The Royal Enfield Classic 350 Bobber is rumoured to be called "Goan Classic 350".

Royal Enfield plans to launch six new motorcycles this year, which includes the Classic 350 Bobber. Here’s a leaked patent image that reveals new details of the upcoming bike.

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 Bobber is rumoured to be called "Goan Classic 350". It has a circular headlamp with pilot lights on either side, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank and a tall handlebar.

The bike could get the option of a dual-seat setup with a removable pillion seat. Another interesting design detail about the Goan Classic 350 is the white wall tyres that wrap around wire-spoke wheels.

The Classic 350 Bobber is expected to be powered by the same 349cc J Series engine that is offered on the standard Classic 350. It produces 20.2 BHP and 27 Nm and will be paired with a 5-speed gearbox.

The bike will feature a conventional telescopic fork at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. The braking setup will consist of discs at both ends supported by dual-channel ABS.

Source: Bikewale

Royal Enfield hasn’t announced the exact timeline for the launch of the Classic 350 Flex.

Royal Enfield has unveiled a flex-fuel version of the Classic 350 at the 2024 Bharat Mobility Show.

The Classic 350 Flex looks like a standard Classic 350, except for the unique paint job. The bike has a metallic green fuel tank with red livery, a single seat and wire spoke wheels.

The 350cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine can run on a blend of petrol and ethanol, but the exact proportions have not been disclosed. The engine produces 20 BHP @ 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm @ 4,000 rpm.

Royal Enfield hasn’t announced the exact timeline for the launch of the Classic 350 Flex.

Source: Bikewale

The Honda CB 350 classic has a kerb weight of 187Kg which is 6 kilos greater than it's twin Highness.

BHPian FueledbyFury recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The moment Honda launched the CB 350 my dad has an urge to check it out. So today we have gone to Bigwing Pezhakkapilly for the TD.

Taking a closer look at Honda CB 350 Classic, I have understood that its just looks alike with Royal Enfield but the ride is day and night apart. The Honda CB 350 classic has a kerb weight of 187Kg which is 6 kilos greater than it's twin Highness. I have ridden both back to back for 4km and here are my observations.

• Initially in the first glance, seeing the highness alongside we knew how actually CB 350 is much bigger in all aspects. Surely an head turner in roads.
• The difference between deluxe and deluxe pro model is only 3K which additionally offers Bluetooth connectivity, chrome elements in headlight, coffee brown seats and a mudguard with same body colour( In deluxe models it came black as default)
• The engine is much refined and offers good low end torque, one can comfortably ride through the city in 3rd gear.
• The seats in CB 350 makes the whole ride different, it provides comfort orient slipt seat for rider and pillion. Also the upright relaxed riding posture adds upto it.
• It is a comfortable highway cruiser in 80-100Kmph range and the refined engine reduces fatigue and reduces frequent breaks for the rider.
• Highness is much more agile in city traffic and easier to handle due to its smaller size as compared to CB 350.
• At standstill CB 350 needs some efforts to move around, but when it starts running it goes with the flow. Bigger size of the bike make it difficult for sharp U turns in the city and agility in city traffic.

I have only experienced the in city conditions and my views are limited. There are not much niggles reported till now and let's waited for Bhpians review on this classic.

Attaching below some stills during the TD.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

We were never huge fans of Royal Enfield but I decided to give the J series powered Classic 350 Reborn a test ride.

BHPian MVM recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This message might be surprising to some.

We have decided to sell off the HF100. I've had the bike for 15 months and the need for a slightly better bike is felt.

Before sharing the details of the bike (for those who may be interested in purchasing it) I will dive into the reasons why I feel the need for a better motorcycle.

The bike isn't built for the comfort of tall riders: I am 6'2 and due to the low handlebars and the position of the foot pegs the bike puts quite a bit of strain on my shoulders. I carry a backpack as well most of the time and that makes the fatigue worse.

This is perfectly understandable as the bike is built according to the height of an average Indian male which is around 5'7/5'8.

I did purchase some handlebar risers and despite them not being the easiest to fit I managed to install them, it was only after installing them that I realised that the accelerator cable was too short and turning the bike to the left would cause it to accelerate.

