Royal Enfield Classic 350 Review

[TSIVipul]

Royal Enfield Classic 350 Review. Covering detailed information on design, performance, ride and handling.



‘Royal Enfield - Since 1901’ ​

‘Royal Enfield’ is the oldest motorcycle brand in the world with ‘Bullet’ being its motorcycle which has enjoyed the longest production run of all times. Enfield was established in 1955 and since then they are operational here in India. You ask, what they have been doing since so long? Just one thing – ‘Thumping. A solid ‘Thump’ is what Royal Enfield motorcycles are best known for right from their origin and they’ve maintained the same ever since.

The following words of Bike Guru, Dilip Bam, simply describe the buyers of Bullet.

There are two kinds of buyers. ONE is the type who goes to the market to buy a means of transportation and looks for things like low buying price, mileage, quick pickup, faster top speed, attractive looks and so on. This type of buyer is looking primarily for a commuter machine with as many frills and add-ons as possible in his budget. The other type of buyer is the one who goes for Bullet. He is one who is beyond commuting.

What does that ‘other type’ of buyer buys his motorcycle for? Simple. For thumping. Thumping in cities, on highways, on hills and keep thumping all the way from the Thar Desert to the frozen desert called ‘Ladakh’. What we have got here with us is a revised Royal Enfield Classic 350. Now the key question arises: Is it a true modern motorcycle in retro looks or it’s still the old wine in the new bottle? Let’s check out.

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Before I begin, a few pointers first:

• The contact breaker not only breaks contact points, it also breaks more people into sweat.

• Bullets don’t require engine oil for ‘only’ lubrication; they store a lot of it. Enough to even shy a small car.

• There’s a decent amount of Bullet owners who end up pushing their broken down motorbikes on an empty road.

• This bike can easily make your knees weak and at the same time making you a ‘kicking’ expert. (Thanks to kick start).

• Majority of Bullet owners are happy only because they enjoy ‘thump’, Their ownership experience is like an unending fairly tale

Nevertheless, we’re now testing a Royal Enfield motorbike which will insist to reconsider the above facts (except for the last one).

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350

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Launched in 2009 along with its elder 500cc sibling, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 was an entirely new motorcycle. It was no more a Bullet equipped with the older CI or AVL engines which were built as a single unit by combining three components; viz: Engine, gearbox and clutch. It came (in fact still comes) equipped with an all new UCE (Unit Constructed Engine) engine which was carried on straight from the Thunderbird 350. Hell, why a new engine when the older one was doing well? No prizes for guessing that newer one could do better. The Unit Constructed Engine is the one with no separate gearbox but the gears are now inside the crankcase itself. Sounds tricky? Well, it isn’t. Pick up any of the motorcycles from Hero, Bajaj, TVS or any other manufacturer and just have a look at its engine, it is a UCE itself.

With introduction of the new engine, power is up by 1.8 bhp from the older CI engine while the torque is now down by a ‘huge’ 4 Nm. i.e 28 Nm and adding more to the downfall of the torque is the fact that this engine produces that peak torque at a ‘high’ (for Bullet) 4000 RPM, while the older CI engine used to produce a twist of 32 Nm @ 3000 RPM itself. Lower torque and it’s now available at a higher engine speed! This is unfair and I mean it, they have played with the feelings of riders who enjoyed the low end torque of the motorcycle but tried to compensate the same with an engine that is more reliable and fuel efficient. Unlike its 500cc sibling, this motorcycle still gets a carburetor for fuel supply; sounds lesser for a motorcycle costing 1.5 Lakh? It is. Here are the specifications:

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[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350

Design and Styling:

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If Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru takes a rebirth today with the memories of his older birth still fresh inside him, then only two things he will easily recognize are ‘Enfield Bullet’ and ‘Mahindra Thar’. Both of these iconic vehicles have travelled long through time but are still looking the way they used to around 50 years back. So nothing wrong in calling any of them a package with “Retro Styling and Modern Tech”. The motorcycle we have here, still looks very similar to the original Bullet when it was built for the first time more than half a century back.

But that is the best part of the recipe; this motorcycle has got the fuel tank, side panels, headlamp, mudguards and a lot more which simply looks like it’s carried straight from the older siblings. Something wrong? Naa.. This is Classic 350 and it needs to look Classic and it does; but why it shouldn’t? That’s the party trick after all.

