Royal Enfield Bullet 350 has been an iconic bike from the Royal Enfield’s stable.
But as the world changed, the younger generation wanted to buy this iconic bike but also wanted some modern touches to it.
Therefore the Royal Enfield Classic 350 came into existence.
And needless to say it has been the most selling bike from the Royal Enfield ever since.
I belong to that younger generation too.
So I decided to buy a Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gunmetal Grey for myself.
And it’s been 2 years since I purchased this bike.
And I have ridden it for over 11000 kms in these two years.
In this article I share with you all the things that I have experienced with this bike.
All the good things and all the bad things too. So that you can decide whether to buy the Classic 350 or not.
So read this article till the very end to find out each and every detail about the Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gunmetal Grey.
Without wasting any time let’s start by the way RE classic 350 looks.
Table of Contents
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gunmetal Grey: Looks
Classic 350 was first launched in India around 2009-2010.
And ever since the overall look of the bike has remained the same.
However Royal Enfield kept giving it some touches and kept updating the colors to make the bike look more modern.
Needless to say that the Royal Enfield Classic 350 is a modern looking retro bike.
And appeals to those who have an old school taste.
And I must say the Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gunmetal Grey looks just amazing.
This color really suits the overall look of the bike.
Front Looks
When you stand in front of the bike, the first thing that you will notice is the big round headlight.
The headlight cover I have purchased from the aftermarket, and it really adds to the coolness of the bike.
Let’s not get diverted from the looks of the bike and I will cover all the modifications in the Royal Enfield Classic 350 Modified section of this article.
So we were talking about the front looks.
Above the headlights, you can see two cat lights which are unnoticeable in the daylight.
But can be seen when the sun goes down and you have not opened the headlight of the bike.
The chrome finished round rear view mirrors are also noticeable from the front.
Below the headlight you get the number plate holder and on the sides of it sit the big old school indicators. Which come with chrome finish on the back.
Another noticeable thing is you get big and fat upside down forks in the bike.
Now this is interesting because you do not get upside down forks in the many modern bikes in this price segment.
However the forks are also old school looking and are not like the forks that you get on the other modern bikes.
And when you come down a little you see the big metallic front wheel fender which almost covers the half of the wheel.
Now let’s go to the side of the bike to see how the bike looks from the side.
Side Looks
When you move to the side, the first thing that you will notice is that the Disc is not on the right side.
Unlike other bikes, you get the front disc brake on the left side in the Classic 350.
Then another noticeable thing is the BIG engine.
After looking at the engine you might think that this is a bigger engine than 350cc.
However it is a 350cc engine but it looks pretty big in real life.
And since this is an old school bike so how can you not get the kick start lever?
Yes, you get the engine kick start kick lever in the royal enfield classic 350.
And contrary to the myth that it requires an enormous amount of power to kick start the bike, it is actually pretty easy if you want to use the kick and not the self start button.
Then you get an oval shaped black colored compartment on the right side, but only god knows what it is for.
And you get the square shaped compartment on the right side, which holds the battery.
You also get triangle shaped compartments on both the sides.
On the right side this triangle shaped compartment holds the air filter of the bike.
And because of this triangle compartment, it is pretty easy to replace the air filter in the bike, if someday you decide to service the bike yourself.
In fact it is the easiest of all the bikes.
You just have to open the compartment with the help of the key and there it is, the air filter.
You then just have to use the screwdriver to unlock the screw and take out the air filter, as simple as that.
And the panel on the other side is where you can keep your things like paper or first aid kit.
Another thing that you will notice from the side is the big exhaust pipe.
It starts from the engine and goes all the way to the back, in fact it goes even little behind to the rear wheel.
One more thing that you will notice is the chain of the bike is not on the right side, like you get in almost all the other bikes.
Instead it is on the left side.
From the side as well the Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gunmetal Grey looks just amazing.
Now let’s go to the back of the bike to see how the bike looks from the back.
Rear Looks
When you stand behind the bike, the first thing that you will notice is the big single panel.
Which houses the round old school looking tail light, number plate and the two big indicators.
Another thing to notice is the rear tyre. Which is decently fat and does not look skinny, like in the Bullet 350. And it does give the bike some modernish feel.