The lack of safety features: The bike is not equipped with discs or ABS which is perfectly understandable considering the cost of the bike, unfortunately, these have become very important of late.

The extremely light front end and overall weight of the bike: It is one of the lightest bikes currently sold in the country and that allows the bike to be very easy to manoeuvre. As long as I am the only one on the bike it's perfectly fine. The issue arises when my dad (who is also 6'2) and I both try to go on the bike. Due to most of the weight being concentrated towards the rear steering the bike becomes a task. Neither of us can sit very close to the tank as we can't operate the gear lever and rear brake easily if we do so. This leads to an unpleasant and unstable ride.

Considering all these reasons we decided to look for a better and safer bike. We were never huge fans of Royal Enfield but I decided to give the J series-powered Classic 350 Reborn a test ride. Due to the test ride being very brief and me being quite jittery as I was riding a bike that wasn't mine, I decided to rent one from Royal Brothers for a day to thoroughly explore all aspects of owning a Classic 350. After 150 kilometres of primarily city riding (including riding through Chickpet) the Classic 350 made me a very happy camper. We are planning on getting one very soon and considering how long we are planning on keeping it an ownership review is a must.

Thanks for reading.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Should I consider the Meteor 350 or the new Classic 350.

BHPian puntra800 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am a 33-year-old currently riding a modest Bajaj Pulsar 150 for more than 12 years now. Currently, I am in a dilemma, I have always wanted a Royal Enfield from my college days but considering my physique (I am 5' 6" but still I don't feel out of place on a Pulsar) I always shied away from even going to the showroom to check them out and over years other priorities took over and the desire was parked somewhere in the dark corner of my grey matter.

Now since my bike is reaching the 15-year mark I wanted to change it and the dormant devil woke up again now with double the vengeance (fuelled by my better half, she is also a big RE fan). My brain on the other hand started working exactly in the opposite direction of my heart just telling me to think logically.

1. My riding pattern, I prefer 2 wheels over 4 wheels for short drives but when it comes to long drives I refrain from touching 2 wheelers just for safety reasons (Even if I drive safely I do not trust others on the highways) so in other words its mostly going to be a city use vehicle with occasional long drives.
2. The little boss, I have a little one now and if I take her on a 2-wheeler even for 10 km, I am pretty sure I am going to get a sound lecture from both parents and the parents-in-law.
3. The uncle feels, as I am growing old my role as luggage bearer and transporter is becoming more. A scooter makes more sense in this case. Easy storage easy moving around for groceries and veggies.
4. The demon called traffic, since the usage is majorly in the city and I stay pretty close to the metro line I doubt I will be taking it for a longer distance within the city as well, courtesy namma Bengaluru city traffic.

All the above points seem logical but then again there is this famous dialogue in Tamil "Inga enna solludhu" (In a literal sense, what is the heart saying) and the heart says "RE, RE, RE".

Requesting BHPians for their suggestions as people say different perspectives matter.

Also, If I go for a RE would it make more sense to go for a Meteor or the Classic? If I sway away from RE which would make an ideal replacement for my humble Pulsar.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

Follow your heart. You only live once. Watch that old Hindi movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and take inspiration.

You’re only 33, you have a long enjoyable life ahead of you God Willing. You deserve to chase your own happiness and if RE makes you happy and you can afford it why ever not? Go for it!

Here's what BHPian ranjitnair77 had to say on the matter:

Given your usage pattern, it's likely that your RE will gather dust in your parking. It's just not meant for short, congested commutes. And here's the thing with most material possessions: Once you have it, it starts to steadily lose value. The thrill is almost always in the chase, not in ownership.

But then again, your heart has been beating for an RE for many years. It might just awaken the rider in you, given the active RE rider ecosystem. In case you find yourself not using it, you will have no issues in selling it off with minimal financial impact. You should just go get yourself a Classic 350.

Here's what BHPian GreyNomad had to say on the matter:

I bought my first RE (BS4 C350) when I was 35yrs old. Same as you, always dreamt of one but at 5’6” and 63kgs was a bit intimidated by it. I too owned a Pulsar 150 for 10 years but was hardly using it. Once I got the RE, I started on the beautiful journey of motorcycling. And it’s not just about riding. It’s about the holistic experience. Knowing the bike, ‘feeling’ it, personalising it, growing more comfortable with it. And then you start the real riding - increasing the distance slowly, finding and settling into a rhythm where you and the bike become one. That’s the real joy! If the heart wants it, the heart will show you the way to use the bike more often.