The design is still rounded with no edge visible to eye anywhere on the motorcycle. Start from front mud guard and reach the rear one and what you have is very clean and smooth surfaces throughout with no sheet metal trickery visible to eye anywhere. AND YES, did I forgot to mention that everything is very well put together? If not, then let me tell you that this is an Enfield and it is actually made like a gun! How? Naansense, have you ever seen a ‘real’ gun made up of plastic or fiber? And this motorcycle is also not having anything called plastic on any of its body panels; that also adds to the appeal. Wherever you see the motorcycle, touch it or feel it – you get metal(switchgear is still plastic, but which vehicle has it made up in iron?) and that simply makes this motorcycle even more special.

The only things those differentiate this Bullet from the ‘original’ one is the front disc brake, the engine that now looks really ‘bigger’, the saddle, some stickering and the tail lamp cluster. My gawd! That’s a lot to differentiate! No, one thing is left; this one now rides on a 19 inch wheel up front with an 18 incher doing duty at the rear. What? Front wheel bigger in diameter than rear! Well, it is; and it is good for a cruiser.
All in all, one may hate it or love it but always gives this motorcycle a second look. That adds to the drool factor this motorcycle has got - “Paisa Wasool” for owners it is.

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If you look at this motorcycle from front then all you see is nothing but a tyre between two telescopic forks with a round headlight mounted on the top of forks, a wide handlebar ending with weights on both ends(Did the 50 year olds Enfields had them?) and chrome coated rear view mirrors. The telescopic forks are covered in the middle to give the retro look and they successfully perform their duty. The big wide mudguard looks good but the front tyre definitely looks puny under the wide mudguard, a 100 section tyre would have looked handsome. In fact not only handsome, but also would have added to the road presence of the motorcycle as well as the front end grip too(at the cost of a tighter handle though – I hope Mr. Dilip Bam hasn’t yet decided to kill me).

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Just above the big round headlight are placed two poorly fitted parking lights which RE calls are inspired by ‘Tiger’ and hence are called Tiger lamps. And it never actually looks like a Tiger, that means either I am wrong, or RE or wrong or both of us are wrong. No matter who is wrong, what matters is the fact that they do illuminate quite well and perform their duty even better(should that be called ‘weller’?). Main headlight is strong and is having a good throw for night riding, definitely a thumbs up but we wish it was a projector like in TBT. Turn indicators are well placed and equally well illuminated, thumbs up for them.


Still there are some fine details which are taken care of, like RE engraved on the saddle back, Royal Enfield sticker on the rear mudguard do look good too.

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Coming to the rear:

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You will observe that the number plate mounting, rear mudguard and the puny rear tyre do look the same as they used to look before. Only thing changed is the tail lamp; which is now a small round lamp instead of the one we used to see on the older Bullets. Though the tail lamp is now integrated into the mounting and that is a welcome step but we wish RE has carried the one with the older style itself, it would have added to the appeal of the motorcycle.

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[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350

Ergonomics and Switchgear:

This is a Bullet and it has everything same as it was before except one change; a major one indeed. The gear lever is now(now==10 years or more I guess) on right hand side(right hand==under right foot) and no prizes for guessing where the brake lever has gone. What has this done to Royal Enfield? Nothing ‘big’ but just increased its sales by a fold or two or maybe higher. Many people could be seen getting away from RE motorcycles only because of this odd placement of gear and brake levers(maybe Japanese are odd because they entered the market later but ‘stupidity’ in masses can’t be ignored either)levers as it was not only uncomfortable for them, more it was dangerous. Don’t agree? Then just imagine yourself doing 100 kph and you require to brake and you are pushing the gear lever very hard and thinking “Why the hell on this earth isn’t this motorcycle stopping”?

So let’s start with the gear lever itself:

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The Toe and Heel(Heel-toe) type gear lever is good as well as comfortable to operate. In fact we appreciate Royal Enfield for not offering the toe only gear lever on any of their motorcycles(****, I guess Continental GT has got it). The heel toe type gear lever on this motorcycle is well sized(you think the size is no issue? Then try Bajaj Avenger) and placed. Result is an easy and fuss free operation, what one will like is that this gearbox requires quite less effort for getting into any cog and shifting between cogs is definitely easier(lighter to be precise) if compared to the older RE motorcycles. And the best part: This gear lever won’t spoil your shoes(especially if you ride your motorcycle to work) from above.

