The Bullet !!. Review on Royal Enfield Classic 350

Nobody taught me how to drive a two wheeler like I was taught a car. I just one day took the keys of my fathers Scooter(Bajaj Cub) sighting that he was away and the timing in early morning just to minimize the risk and I was on it driving beautiful quite thrilled.

The thrill ended in a big pool of water as those were rainy days and I was totally scared when I was unable to make a turn at a corner where a vehicle dodged me what would have been a sure hit. He was lucky and I pardoned his language said in my praise.

Nevertheless soon I was riding all the other two wheelers from whatever sources I could borrow the thrill lost but what I liked about them the most is their ability to quickly move through traffic, accelerate on lonely roads and quickly turn just like the swift wind. It’s a freedom you earn for and make the distance shorter in the wake of time. For every individual rider it is a must to know the reasons why he likes and what drives him.

My first bike was a Kawasaki 4s not by choice but by inheritence. It is difficult to understand actually why at a particular stage of life in a particular situation and a particular price point does a consumer gets impressed by a brand. I think we try to evaluate a product and try to see if it fits in all our parameters practical, social, economical, aesthetic, own perceptions etc.

Also we dont get hooked with one product it is the characteristics of a product which we like. In India we love our things so much that we do “pooja” of our bikes or cars somehow we have a belief that they are living and they are our partners. Then one fine day when I had a earning of my own I decided to go for a choice and I did it with TVS 125. I was happy with it for quite some time but never did we have an affair the decision was more on the economical aspect.

I always felt I should have owned a Honda as I perceived it to be a brand that is very fast. Time was quite benevolent and soon I found myself riding a Honda Unicorn Dazzler. However during the same time something called as a thunderbird did caught my attention it was manufactured by Eicher Motors and they made similar heavy metal war machines. There was something about these machines when I first saw it the way you see the other gender when you are really in a college. Nonetheless I made Honda as my choice because of the sheer pleasure of ride it offers and a smooth engine over the crush. The decision was more driven by practicality and because of perception rather than any other appealing factors.

Things took a turn when I had to travel a 10 Km more to my work destination because of a job change it almost become a daily cruise now. I was quite ready to pay  this time for the best available brand and hence I went to see first the Royal Enfield lot and then the Harley Davidson lot.  One thing was clear in my mind and that I did not want a design to the likes of the sport bikes and was clearly looking for a cruiser. After many years of driving both cars and two wheelers I had come to certain conclusions. So the Pulsars, Hondas, the KTMs, the Yamahas of the world were out. The sport bikes have hard seats they accelerate quickly but even quickly lose their momentum once you release the accelerator. Actually are sold on the premise of speed to people who actually have to show they are very busy and move around quickly or at least be in the perception. They have designs which reminds me of the transformers movie or completely robotic with a blend of plastic and metal to get difficult edging kind of shapes and spikes. In reality have small engines and these engines turn very hot over a duration of time and lose their efficiency. The braking though very effective because of the light weight makes the bikes slip. The servicing agencies are a trouble lot and they never do the job properly and parts are an issue because of the ever changing looks design changes which never settle in to satisfy the customers. The pillion because of the design is placed higher in the seat than the rider(sporty design) and during braking his weight is transmitted to the riders back. The most important conclusion was that we don’t drive on tracks we drive on indian roads and this must be kept in mind all the times the lesser the width of the road the lower should be your speed.

I really liked the Harley Davidson Street 750 but felt too much power and unnecessary on our streets. Ofcourse the price is also high and there are no two opinions that one should think of buying a car instead. Then I tried the Royal Enfield lot and the long stroke engine is really amazing and nobody has got it this synchronized. The seating positions are the best comfortable and completely designed to cruise long distance. Your back is quite secured and rider comfort is given paramount importance. I decided to go for the jump and own the age old design as it well tried and not going to change anymore.

Pros are

1.Good acceleration.

2.Comfort riding. Best seating.

3.Everything in Metal and a legendary classic look.

4.A new improved Unit construction engine 346 cc engine 19.8 Bhp.

5.Solid grip of the road.

Cons are

1.Not easily maneuverable through traffic.

2.Vibrations issue reported at higher speed.

3.Brake issues if its drum breaks.

4.Latest gadgetry missing and tubeless tyres.

I already knew about the vibrations issues and in reality after two years that I have been driving I rarely had any vibrations at lower echelons of speed and even at higher. However I must admit that the mirrors at higher speed start vibrating a lot. Maybe if you have an issue on the handles one can fasten some bolts or try using some different engine oil and reduce the vibrations. Also other bikes do have the vibration issue only thing is that it is less talked about. I was never a fan of big gadgetry screen and digital dashboards as I doubt them and chances of their quick damage are high. They rarely are of great help to anybody and the bullet as well aligns with me on this though in the thunderbird versions they have given in. It was a sheer disappointment for me when I could not find a petrol gauge on the classic versions. The drum brake liners may as well need replacement in a couple of years but are effective. The retro design of the bullet was meant to keep it simple and hence wheels have spokes and there is actually in reality no need of tubeless tyres. I think you don’t need tubeless tyres if you are not riding a sport bike.

I am writing this after driving it now for over 18000 Kms of 350 cc Classic Royal Enfield and I still enjoy every ride I take. There are no doubts in my mind that it gives the same thrill every time the engine revives itself and announces its patent firing “dhug dhug dhug” the same thoughts of my first ride on the scooter come to me the same thrill is lived again. The battery has never disappointed me till now and starts the engine quite obediently. The heaviness and the load of its weight is only till you balance once in motion it is just like a feather. The power and acceleration is enough for others to get envious about. Consistency is what the bullet is built for and the 1st KM of your ride is the last KM of your ride the same. The mileage is close to 40 -43 depending on how you decide to drive and whether you have selected a noisy silencer which I think is quite good for a 350 cc machine I am talking about the mileage. However what exactly makes it stand apart is the overall robustness the command it exerts the certainty it displays the roar with which it moves. The bullet makes you feel special give you that rugged feel makes the distance look small. Most of the fellow owners I spoke told me the same.  It is almost close to an engineering perfection however there are a few improvements which would really make it a wonder. Net net if you think you need someone for a long distance or a different driving class go for the bullet. If you have BMI(Body Mass Index) on the slightly upper end don’t worry the bullet is there. If you have a passion for long drives you can look at the bullet as a prospective partner. Above all if you are serious to discover why the Bullet is called an Bullet drive one and I promise you will understand.