I am on my second RE now - the Interceptor650. My 8yr old daughter and I go for 10-15 km rides on the Inty - a ritual that’s slowly but surely becoming ‘our thing’. These are usually weekly errand rides with breakfast or light snacks thrown in. She talks about growing up fast so that she can get her own RE and do father-daughter longer rides!

You want a RE because you have always desired it and can now finally afford to indulge in it. Get it and let it become a part of you. The minor details will take care of themselves.

From a practicality PoV the Hunter is the best suited, from a ‘feels’ PoV, the Classic is unmatched. TD all and take a call on which. But get one and you’ll never look back!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Classic 350 Bobber is expected to be based on the J-platform and is expected to compete with the Jawa Bobber

It seems Royal Enfield is looking to raise the retro quotient of the upcoming Classic 350 Bobber. The latest spy image reveals several details that point towards this.

The Classic 350 Bobber test mule was seen sporting white wall tyres over wire-spoke rims. The bike also had a single seat with raised handlebars, a single-pod tail lamp and a low-slung exhaust.

The Classic 350 Bobber is expected to be based on the J-platform. It could be powered by the familiar 349cc, single-cylinder engine as the Classic 350. This engine develops 20 BHP and 27 Nm and is paired with a 5-speed gearbox.

The test bike was equipped with a conventional suspension setup with a telescopic fork at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. The bike also had disc brakes at both ends and is likely to get dual-channel ABS.

Source: Rushlane

Plan was to ride the bikes back to back and see what they are like on a variety of terrain and over a longer duration.

BHPian KedarB recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Sorry I haven’t been able to respond on this thread. Work and family commitments kept me busy. But this was a welcome break from obsessing over the bike and gave me a nice chance to revisit my thoughts a bit later. I felt the need for a longer test ride to form a clearer picture in my mind. A friend was in a similar dilemma between the meteor and the classic (classic because I added it to his confusion). We cooked up a plan to drive down to Goa, rent these bikes and ride during the day and chill out on shacks at night! A plan this good has a way of working itself out.

So dates and hotels booked, we looked for rental options that could provide us with the Classic 350 reborn. Himalayan BS6 and Meteor were easy but a lot of rental agencies do not mention if their classic is the older UCE one or the new J series one. I finally stumbled upon a rental section on the Royal Enfield website. They had a chrome red Classic 350 available for booking on our dates! So we booked the Classic and the Himalayan on day 1, and Classic and Meteor on day 2. Plan was to ride both bikes back to back and see what they are like on a variety of terrain and over a longer duration.

I will talk about the renting experience a bit later, let me get straight to the test ride experience:

This was the route we took on both days. Tried to keep it similar to help us compare the bikes we were riding.

Google maps link

Day 1: Himalayan and Classic 350

Pros for Himalayan:

• The bike was more refined than I expected. My test ride in Pune was mostly inside a small lane at very low speeds and I only experienced the initial gruffness. The engine smoothens out as you pick up the pace and is buzz-free at 90-100 as well.
• Has great weight distribution. It initially felt a little heavy steering, maybe because of the 21-inch wheel. But once you get used to that, you do not feel its weight. Moving it around the parking lot is easier than its weight would have you believe.
• Liked the riding position for my 5’ 8’’ height. The more you ride, the more comfortable you get in that position.
• Has a good pick-up of speed and shows urgency if you give it throttle. It's very easy to reach 90-100 speeds and it has reserve power to go beyond 100 as well. Managed to touch 110 on an open empty section of the newly minted NH 66
• Suspension is good at particular speeds. it is good on bad patches of road.