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Another very thought out and fine detail is the grab handle that is provided beneath the saddle. Don’t get fooled thinking of it as a grab handle meant to be grabbed while riding or while riding on pillion seat but this handle is provided at its place to facilitate the process of putting this heavy motorcycle on its center stand. The operation is simple, just put your foot on the center stand engaging lever and press(stand if you weight as much I do or as much Mr. Dilip Bam do), hold this grab handle and pull it up and you will be surprised to see how easy this motorcycle actually is to put on its center stand. What’s the trick behind this? Simple, the grab handle is placed at the right position. Good is that you need not to stretch to the rear end of the motorcycle like on P220, ZMR etc to reach the grab rail and lift it up while engaging the main stand.

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The console is the most disappointing part of this motorcycle, looks like RE simply tried to get away skipping even some of the basic instrument by calling it ‘Classic’. Nothing but a big letdown it is. All you get on the console is a speedometer with an odometer and a battery ampere indicator. The trick behind this battery ampere indicator is simple: kick start when the needle is biased towards ‘+’ and if it is towards ‘-‘ then keep kicking slowly(without applying gas, else your knee is gone)until the needle gets biased towards the ‘+’ mark. Getting back to the point, what you will badly miss on this console are a tachometer, trip meter(not even one, P220 has two of them) and above all – a fuel level indicator. Oh c’mon RE, this isn’t a good way of making owners aware of the FE as well as the range their RE can cover in a single full tank. In fact what will happen if the FE of any motorcycle dips suddenly for some reason? The poor rider will keep on riding innocently until he is entrapped in the middle of nowhere. Sounds more of “Retro looks and Retro instruments and Retro situation of ‘modern’ rider”, it is, indeed.

After observing the console we found that there is enough space for fitting a small tacho, trip meter(like in Avenger) and fuel level indicator(at the place of keyhole or maybe a digital one) and that ‘BIG’ keyhole isn’t required. In fact why not shift ignition to the handle lock and use that space for providing a fuel level indicator? Yes, the handle lock! How I forgot the poorly finished and weirdly placed handle lock?

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Sitting under the front end of the fuel tank, on the forks joining member is this out of place looking thing. Out of place not for a Bullet, but out of place for a motorcycle that costs in the shade of 1.5 lac. What this vertical looking hole is meant for(this is the key hole and you are supposed to put ‘only’ the motorcycle key in it, nothing else)? This hole is meant to put the key(which keyhole isn’t BTW?), twist the key and lock the handle of this motorcycle. No chrome plating, in fact not even proper finishing on the metal surface is provided(surfacing is what we call it). One more let down it is, at least a better finished keyhole was well deserved.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350

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If you think that the RE classic 350 doesn’t vibrate then you need to have a look into its RVMs when the motorcycle is on the move. The RVMs are nothing but a BIG letdown. They vibrate more when the engine is at lower revs and the vibrations subside a bit once the motorcycle is properly on move with engine revving in the mid range or the top end of the powerband. The RVMs vibrate so much that they can put even the ones of a Pulsar 220 on shy. That said, although they give a fair idea of what’s behind but relying 100% on them can be a bit dangerous. I’d recommend looking twice into them and then also cutting lanes or turning slowly with the ears open for any horn/sounds coming from back as getting a fair idea of the speed and distance of the vehicle approaching from back is tricky looking into these RVMs.

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Palm grips on this motorcycle are the same as you can see on the entire RE range and there is nothing to complain about that. The palm grips are neither very soft, nor very hard and are having right size too. Sounds comfortable? They are. The palm grips are sized well and offer good cushioning to the arms while operating. Good and comfortable they are for long rides. Only thing that causes a bit of discomfort is when your hands are sweaty or wet and that’s an issue with every palm grip on this earth and hence no issues at all. Thumbs up to the palm grips, they are good and suit the nature of this motorcycle very well.

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I must thank the RE engineers for not carrying the ‘Classic’ theme to the switchgear. On the left you get horn button with push-to-cancel type turn indicator control mounted above it and the headlight leveling button on the top.

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Ahead of the headlight leveling switch is a yellow pass light button on the same mount. Although the buttons do operate with a crisp feel but doesn’t feel like they can last very long(especially the turn indicator controls), fit and finish also could have been better.

