Royal Enfield Classic 350

Few designs are as timeless as that of the Classic 350. The biggest attention grabber here is that teardrop-shaped fuel tank that comes with a matte finished leg guard and pinstriped decal with the name in bold lettering. Next is the engine itself which looks like a work of art along with the pea shooter style exhaust. Then comes the old school round headlight with tiny pilot lights flanking it alongside bullet style indicators. The large seat mounted on springs and even the full-sized fenders bring in a sense of quality. Under the seat are oval-shaped battery box and one of the world’s most beautiful air filter covers. Smaller details like the integrated dials in the headlight housing and chrome plated rear view mirrors are just delightful to behold. The stance of the bike goes perfectly with its dimensions of 2160 mm (L) X 790 mm (W) X 1090 mm (H). The wheels are spoked with a 19” front and 18” rear with a 90/90 front and a 110/90 rear tire. All this combines to create one of the most iconic silhouettes in the motorcycle industry. The rear seat can easily be removed to really bring out the design and the 5 color choices are very well suited to the motorcycle’s design.

There is no getting away from the fact that this bike weighs more than 193 kg fully loaded. But the wide handlebars allow you to ride it at low speeds through heavy traffic very efficiently and confidently. The straight line performance is equally good with the bike tracking well and staying stable through high speeds on the highway. With its single downtube frame using the engine as a stressed member, this is certainly not a sportsbike when it comes to handling. But the seating position is relaxed and the 35 mm telescopic front forks with 130 mm of travel and the twin gas charged rear shock absorbers with 5-step adjustable preload and 80 mm of travel, do a great job of absorbing road imperfections. The biggest issue, however, is again that of the harshness from the engine which makes any high-speed ride unbearable after only a few minutes.

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is powered by a single-cylinder 346cc twinspark air-cooled and a carbureted engine producing 19.8 hp at 5250 rpm and 28 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed transmission. The bike comes with both an electric and kick starter for people who want the most authentic riding experience. The bike’s engine specs read like something from the middle ages and the bike is not very different either. The engine is harsh and allows a lot of vibrations to reach the handlebars and every other part of the bike. This renders those nice rear view mirrors unusable. The engine also feels slightly underpowered to move the 192 kg bulk of the bike. However, this engine does hold a few charms of its own. It is very torquey with a lot of the peak torque available very low in the rev range. The transmission and the clutch are very smooth. These two things make it a breeze on the highways where you can cruise all day without doing a lot of gear shifting. Overtaking anything is a matter if wringing that throttle and coasting on the intoxicating surge of power that builds up like a tsunami. The fuel tank is also sizable at 13.5-litre and the fuel efficiency of 25-30 kmpl gives it good range. But the best of all is the meaty exhaust note that announces your arrival from miles away.

Braking is provided by a 280mm disc with a twin-piston caliper up front and a 240 mm disc with a single piston caliper in the rear. Braking is another sore spot for the Classic 350 as even with dual channel ABS on certain variants, this setup fails to inspire confidence at high speeds that is a given with modern bikes.

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 like most beautiful things, is deeply flawed. It is an analog radio in the age of Spotify. But therein lies the charm of this motorcycle. The Classic 350 is an experience that cannot be achieved from anything else.