Cons of the Himalayan:

• The gearbox was perhaps the most disappointing aspect. It was clunky and the shift from first to second made a really bad and loud clunking noise. It was notchy at all but the changes were made at exact optimal RPMs.
• Overall quality levels were poor. The bike we received had 3K KMs on the odo but the windscreen was vibrating when the engine was lugged or revved. The mirrors don’t stay in position. The small buttons used to set/reset trip meters are very hard to use. It just felt like a generation older than the classic and RE has grown as a manufacturer in this generational change which makes the difference even more apparent.
• The bike stalled in between quite similar to how it was reported in this post.
• The torque figures are very healthy on paper. But when ridden back-to-back with the classic, the Himalayan does not feel that tractable. It knocked and protested at lower RPMs
• While the suspension was good on very bad/broken roads, I found it a bit bouncy on the cement section of NH66 which is highly undulating. This again wasn’t as good as I thought it would be from the reviews. Very similar to how I felt about engine refinement, but in a negative way.

Here is how my frame looks on the Himalayan.

Pros for Classic 350:

• The test ride experience was substantiated by the rental bike. It felt very refined and smooth.
• The bike just feels very calm to ride. You are much more relaxed, and I found myself being very gradual in building and shedding speeds. My friend on the Himalayan seemed to be making more gear changes and working much harder.
• The gearbox is REALLY good. No false neutral, at the same time, it goes to neutral when you want. The gear changes are smooth, accurate and clicky. Add the fact that you do not change the gears so much makes the riding experience that much better.
• Classic also felt very well-balanced in terms of its weight distribution. Don’t get me wrong, when I picked up the bike from the RE showroom, it did feel heavy while moving it around in their parking space and taking it out. But once you start riding it, it just feels very natural. Changes directions easily and I found it very manageable in heavy traffic conditions.
• The riding position felt good. Our rental bike had REs touring seat fitted on it. So even after riding almost 180 KMs on day 2 both of us did not feel the fatigue. This was also the only bike where I did not get numb posterior.
• I was happy with its ride quality. It's good at low speeds and it's also stable on good roads at high speeds. It felt better on the undulating sections of NH66 compared to the Himalayan which was bouncing a bit more. The only place where the Himalayan is better is on broken roads where it takes the edge off the potholes. You can feel these on classic, more than you do on the Himalayan.

Cons for Classic 350:

• The bike is swift in reaching 80. You start noticing a bit of a struggle from 80 to 90, but it gets there. 90 to 100 was a real struggle, especially on the internal roads or on NH66 with even a minor uphill gradient. It did cross 100 on one occasion on a flattish straight road. In the bike’s defence, it was also very windy during that time. However, even after the struggle, the engine still remains refined for the most part. 90 is its comfortable cruising speed and overtakes above this speed will need careful planning. This is probably the biggest downside in classic’s package.
• The digital information unit is quite barebones. I don’t know why RE can’t put a gear position indicator in there or just make it slightly bigger to have the clock and the odo/trip meters showing at the same time.
• You can feel more wind blasts on the classic than the Himalayan. This is quite obvious. It was really windy in Goa those days and some sections of NH66 are downhill and very close to the sea. And the windblast was strong enough to scare us going into a flight off the bike.

Here is me on Classic 350:

Day 2: Meteor and the Classic 350

Have covered the classic above so let me talk about my experience with the Meteor.

Pros for the Meteor 350:

• It reaches 100 a little more comfortably than the classic. This was a real surprise. I never thought this difference would be so noticeable.
• I liked its seat. It was very comfortable especially when you sit on it for the first time. The feeling of sitting inside the bike with that bulbous fuel tank between your legs was good.
• The wide handlebar gave a better sense of control over the bike.
• It felt easier to move around at parking speeds even though there isn’t a major difference in its weight compared to Classic.
• The speed and MID were better than that on the classic. There is plenty of information visible on the MID at the same time and it's easier to read owing to its angle.

Cons for the Meteor 350:

• The biggest con is its cruiser-like riding position. This one is very personal to me, and I admit it’s not as bad as my Avenger. However, I still could feel that familiar numbing feeling at the lower back to the tailbone region after riding the meteor for around 50 KM or so nonstop. And it's still not easy to lift up your butt to escape the shock from a pothole or a speed breaker. If you try to, it messes with your balance on the bike.
• In terms of how tractable it is, meteor is somewhere between the classic and the Himalayan. It still did not feel as tractable as the classic.
• Classic felt better through congested roads. This is when it's ridden back-to-back with the classic. On its own, the meteor is not that bad in the city.

