Is This Honda’s Best-Looking Retro-Styled Motorcycle Ever?

When I got serious about motorcycles and purchased my own nearly a decade ago, I could not imagine springing for a bike with anything less than a 900cc engine (OK, technically 865cc).

Fast-forward to 2025, and (surprise) I can’t stop beating the drum for bikes with engines half that size or less.

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They are not only more affordable and more approachable for newer and shorter riders, but ideal for urban environments — and super-fun in the two-lane twisties, too.

It doesn’t hurt that the market continues producing absolutely gorgeous small-displacement motos, particularly in the retro-styled space. 

The latest entry? A new Honda GB350 with a snazzy two-toned gas tank. Dubbed Pearl Hawk’s Eye Blue, this roadster’s very limited availability only makes it more daydream-worthy.

Throwback beauty

It’s worth noting right off the bat that, for whatever reason, smaller bikes are pretty elusive in the USA. 

While Honda offers a similar bike, the GB350S, in Europe, the closest thing to it in the US is the 471cc SCL500. 

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That bike is a winner in its own right but its scrambler styling makes for a different kind of retro aesthetic.

Meanwhile, coming to Japan next month are a couple different new-look GB350 bikes — the aforementioned Pearl Hawk’s Eye Blue (PHEB for short) and a Classical White — plus some metallic GB350S models.

The former is retro not only in its styling, which recalls 1970s Honda and Triumph street bikes, but also in that specific blue and white treatment, which channels this beautiful CB400 from the early 2000s.

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Considering two-tone tanks can look a bit goofy, I must applaud Honda for pulling that tank styling out of the archives and making it pop.

A passenger-friendly one-piece brown (possibly) leather seat and shiny chrome exhaust pipe complement it perfectly, too.

Small thunder

Of course, because it’s a Honda, good looks are only one of the bike’s selling points. 

The brand’s vehicles — both two- and four-wheeled — are invariably well-made, durable and prone to overdeliver for the price, and the GB350 is no exception. 

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The engine is a 348cc air-cooled single cylinder making 20.7 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 21.3 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. 

In terms of bikes I have personally ridden, the closest comp is Royal Enfield’s Meteor 350. While that bike carries classic cruiser styling, the size of the engine and the bike as a whole are similar.

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Which means that while the power may leave you wanting on the highway, it’s just about perfect for zipping around a city or on curvy country roads where 50 (s)miles per hour is juuust right.

That’s especially true for the GB350, which at under 400 pounds, weighs even less than the Meteor’s 421. At 31.49 inches, the seat height is relatively approachable, too. 

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Rolling under you are 19-inch front and 17-inch rear cast-aluminum wheels outfitted with Metzeler Tourance Next rubber and held steady by reliable disc brakes. 

Rounding out the retro vibes (literally) are a round LED headlight, mirrors, gas cap and gauge complemented by an LCD side unit and a USB socket for device charging. It is 2025 after all.

Availability and pricing

Per a Japanese source, the Honda GB350 in Pearl Hawk’s Eye Blue and Classical White will be available in Japan August 28th at a starting price equivalent to $4,506.29.

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Honda GB350

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