What You See Is What You Get. This pretty much sums up what the Classic 350 can be for anyone.
I had the opportunity to use a Royal Enfield Classic 350 for a couple of months temporarily, and me being the owner of an older Bullet, I thought I should let others know what I think about it in comparison to what I own. I have thought a lot and this review will take a lot of your time.
The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is probably one of those motorcycles that truly defines mixed opinions. I am no stranger to RE's, and as lady luck would have it, which normally isn’t very generous with me, I have one of the cast iron examples and I love it for its simplicity.
I feel I may be one of those people who can give a good idea of the difference between good and bad between the old and the new. And this is because I have the privilege of owning and riding my very own Bullet CI for 15 years. So I should know a thing or two about it for sure. So here goes.
First things always first. The looks.
Since we are talking about a classic, let’s begin with a classic cliché “the first impression is the best impression” In the looks department, I have two words for it. Spot on. The Royal Enfield line up of motorcycles with the exception of the purpose-built Himalayan totally owns the vintage classics market hands down. There is nothing else that looks like a Royal Enfield, and it is reasonably accessible to the average Indian, unlike some other motorcycles. It genuinely is hard to find a substitute for the Classic 350.
I absolutely love the fact that RE has kept the simple function over from classic British design and carried it over to a completely redesigned platform. Surprisingly, the design is still appealing even after almost a century is quite a testament to how simple design can be absolutely timeless. I should say the only thing it carries over is the casket. Of course, the fuel tank and the utility boxes remain as well.
Engine
The RE 350 Classic is powered by a 350cc single-cylinder Over Head Valve(OHV) engine. Unlike the old cast iron engines, the new engine comes to you with a lot of innovations. Starting with a better oil pump for better lubrication, twin spark plugs, and a pair of hydraulic valve lifters. You may not have the opportunity to see it as it sits inside the cylinder doing its job to lift the 2 valves this engine comes with. The 2 valve engine is carried over from the old engine, however completely redesigned. The hydraulic valve lifter is quite an advantage as it totally eliminates adjustment as you use the motorcycles. This also means the valves open and close with the exact values dialed in from the factory all the time. However, the disadvantages are many as this requires the engine oil quality to be maintained consistently. Sludge is your worst enemy and if one of the oil lines to the valve lifters gets blocked, it is game over. Like I started about the engine, there are quite a lot of innovations that go into the engine but when you compare it to the tried and tested cast iron engine, I feel over the years, the older engine is a lot easier to live with. This is subjective as I am a grease monkey myself and I can do pretty much most of the work on the older engine myself. Something I trained myself and I enjoy and incredibly proud about.
Too much of tech stuff, if I am getting a little detail-oriented in there, I am sorry about that. The new engine definitely feels refined. The 5th gear is definitely something the old bullets desperately needed and that simply makes those highway rides really enjoyable. There are no false neutrals at all in this one. Ride the old one with the gear on the right side and you’ll know what I mean. The 350cc engine in the classic is definitely not made to burn the roads, but it is more or less a cruiser. Just like its older brothers, it enables you to enjoy the scenery and cruise between 80kmph and 100kmph effortlessly. Anything beyond that will entitle you to a guaranteed visit to the dentist to get those fillings in your teeth filled again. The vibrations are still there. After 15 years of ownership of the old cast iron machine, the last thing I want is vibrations. It simply spoils the joy just because you want to go faster. If going faster is what you want, get yourself a KTM, and scare yourself. A Royal Enfield is made for the sedate rider to cruise through the highway while he/she takes the time to enjoy everything around them. It is something many get to experience and a few understand. The engine is way smoother than the older engine, but it misses the unmistakable thump. This is even more muffled with the BS6 regulations.
Ride and handling
This is where I prefer a Standard 350 over the classic 350. I love a single-seater but for some reason, maybe it is the smaller wheels on the classic, to my eyes and I feel like it almost has a scooter’s riding position. The scooter I am referring to here is a Lamby 150 or a Bajaj Chetak. I just cannot accept the 350’s ergonomics. The upright riding position, the forward-facing footpegs, and the lower handlebar is an ergonomic nightmare. I simply didn’t feel totally confident whenever I rode it. It is as if I am too close to the handlebar but my feet are way more forward than I want it to be, and if I move back to correct it, I am too far away from anything. It is just a mess.