Me on the Meteor 350

If I were to think about my experiences from the two days and approximately 300 – 350 Kilometers, the Classic 350 really stood out as something special.

There was one particularly beautiful stretch of road between the Arambol beach and the petrol pump where it touches the NH 66 almost near the MH border. This goes through some quaint Goan villages and snakes right beside a beautiful river. The speeds on this road were naturally lower. It was on this road that the classic just felt amazing. It was in its element and put us in a state of Zen. Both my friend and I had the same observation.

Then comes the long NH66 that goes from the MH border all the way to South Goa. This road is now almost complete and has some really beautiful bridges built on it. We even managed to ride on the Zuari bridge on our way back. Since we were mostly riding during midday on this section, it was quite empty. It was on these roads that the Classic 350 felt wanting more power or speed.

While travelling through Panji or the smaller roads that connect the north Goan beaches, the classic again felt comparatively better than the other two.

Another way I like to pick between multiple options is to look at the cons and think about which negative points are complete deal breakers and use that to eliminate prospects. Even with this approach, the classic makes more sense to me, just between these three bikes. The negatives of the Himalayan in terms of its quality and the fact that it will soon go out of production and another completely brand-new bike will take a generational leap forward for this brand means I will stay away from it unless it had really appealed to me (which it didn’t). Same for the meteor. It was never in my consideration, and I got to ride it only because it was on my friend’s shortlist. But I prefer the riding position of the classic to the meteor and the other differences are quite subtle giving this one point higher precedence.

So while driving back from Goa, we had a long and satisfying debate on the three bikes and we successfully concluded the trip, both narrowing down to the Classic 350!

Once I was back, I also managed to test-ride the V-Strom 250 and the Dominar 400. A lot of folks on this thread recommended the V-Strom so I had primarily gone to check that one out. But there was a Bajaj showroom right beside it so check that out too.

First the V-Strom 250 SX

The bike feels quite substantial in person and has a good road presence. I wanted to see how the saddle height feels since on paper at least, this is 20mm lower than the Adventure 250 that I had already checked earlier. Moving the bike around in the Suzuki showroom’s front porch, the bike felt just as tall as the KTM 250 ADV. The bike is probably broader than the KTM even in its narrowest region near the tank and that meant I could only tip-toe (172 CM tall). It was quite challenging to move it around in that narrow space. Coming to the test ride, I managed to ride it on a small gravel stretch beside the showroom and then a very small ride around the two signals in front of the showroom (they didn’t allow anything more). The engine was refined lower down and the gearbox was very good. The engine also feels tractable and doesn’t protest being lugged. I could feel some buzz above 6000 RPM. However, the test ride bike probably had a fall sometime as its handle wasn’t pointing straight when the bike was moving straight. This ruined the overall experience. Even if I ignore this small issue, the bike felt a little too tall for my comfort. I have heard many arguments on how this really doesn’t matter and how really small riders race on really tall MOTO GP bikes, but moving around in typical chaotic Indian city traffic or riding on state boards where the road shoulder is 2 stories below the road surface and not uniformly in line, I feel riding this tall a bike will be more stressful than a comparatively shorter bike. The V-Strom’s ride quality also felt a little stiff on the gravel section. So, I took the quotation from the sales guy and went home, mentally finalizing the Classic in my mind.

Bajaj Dominar 400

This was never on my shortlist, but nonetheless, I will talk about my experience from the test ride. It was again around the same two signals and the distance won't even half a kilometre long. Even in that short distance, I could feel the superior acceleration from the engine. But the bike was too buzzy even at idle RPMs.

So that’s about it. I booked a gunmetal grey classic 350 last weekend and expect its delivery sometime next week! I would like to thank everyone for sharing their opinions and helping me in my decision-making process. Just writing my thoughts out and sharing them with the TBHP community helped provide a lot of clarity in narrowing down my final choice. The signing off with this beautiful but rare tea up on the Goan beach! We were riding later, and we are responsible

PS: didn’t test-ride the Interceptor. I was afraid I will like it too much and this could increase my confusion even further. Everything about it is beyond what I am willing to spend on a motorcycle (purchase cost, FE, overall maintenance delta above classic etc.). It’s not about waiting longer and collecting more funds to buy it. I have rationalized what I need from the bike the Classic feels like the sweet spot for my needs.

