Small aesthetic changes and emissions compliance bring the retro modern standard into the new year.
On Thursday, July 6, 2023, Honda will officially release the lightly updated 2023 GB350 and GB350 S in Japan. While some updates center on performance or other features that are immediately noticeable during the riding experience, this update brings the GB350 and GB350 S in line with current Japanese emissions regulations compliance. It also gets some new colors for the new year, so let’s take a look.
The 2023 Honda GB350 gets an all-new Matte Pearl Glare White color scheme, which joins the existing Matte Pearl Morion Black and Matte Jeans Blue Metallic paint offered in 2022. Although those two colors carry over from the previous year, the 2023 bikes also see another small aesthetic change, as the spring on the rear shock is now black.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Honda GB350 S also gets a third color added for the new year, Puko Blue. It’s a light blue shade that’s also appeared on other models offered by Honda for the Japanese market, including a limited-edition Cross Cub 110 in 2021, which later became a regular color on the 2022 Cross Cub 110. This shade joins the existing Pearl Deep Mud Gray and Gunmetal Black Metallic shades previously on offer in 2022 on the GB350 S.
The 2023 Honda GB350 and GB350 S are powered by an air-cooled, four stroke, single overhead cam, 348cc single cylinder engine with bore and stroke of 70mm x 90.5mm. It makes a claimed 20 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, alongside 21.3 pound feet of torque at 3,000 rpm. It’s a fuel injected engine design mated to a five-speed gearbox.
Suspension consists of a non-adjustable telescopic front fork, twin rear shocks with preload adjustability only, and a conventional swingarm. It stops with hydraulic disc brakes at both ends, and both versions of this bike get a 19-inch front wheel. One difference between the GB350 and the GB350 S that’s beyond aesthetics is that the GB350 comes with a 130/70-18 rear wheel and tire, while the GB350 S continues to use a slightly wider 150/70-17 rear wheel and tire combination.
Seat height on both bikes remains set at 800mm, which is about 31.49 inches. The 2023 GB350 weighs 179 kilograms (about 394.6 pounds) at the curb, while the 2023 GB350 S drops the weight down to 178 kg (or 392.4 pounds) thanks to its use of resin in the construction of certain elements, such as the front and rear fenders.
The 2023 Honda GB350 and 2023 Honda GB350 S go on sale in Japan on July 6, 2023. The MSRP of the 2023 GB350 is 561,000 yen including tax, which works out to about $3,878.42 as of July 5, 2023. Opt for the 2023 GB350 S instead, and the MSRP is 605,000 yen, which is about $4,182.61. At the time of writing, Honda has not announced any plans to release the GB350 or GB350 S in markets outside Asia. If that changes in the future, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
Source: Honda Japan
