving very popular these days, and Royal Enfield’s range of 350cc singles are very close to the GB in terms of both performance and price, with the HNTR 350 being the closet derivative in terms of both price and style.

Fancy something with a bit more zoom? Triumph’s 400cc models are a bit of a step up in terms of performance. If you can find the extra £1000 or so, you’ll be rewarded with a higher performing motorcycle (with almost double the power output of the Honda) that remains simple and manageable.