PPS: a friend who had bought the Avenger with me (the 220 street you see in my opening post) is also upgrading and has booked the mark 2 (chrome and red) Interceptor. Am moving from chrome to stealth black and he is moving in the exact opposite direction!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There were multiple RE models such as the Himalayan, Classic, Thunderbird and even Bullet standard.

BHPian Ikran recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

8th Jan 2023

This date marked my first breakfast ride for 2023 with (which I was overwhelmed with) 50 RE riders across Mumbai.

Backdrop

I purchased a Meteor 350 Stellar Blue in July 2022 (fondly called Basanti – christened by my daughter) and the riding bug bit me soon after.

As fate would have it and with able assistance from Google baba, I stumbled on a Mumbai-based riding group BRO (Brotherhood Riders Official) which brings RE owners together to share their passion for riding.

With new year celebrations past a week, BRO planned a breakfast ride to celebrate their 50 official members and wish Happy New Year to all riding members.

I was keen to be part of this ride to kick off the riding bug in me this year (One bucket-list item checked).

The Ride

Since there were 50 riders coming from across Mumbai, Thane & Raigad regions, multiple meetup points were set up and I chose to join them from Thane.

I reached Thane meetup point at 06:30 as decided

We started our ride from there at 07:00 to the final meet-up point at Kalamboli and reached there by 07:45.

And was I in for a surprise?

To my sight of 50 RE bikes (Classic/Himalayan/TB/Meteor/Bullet STD) was like “Itne bike toh ek saat showroom mein bhi nahi milte hai dekhne ko”. English – "You don’t get to see these many bikes together in the RE showroom as well".

We had a short meet and greet session there with the BRO’s admin (Jai Parmar, Tanmay Kamath & Abhishek Patel to name a few) and few fellow riders. Must acknowledge BRO’s admins have taken significant effort to pull off this ride. They are extremely well-travelled and sincere in their approach towards building a riding community. Hats off to you guys.

A brief on Brotherhood Riders Official (BRO)

Website

Brotherhood Riders Official is a Royal Enfield motorcycle club established in 2019. We explore unexplored places with Royal Enfield bikes.

Brotherhood Riders Official is a community of Royal Enfield Riders in Mumbai and Pune.

BRO is a platform for motorcycling enthusiasts to share their riding experiences.

Their mission is to promote the motorcycle culture and lifestyle, to provide ethical and quality riding infrastructure to all royal Enfield lovers, and showcase to people bike culture.

BRO’s team plans a monthly day ride and also interstate rides spanned over a few days once a quarter. They are assisted by early-stage members to plan and execute these rides.

One simple rule to be followed by riding members is SAFETY (rider and pillion). Riders are not allowed to ride with the group if safety gears are not on at the time of the ride. Safety is of paramount importance here.

Back to the Ride

We started our ride to Kalamboli at some time half past 8 and reached our destination at around 9:30 (right on time for breakfast).

Once there, everyone digged right into breakfast to cool off their empty tummies and enjoyed a scrumptious fare on offer.

Post breakfast, riders came along for a few pics followed by a ceremonial introduction session where everyone introduces themselves by saying 2 lines about themselves. BRO team distributed their merchandise to newly inducted official members and called it a day.

I returned home with a big smile on my face and to show off what we did along the way riding with 50 REs for the first time to my family. Only to be told by my better half that she will accompany me on the next ride with team BRO.

Here are a couple of videos from the ride:

• Video 1
• Video 2

Signing off with a few more pics. Happy New Year to everyone. Stay safe and happy riding.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The upcoming Bobber 350 is expected to be based on the J-platform.

Royal Enfield is said to be developing a new model based on the J-platform. A document detailing the brand’s future products lists a 350cc Bobber.

According to media reports, the new 350cc Bobber will be based on the Classic 350. The silhouette shown in the document suggests that the bike will feature a round headlamp with raised handlebars, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank and a single seat.

The upcoming Bobber is likely to be powered by a 349cc, single-cylinder engine. In the Classic 350, this engine develops 20 BHP and 27 Nm and is paired with a 5-speed gearbox.