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On the right you have ignition button at the bottom(which finds it hard to start the motorcycle on cold mornings, hell – no auto choke!). Above the ignition button is the headlight/parking light ON/OFF switch with the red button on the top being engine kill switch. Once again, the fit and finish is what we are complaining of.

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The fuel lid is hinged and the mid located filling point is also good. Hinged fuel lid is definitely a comfortable option, unlike the older Bullets on which the rider had to hold the fuel lid with one hand. Finishing on the fuel lid is good and opening/closing it is a smooth operation – a well designed bit I must say.

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Storage capacity on this motorcycle is very limited and we recommend either getting an aftermarket bag installed on the motorcycle or simply start carrying some storage media with you as per your comfort. The only storage point is the triangular(a triangle with rounded edges!) box on the left hand side beneath the saddle. This box can store your motorcycle papers at max as half of it is already pre occupied. Not only storage is limited, but it also causes discomfort to the pillion rider as his legs below the knees simply keep bruising and pressing against the triangular boxes(storage at left and air filter at right hand side) during the ride.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350

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The double tone horns are good and loud. A welcome for Indian roads, but yes, they are better than the mesh horns those were previously provided.

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Seating position is comfortable, the rider sits relaxed with everything in the reach; in fact everything can be easily and comfortably reached. The rider sits in a way that neither his back is kept just straight, nor the rider has to lean down any more than required for a comfortable seating. RE, I forgive you for everything else on this motorcycle after I ride it. The seating is spot on with the handlebar is rightly placed and is of the right size and the footpegs with gear and brake levers are also near perfectly placed. The saddle is equally comfortable too.

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The sprung saddle is a comfortable place to be on and offers good padding for riding comfort. That said, this makes the pillion feel cheated as the overtly soft pillion seat on offer from RE is nowhere as comfortable as the rider saddle is.

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The footpegs are fixed at their place and are still of the same older design. A better design of footpegs could have been a welcome, though we have less to complain with the ones on offer too.

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The biggest let down on this motorcycle is the thing that most of the buyers buy a Royal Enfield for. The ‘SOLID Thumpp’ of the older Bullet is still missing. Here is a quote from Mr. Dilip Bam:

“THUMPP !
eh? What’s that?
That’s the definition of Bullet ! The prime reason for buying Bullet is the soLLidd ThummpPp!
But this one is not THUMPiNG like the old one! What’s a Bullet without the soLLidd thummpPp?
Ya Troo=true. But why thumpPp is weak in this one?
Bkoz of the bluuddy L-o-0-O-0-o-N-G silencer. Imposed by Bharat Sir Caar ! Nissan Sunny is a CaaR, but Bullet is not a CaaR, so please don’t squeeze us SirCaaR (govt)! Plz XQZ=excuse us!
One highly UNeducated cop (can cops be highly educated?) told me the max allowed noise on roads is just 18 db (db=decibels). But 18 db is not enuff for me. I have only 0ne Ear! But Kya Karen?
Kaannoon is Kaannoon! If Dilip Bam does not have Kaan, then it is noon (=none?) of the govt’s
problem!
Kya Karen? Turant (=immediately) silencer change Karen. Fit a 40 cm long FF silencer=best
thummpPp! Anything longer than this is going to reduce the thump to reducti0-el-absurd0 !”

So what Mr. Dilip Bam has to say is: “Go and get a good 40cm free flow exhaust for your bullet instantly” if you want to experience the ‘THUMPP’ that this motorcycle has on offer.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350

Engine, Gearbox and Performance:

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This engine displaces 346 cc and since it is a single cylinder engine, hence it has got a really ‘BIG’ cylinder. So what? KTM Duke 390 is also a single cylinder engine displacing 375cc, that makes it 29cc bigger than this RE engine. And the KTM engine isn’t lazy like this one and yes, it produces 45 bhp of power!

So what is special in this engine? It is slow revving, 350 cc and produces so less power that even a 150 cc tech laden motorcycle can rival those figures. This is an engine which is just air cooled(What!! No liquid cooling on a 1.5 lac costing motorcycle!!) and is producing very modest figures BUT there lies a trick. This is a long stroke engine. Now what’s that? Simple:
Volume of a cylinder(cc) of an engine is obtained by using the formula for volume of a cylinder. Where bore/2 is the radius and stroke is the height of the virtual cylinder. Bore is basically the diameter of the inner surface of the cylinder and stroke is the net length the piston sweeps. Normally the high revving engines are made up with short stroke and wide bore. This results in lesser piston travel, which results in smaller crank diameter, which in turn results in lesser torque production. So what does that mean? Simple; this motorcycle produces a better ow end torque with a very flat torque curve.