Handling wise, just like any Royal Enfield, on a straight line, you will really enjoy the ride. Show it a couple of corners and you will immediately know this is not mean to carve corners. The narrow 19-inch tyres upfront and the 18-inch ones in the back may give you the looks but I felt the handling in this combination to be a complete mixed bag. I feel my old RE handles better with the 3.25-19 up in the front and 3.50-19 in the back. I felt the seating is made with a shorter person in mind maybe. And I simply don’t know who designed the pillion seat, it can be a nightmare for the pillion rider. If your friend has a Classic 350 and you are invited as a pillion rider for a long ride, run. It is incredibly uncomfortable and I wish I could use some colorful words here to describe it.
What I felt good about are the brakes. They are light years ahead of the brakes made of cheese that I am used to. Believe me, this can make a massive difference in your riding experience. On the older motorcycles with the drum brakes in the front and rear, you always have to remind yourself that your brakes are weak and this makes you be extra careful and plan your stops in advance. And if it is an emergency, you are at the mercy of lady luck. It may or may not stop. Not on the Classic 350 though. It is equipped with way better brakes and this is equipped with ABS. Perfect!
Parting thoughts and my observations
The new Royal Enfield motorcycles are the finest example of a company that comfortably failed to innovate but miraculously survived all these years with an engine designed in the 1930s or maybe earlier. The new ones from the same stable are such a breath of fresh air. However, the quality of the materials used has to improve. There are parts that got rusted in no time, particularly the joints on the exhaust are notorious for rusting. Then there is the issue of a ton of brake dust on the rear wheel from the disc brakes. I really don’t use the rear brakes that much but the dust just kept coming. Brakes, the quality of materials used, may not be of the quality you pay for.
The other observation I have is that the rear seat is completely detachable. However, the saree guard isn’t. The thing is permanently welded on to the motorcycle like a forced arranged marriage. Come on RE what if I am single and all I wanted was a clean looking single seater? I have to get rid of the entire fender stay bars or get it chopped off and painted again! That to me is cost-cutting gone horribly wrong. And then there is that permanent footplate for the saree guard sticking out. Maybe you shouldn’t admire your ride from the left side at all is what RE wants. Who knows?
The next point I have is purely from a serviceability point of view mostly for the DIY’ers. The older engine was very modular in design. If I wanted to adjust the pushrods, I simply have to open the small hatch kind of a door on the right side and get it done. To change the clutch plates, I simply have to open the clutch case and get the job done. The worst bit I have noticed is, however, the positioning of the drive chain and the fact that I have to open the entire right side of the engine to change the chain and sprocket is just horrible engineering. Also, the gear selector shaft goes right in between the chain, and imagine if the chain gets cut while the motorcycle is moving. It will destroy the engine. However, in the old one, it just drops the chain on the ground.
I have a ton of other observations too but that will turn what is supposed to be a user experience review into a somewhat mixed rant. Personally, I feel the Classic 350 for Royal Enfield was a giant leap as a company. They broke many records from a business point of view and having the gear shifter to the left side mean, a Bullet became accessible. Kudos to RE for doing that. What RE now has to concentrate on is the fact that the Japanese are coming for them. Honda has the CB350 a far superior engine than the RE, Kawasaki has its W series motorcycles and Definitely, Suzuki will follow with theirs too. Benelli already has one. RE should never stop innovating and it should never be a case of history repeating itself again, as we all know what the Japanese motorcycles with their innovative designs did to the old British motorcycles.
Clearly, with all of this, I am not at all a happy camper after using one of the most popular motorcycles in the country. Somehow, it lacks the soul of the older RE's. And if you are planning to buy one, take the time to learn about how the whole thing works. Because believe it or not you will put your learnings to practicality at some point of time during your ownership. And please do not put those ridiculous sounding exhaust pipes on the motorcycle. They do nothing but destroy your engine. Peace!