It has been reported that Royal Enfield is working on a 650cc Himalayan. Reports suggest that the brand’s first EV would also be an ADV.

Source: Bikewale

My overall feeling is that Royal Enfield is in a phase of transition where it is learning how to make & maintain quality motorcycles.

BHPian 2wheelsvaga recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all. I am writing to get updates on where Royal Enfield stands with the quality control of their newer motorcycles and the overall service and ownership experience.

I’ve had a long experience with the cast iron Bullet 350s, which I loved to ride. I sold my 350 for various reasons. One reason was to do with having to meet the mechanic too often, to keep it running up to my standards.

Recently, I’ve been considering getting the CB 350 over an RE. But I find myself unsure of RE’s competence and service experience. Two issues come to mind right away—the Himalayan disaster (cracked frames and broken footrests), and the badly designed front footpegs of the 650. My overall feeling is that RE is very much in a phase of transition where they are learning how to make and maintain quality motorcycles.

Before 2010 or so, the best RE mechanics were the private ones. Should I expect the same now, or are you impressed with the service/maintenance in their dealerships?

One characteristic that has intrigued me has to do with the burgeoning weight of the bikes. As far as I can remember, the cast iron Std 350 used to be 167 kg dry, and 172 kg wet. Howcome the newer bikes such as the Classic weigh 195 kg? This seems to be too heavy for me. Why weren’t they able to use newer technologies to actually decrease weight?

I like the Classic 350 but feel that the weight might be too much to handle once it is loaded with luggage and a pillion. What is your experience?

Does anyone have a single-channel ABS? If one plans to stay below 90 kmph, won’t a front disc and rear drum suffice?

Why is RE playing around with the front footpeg placement? I find that the old Bullets had the most natural and comfortable front footpegs. The Meteor is too much of a cruiser, and the Classic also seems to have rear-set front footpegs. Perhaps that is why the Classic feels more compact when you ride it.

I think the J series engine will debut on the Std bullet 350 soon. For general purpose-touring, would you agree that the Std 350 will suffice, and there’s no need to get the Classic?

Here's what BHPian Cyborg had to say about the matter:

There was a time when there were not many choices available, nowadays that isn’t the case. After improving your relations with the mechanic due to Royal Enfield issues, why would you want to go down that road again? You have mentioned the Honda CB 350 yourself, why not buy that instead of rolling the dice again with the same company? I wouldn’t, but your call.

Due to technological advances becoming more prevalent and mainstream, always buy a bike with dual-channel ABS at the very least. It can be a lifesaver and should not be ignored.

Here's what BHPian Skyline_GT had to say about the matter:

As a Standard Bullet 350 owner, here are my two cents on whether it’s a good option over the Classic.

My Bullet is a BS 4 UCE, however, it shares almost the same specs as the current BS 6 UCE, the only difference being mine doesn’t have a self start so kick start only and no ABS, just drums at the rear and front.

To start with the weight, yes, the Bullet is heavy and so is the Classic! It weighs around 199kgs and if you plan on touring with it, you’ll most likely do some mods that help you carry additional luggage and that will make it heavier. My Bullet has rear leg guards and a rear pannier fitted and while that does add weight it never really feels the same while riding it. Reason being the Bullet feels sturdy and planted enough be it city roads or highways so the weight of the bike rarely feels like a problem except maybe a bit while manoeuvring through city traffic at really low speeds.

If you plan on buying an RE right away, I’d suggest you go for the UCE Bullet over the J series Classic. Reasons being, Bullet has a heavier crank compared to the lighter one in the Classic, so you get plenty of torque and less frequent gear changes at the cost of slightly less top speed compared to the Classic. The UCE engine is a mile muncher on the highways and can cruise effortlessly for hours at decent speeds.

Lastly, I’d suggest you go the double-channel ABS route. From my personal experience on my Bullet, the ~200 kg behemoth is a task to bring it to a halt in emergency situations with the drum brakes and I would any day prefer having ABS on my bike over the current drum setup.

My final verdict would be, go for the RE over the Honda, no one makes better cruisers than them, IMO. And if you plan on touring often, nothing can give you the riding comfort, torquey engine to carry all that added touring luggage the way a Bullet/Classic will.

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