The world’s longest-running production motorcycle is the Royal Enfield Bullet. It’s been thumping out of showrooms for 92 years now, and the all-new one therefore has a bucketload of heritage to live up to.
There are legions of fans of the older generation models, but I’m not among them, I must admit — they were too unreliable for my liking. Can the 2023 version make me a believer? I set out to find out.
You’d be forgiven for mistaking the new Bullet 350 for its cousin, the Classic 350 — because they’re essentially the exact same motorcycle. The older Bullet’s profile was one of the things that endeared it to its fans, so RE has tried to maintain most of those lines on this bike, too — which is not hard to do, given the simplicity and old-school elegance of the original.
It looks smashing, no doubt, especially in two of the shades on offer — Standard Maroon and Black Gold. The fit and finish is excellent, and the tank looks gorgeous; the RE and Bullet logos on the tank and sides provide just the right touch of nostalgia.
The seating position is nice and upright (more so than the Classic 350), and the redesigned seat is probably more comfortable than the Classic’s as well. The rear fender and tail light should have retained the old bike’s boxiness, I feel; they now look the same as the Classic’s (because they are — get used to this theme, it’ll keep repeating).
The Black Gold version gets a chrome ‘eyelash’ on its headlight, whereas the other shades don’t; if you want your Bullet 350 to stand out a bit, get these this version.
Look down at the instrument cluster and... you guessed it, almost the same as the Classic 350. The part-digital unit has an analogue speedometer, various warning lights, dual trip meters, odometer, a clock, and a fuel gauge (which didn’t exist on the older Bullet, if you can believe it).
An RE logo sits on the right of the instrument console, no idea why, because it’s kind of pointless. However, if you fork out Rs 5,000 extra for RE’s Tripper Navigation unit, it’s installed where the logo is. I think RE would have done well to provide an ammeter instead of that logo — it was there on the old bike and is a pretty iconic thing.
The switches are rotary, like on the Classic; fans of the old bike may miss the older design. I think they’re fine, with one caveat — you have to get used to the fact that there are three switches on the left handlebar. One is for the high/low beam and pass, one for the left indicator and another (on top) to toggle things on the digital screen; what will happen is that you’ll initially keep using the top switch for the pass function, because that’s the intuitive move. Still, this is a minor glitch.
The most important change in the bike is its engine, which is now the same J-platform unit seen on the Meteor 350 and the Classic 350. There’s a night-and-day difference between this and the old Unit Construction Engine, which feels like it’s from another planet when it comes to... well, everything, really.
Crucially, the much-loved Bullet ‘thump-thump’ engine note is very much in evidence, although it’s a little subdued (but louder than on the Classic). It’s great that RE has managed to retain it to such an extent, given ever-tightening emission norms. The legendary kick-start lever is missing here, and I say goodbye and good riddance, to be honest — it’s so much more pleasant to use an electric starter.
On the move, the Bullet 350 is a pleasure to ride, much like the Classic 350. It’s a machine for those who like to take life at a measured pace, and the engine’s performance proves this. Power and torque build smoothly and with commendable refinement, and the engine never feels stressed (unless you’re really revving the heck out of it, and why would you do that on a Bullet?).
The gearing ratios are spot on — neither too tall nor short — so even in fifth gear at 40 kph, you can open up the throttle and accelerate all the way to 100+ kph without a fuss. Post 90 kph, some vibrations appear through the foot pegs, mainly, but nothing that will prevent you from holding all-day cruising speeds in the region of 100 kph.
Specifically, the fifth gear is perfect for anything above 70 kph (although 50 kph is also do-able); in fourth, you’ll be well-placed to take advantage of the torque band and do some brisk overtaking. City riding in typical traffic conditions will see you working through gears one to three, mainly. The light clutch and the precise gear-shifter aid in this, and I didn’t hit a false neutral even once.
The bike’s new chassis has a 41 mm fork, which is fatter than the old one; this has made a big difference to damping as well as feedback. The twin rear shock absorbers, which have a six-step pre-load adjustability, feel stiffer, but are well-suited for the new bike.
The one-piece seat is comfortable, if a little stiff; you can pay a little extra for another seat, though. The seat on this bike is a bit taller than on the old Bullet, but even shorter riders should have no issues planting both feet firmly on the ground.
Pre-load adjustment of the shockers allows you to adjust the height of the suspension given the load the bike will be carrying and the road conditions, so that the suspension does not bottom out. A heavier rider would need a higher pre-load, and vice-versa.
The new chassis makes a huge difference to the Bullet’s handling, and one doesn’t really feel its 195 kgs when on the run. It’s much quicker now to change direction, better balanced, and the fork soaks up bumps superbly and doesn’t bounce around; some bumps do come through the rear suspension, but that’s an acceptable price to pay for the bike’s much-improved handling capabilities.
The 300 mm front disc brake works well, although some more initial bite would have been welcome, while the 270 mm rear disc brake feels sharper in terms of feedback. Dual-channel ABS is on board, and it’s calibrated to not kick in aggressively, except on gravel or slippery roads.
It’s clear that the new Bullet 350 is a very pleasing motorcycle. And here’s where it starts to get a little complicated. At a starting price of Rs 1.93 lakh, ex-showroom, and going up to Rs 2.24 lakh, it’s a pleasing motorcycle that’s very close in price to the Classic 350, which is just as nice to ride and own. For example, a mid-variant Bullet 350 in Standard Black will cost you Rs 1.97 lakh, whereas a Classic 350 with the same specs is just Rs 4,500 more.
The top-spec bikes aren’t that far off in price either, so I’m a little mystified by the pricing game adopted by RE; it would have made sense for the Bullet 350 to top out at around the Rs 2 lakh mark, in order to establish a clear distinction. Still, I’m just an enthusiast, so what do I know about marketing strategy? The bottom line is that the new Bullet 350 is a bike I’m happy to recommend heartily.
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