Royal Enfield Bullet 500

No bike is as in your face about being a classic than the Bullet. It was designed before the war and the company has painstakingly kept it unchanged since then. With its classic tank with the wing decals and minimal pinstriping, the classic round headlight with the integrated instruments and bullet shape indicators and the high upswept handlebars it will not look out of place in a pre-war museum. Practicality is also on an all-time high with its thick seat that is as comfortable as it looks, full-length mudguards and cushioned rear grab handle. There are some modern touches too like the pilot lights flanking the headlight and the disc brakes that somehow do not look out of place. At 2140 mm long, 810 mm wide and 1110 mm high, it is just as large as you think. The front is a 19” spoked wheel wearing a 90/90 tire while the rear is 18” spoked wheel wearing a 120/80 tire.

Before anything else, we need to discuss the riding position of the Bullet 500. The seating position with slightly front placed footpegs and wide and high handlebars is probably as upright as it can get. Your arms and shoulders are relaxed and with that soft seat your back will be immensely thankful. The pillion seat is just as comfortable with the only exception of the rear backrest/ grab handle that is too low to be of any use. Thanks to that torquey engine and stability, riding this nearly 200 kg bike on the highway is a very relaxed affair. The commanding seating position also translates to confident handling even on crowded city roads which is a surprise considering its weight. The suspension up front is a 35 mm telescopic setup with 130 mm of travel and the rear gets dual gas-charged shock absorbers with 5-step adjustable preload and 80 mm of travel. It is set to be soft and provides ample cushioning. On bigger bumps, however, it might behave a little unpredictable. The biggest concern, however, is the harshness of the engine. Vibrations can be felt everywhere at three digit speeds which makes highway cruising a little unpleasant. The mirrors might look cool but they are near useless due to the same issue.

The Bullet 500 uses a 499cc single cylinder air-cooled and fuel injected engine with twin spark ignition. Peak power is rated at 27.2 hp at 5250 rpm and peak torque of 41.3 Nm comes up at just 4000 rpm. This engine is mated to a 5-speed transmission and provided with both an electric and a kick starter for the really brave. The power might not seem very impressive. But a lot of that peak torque and power is available very low in the rev range. This allows it to surge past the traffic at the twist of the throttle in any gear. This really shows up on highways where you can cruise comfortably all day. The surge of torque is a big part of the Bullet experience and becomes very addictive very fast. Combine this with buttery smooth clutch and transmission and the thumpy exhaust note and you will start to realize why this bike has a cult following. At the same time, the engine can use some refinement. Vibrations become very uncomfortable at higher speeds. The fuel tank holds 13.5L and with a fuel economy of up to 30 kmpl makes for a good range.

There is a 280 mm disc brake up front and a 240 mm disc on the rear with a 2 piston setup for the front and a single piston for the rear. The Bullet also comes with dual channel ABS. But the braking is not quite adequate when stopping from triple digit speeds.

The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 is a distinctive motorcycle. There is nothing quite like it on the road today. It is the perfect anti sporty motorcycle for people who want something powerful but do not want to race.