India is home to some really cool and unique motorcycles that leave the rest of the world green with envy. A lot of these bikes are small to mid-displacement machines with retro styling—I’m talking bikes like the Harley-Davidson X440, Jawa 42, and Honda CB350 H’Ness.
Suffice it to say that the Indians have got their manufacturing game dialed in—but just like all manufacturers, they aren’t perfect. And said imperfection has reared its ugly head in Honda’s camp, where thousands of CB models are being recalled due to two potentially serious issues.
The first issue potentially involves thousands upon thousands of models, as it surrounds a faulty wheel speed sensor. According to Honda, an improper molding procedure could result in water entering the speed sensor assembly, causing a malfunction. The malfunction would subsequently result in speedometer failure, and worse, ABS and traction control failure on bikes equipped with these safety features.
Perhaps even more troubling is that this defect was discovered only now—some four years since the affected models entered production. So yeah, all CB300F, CB300R, and CB350 models manufactured between October 2020 and April 2024 are part of the recall.
Yikes.
But a busted speedometer and disabled ABS and TC are just one part of the problem. As it would turn out, there’s another issue with Honda’s more recently produced CB350 models, and it’s one that could cause some serious damage if left unattended.
According to Honda, the camshaft of CB350 models produced between June and July of 2024 have a manufacturing defect which could “impact the vehicle’s optimal functioning.” Now, the extent to which the camshaft could affect the bike’s performance wasn’t disclosed, but as someone who’s been on the receiving end of engine internal damage, getting the issue sorted out is something you’ll want to do much sooner than later.
With all that being said, Honda has assured its customers that any and all repairs pertaining to the recalls will be done free of charge in Honda’s Big Wing dealerships across India.