So this engine may be slow revving and may have less tech, but is blessed with a smooth and uniform torque delivery - the most important ingredient for making a perfect cruiser. Relaxed engine and flat torque curve, exactly what is needed to make a perfect motorcycle for long distance cruising, Bullet is one, indeed.

Not only torque, but some technicalities are also involved here. Being a long stroke engine(stroke longer than bore) and the stroke/bore ratio being greater than one(1.286 to be precise), makes for a better Low End Torque(LET) as per Archemedes Law which dictates: Mechanical Advantage X Velocity Ratio = 1 always. This shows that if the velocity ratio decreases(like for any long stroke engine), then the mechanical advantage increases. So now we can say that this motorcycle has got a great low end torque and it is proven by the Archemedes Law.

Since this motorcycle maxes out at 5250 rpm(engine speed at peak power) and is having a low compression ratio of 8.5:1, so the Engine Life Factor(E. L. F) is almost 2.24((100,000/max rpm)*compression ratio is the relation). So one can expect that the engine life will be way longer than that of the other motorcycles on the road. This should make the owners happy.

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Carrying a lazy engine, this motorcycle is not meant for 0-60 or 0-100 sprints. What this engine does at its best is cruising at relaxed speeds and that is where it will keep you satisfied. The gearbox also doesn’t help either. The gear ratios are set keeping the relaxed nature of the engine in mind. Don’t get fooled by reading the word ‘lazy’, this is still a 350cc engine pulling a motorcycle and hence the performance is apt for overtaking or maintaining 80-90 kph for day long on highways. Since now(now == 10 years or so) this motorcycle has got 5 gears, so exploiting the power available at the crank has just got easier and efficient too. The gearbox is good with a good feel at the lever, if the gears are not very light to shift, they aren’t uncomfortably heavy either. Thumbs up is all I have for the gearbox.

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The ‘O’ ring type chain is as usual exposed but being an ‘O’ ring type, you can expect a silent as well as smooth operation from the chain. Owners just need to take care of the chain lubrication and the ‘O’ ring type chains can last quite long on the relaxed motorcycles like an RE.

The BEST part:
So this motorcycle has got a 350 cc engine. Can we expect 25 kpl? Na na, 25 is way lesser; here are the figures we got using thankful to thankful method under five different riding styles:

• City Riding(Relaxed): 34.33 kpl
• City Riding(Spirited): 29.711 kpl
• Highway Riding(Relaxed): 41.66 kpl
• Highway Riding(Spirited): 36.977 kpl
• Mixed riding: 37.2 kpl

Since we managed to get 37.2 kpl overall while doing mixed riding, so we can easily expect an overall figure of 40 kpl under relaxed riding. Sounds impossible, right? Buy one to verify!

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350

Suspension, Ride and Handling:

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One reason Royal Enfields have emerged to be the favorites of riders is the ride quality this motorcycle offers. The suspension of this motorcycle is softly setup, in fact it is so finely tuned that you get an exceptionally flat ride. Slight pimples or undulations on the road surface don’t even get filtered to the occupants and only something really big can disturb the composure of this motorcycle.
On paper we get 130mm of movement at front suspension and 80mm at the rear. 130mm means 13 cm, something around 6 inches. That is a good movement and so is for the rear one. Comparing the ride and handling with the older versions, one can easily recognize the changes this motorcycle has gone through. Very refined ride and so is the handling.

This isn’t a point and shoot motorcycle. In fact, put aside the shoot part, even quick pointing is also tough for this motorcycle. But then, are cruisers supposed to do point and shoot? In fact are they supposed to do ‘point’ and ‘shoot’ individually?

Doing duty up front and rear are MRF Nylogrip Zapper tyres with 90 and 110 sections respectively. Though the tires provide enough grip for regular cruising speeds upto 60-70 kph but once you go higher, you can make out that this motorcycle begs for more grip. Front one is fine, but a 120 section or above tire at the rear would have changed a lot. It is under regular and hard braking that one may feel the requirement for more grip.

