Royal Enfield has come to be known for its classically-styled motorcycles with old-school charm. However, the Bullet name came to be known for its cutting-edge technology of the time and performance that was unparalleled by other European manufacturers. The name ‘Bullet’ was first given to the GS 350 which made its debut at London’s Olympia Motorcycle Show in November 1932. It had twin-ported cylinder heads, “sloper” engines, foot-operated gear changer, and high compression pistons. In 1949, K. R. Sundaram Iyer established Madras Motors to bring British motorcycles, like the Royal Enfields, into India. Just 4 years later, Madras Motors received an order from the Indian Army for 500 350cc Bullets and proved successful, since they were durable and simple to repair. In 1955, the UK-based company partnered with Madras Motors to form ‘Enfield India’. This was essentially the start of Royal Enfield’s story and the beginning of India’s love story with the Bullet 350. Fast forward to 2023 and RE has pulled the covers of the all-new Bullet 350.
It may look similar but it actually doesn’t share a single component with the outgoing Bullet 350. In terms of design, you get the classic round headlamp which, along with the indicators and tail lamp, feature halogen bulbs. You also get the classic spoke-wheel set up with a 300mm disc brake at the front and 270mm disc brake at the back. Not just that, you also get dual-channel ABS. Look further back and you’ll find a semi-digital instrument cluster which gets an analogue speedometer and an LCD display unit for all the information you need. On either side, you get familiar switchgear with rotary switches for the starter and headlamps, and regular switches for other functions. Further back, you will find a 13-litre teardrop-shaped fuel tank and an ergonomically-enhanced single-piece seat. The latter is the product of Royal Enfield’s new design process which detects and fine-tunes the pressure points across the seat to enhance comfort. In terms of performance, the new Bullet 350 features the familiar J-Platform 349cc single-cylinder motor.
It produces 20.2bhp and 26Nm of peak torque, & is paired to 5-speed gearbox.
The all-new Bullet 350 is available in three different colourways. The base colour options are Military Red and Military Black, priced at ₹1.74 lakh (ex-showroom). Moving up the ladder, you have the Standard Maroon and Standard Black versions, which will cost you ₹1.97 lakh (ex-showroom). Finally, you have the Black Gold version which features a dual-tone design and comes in at a price of ₹2.15 lakh (ex-showroom).
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