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Doing duty up front is a 280 mm disc of double floating type, while at the rear is a 150mm drum brake. The disc up front is good at shedding speeds and provides a good feedback too but it is all limited to lower and moderate speeds. Once the speeds are higher(say 80 kph or above) and you will notice that the disc is good but the tyre isn’t able to do justice to the braking performance. After all for a good braking performance, the friction at the disc shouldn’t get larger than the friction between tyre and road surface, if it happens; the tyre gets locked. The disc does its duty well on this motorcycle but the front tyre simply begs for grip under hard braking at good speeds. The drum at rear is also having the same story to some extent. So what we zero down to is that this motorcycle needs grippier rubber for proper braking performance. Did I mention the motorcycle movements under braking? Well, if the tyre loose grip then the braking gets tricky and on this motorcycle – it gets worse. Yes, under hard braking this motorcycle gets handful to control.
What’s the conclusion then? Simple, ride in the speed limits under which the braking performance is fine, above that ‘Ride at your own risk’.


Conclusion:

Let me conclude with just one line:
“Bullet is a Bullet and if you really want something different then this is the motorcycle to own. Other motorcycles are owned, but this one is possessed and this possesses you in turn”. This motorcycle has got a fantastic ride quality and it has got a solid ‘THUMPP’(40 cm exhaust is all you need) to keep you happy.
Speed is not what this motorcycle is made for, it is made for cruising. Long distance of cruising and long term of ownership is what this motorcycle is meant for. That’s all…

What we like:

• Retro styling and paint quality
• Comfortable seating position
• Ride quality
• Fuel economy
• THUMPP

What we dislike:

• Even basic equipment is missing
• Still it lacks power
• Needs more grip
• No alloys and tubeless tyres
• Negligibly less storage space

Ratings:

• Engine:
  
• Performance:
  
• Ride and Handling:
  
• Comfort:
  
• Styling:
  
• Ergonomics:
  
• Fuel Economy:
  
• Value for Money:
  

 

[350Z]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350: Review

Note: Thread Now Live.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[mukeshus]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350: Review

@Vipul: That was a fantastic review.

You have covered every aspects of the bike.

Also new colours like Ash, Lagoon colors have been introduced in Classic 350.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350: Review

@Vipul: That was a fantastic review.

Thanks a lot sirji
BTW I was missing you for long time

You have covered every aspects of the bike.

Tried to do but still feeling like something more can be added [thinking]

Also new colours like Ash, Lagoon colors have been introduced in Classic 350.

Those are great colors, but I wish they added a fuel level indicator and a tachometer at least.

 

[generalmax]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350: Review

Wonderful writeup .I couldn't stop, but go get myself a RE classic 350!.
Got a Maroon Bullet 350 (used).
Attached the pics.
Fuel level and tachometer ,I don't miss ,as I am an old timer..
But some storage area needs to be added.

 

[Sam Dinkar]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350: Review

I wish they added a fuel level indicator and a tachometer at least.

They have them on the Thunderbirds. And they dont work work intermittently .

Good job done Vipul! Cheers!

 

[Anilkumar]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350: Review

Nice write up, Vipul. I like your sense of humour. Today, I paid for a Classic 350 which I booked some 4 months back. Expect to ride it next week.
True, it is very disappointing that a bike cost in the tune of 150 thousand dont have the very minimum instrumentation such as a fuel guage and trip meter. My conclusion about this is that the company which now owns the bullet brand has done no R&D to improve this bike. I believe they have only replaced the engine with a new one sourced from outside, on the tried and tested chassis. What drove me to this conclusion is that this is the fourth or fifth type of engine I find revving on this chassis. They are selling only the iconic brand value of the old war horse. If they have any R&D, the bike could have been a marvel. It is no big deal to adapt new technology instrumentation retaining the classic looks.
But still, I like the thump and the relaxed ride, that is what folks spend huge bucks on this centuray old piece of metal monster for.
Kudos buddy, thanks for such a good and thorough review on such a good machine.

 

[generalmax]

Re: Royal Enfield Classic 350: Review

Coming back to this thread again.Is any one aware of garage/person in Bangalore for putting a Tachometer and a fuel level indicator for a RE 350. I feel the need now. Heard about some one is making a full digital meter console in Bangalore,but when i tried locating, they are not available.