How does it feel to sit on the Royal Enfield Classic 350?
When you sit on the bike for the first time, the first thing that you will notice is how heavy the bike is.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Weight is around 195kgs.
And you really feel that weight when you lift the bike from the side stand.
If you do not belong to a khati peeti family, then you will be having a tough time with the bike’s weight.
If you do belong to a khati peeti family, then also you will be having a tough time everytime you want to take the bike out of parking in reverse.
And I would suggest that you must pray to God every time you take the bike out that it does not get a puncture.
If it does get a puncture then it will be your biggest nightmare. Because pulling this bike and taking it to the mechanic is something you do not want EVER.
But the good thing is, in RE Classic 350 you get split seats.
And the cushioning of the rider seat is very good and you will not feel tired even after riding the bike for a long time.
In fact to increase the comfort, you even get old school styled springs under the seat.
Footpegs are also front set and when you sit on the bike, you sit very upright and comfortably, like you sit on a sofa or something.
Rear seat cushioning is also good.
And since it is not a step up seat so it is quite comfortable for the pillion as well for long journeys.
In fact I would say it is one of the most comfortable seats for the pillion rider out there, for long journeys.
When you sit on the bike, the other thing that you will notice is the instrument cluster.
Which does not feel modern at all and will only give you the old school feel.
You get a round dial that has an old school looking analog speedometer and an odometer and has a high beam, indicator, and neutral indicator.
Below the left side of the dial you get the key lock and on the right side you get another small dial that houses low fuel indicator, abs indicator and the RE logo.
One thing that I do not like at all in the bike is that you do not get a proper fuel indicator.
Instead of the fuel indicator, you only get the indicator that lights up once your bike is low on fuel. And you will never know how much fuel is left in the bike.
What was the Royal Enfield thinking, only god knows.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Specs
| Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gunmetal Grey | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | Single Cylinder, 4-Stroke, Air cooled |
| Displacement | 346cc |
| Maximum Power | 19.36PS @ 5250 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 28Nm @ 8000 rpm |
| Number of Valves | 2 |
| Gear Box | 5-Speed |
| Front Suspension | Telescopic Forks |
| Rear Suspension | Twin gas charged shock absorbers |
| Headlights | Halogen |
| Tyre (Front) | 90/90-19 |
| Tyre (Rear) | 120/80-18 |
| ABS | Dual Channel |
| Front Brake | 280 mm Disc |
| Rear Brake | 240 mm Disc |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 13.5L |
| Ground Clearance | 135 mm |
| Height | 1090 mm |
| Length | 2160 mm |
| Width | 790 mm |
| Seat Height | 800 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 195 kgs |
| Wheelbase | 1390 mm |
Royal Enfield Classic 350 : Engine and Performance
RE Classic 350 is powered by a 346cc single cylinder, 4-stroke, air cooled engine.
This engine produces a maximum power of 19.36PS @ 5250Rpm and produces a maximum torque of 28Nm @ 8000Rpm.
The performance is what you can expect from a typical royal enfield bike.
The power is delivered in a linear manner.
And since there is a healthy amount of torque available, the bike just pulls cleanly whether you are on a flat road or on the sloppy mountain roads.
Gears are tall and you will not feel the need of the sixth gear.
However, there are a lot of vibrations in the lower rev band as well as in the higher rev band.
And you will need to find a sweet spot where the vibrations are at their minimal.
Going below or higher than that sweet spot will make your ride unpleasant.
In fact the vibrations are so harsh that you can not even see anything in the rear view mirrors. Because the rear mirrors start vibrating so hard that everything seems blurry when you look at them.
The bike reaches 80km/hr pretty quickly but just takes forever to reach the 100km/hr mark.
It is not the quickest 350cc bike out there. And you will not at all enjoy revving it hard.
In fact if you want to overtake some vehicle on the highway by pushing it hard, the bike will take forever and you will not enjoy it at all.
In fact sometimes vibrations become so harsh that you will not even want to over take.
But yes if you want to cruise for hours at a constant speed then yes you will enjoy it.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 : Ride and Handling
Seating position is very upright and relaxed in the RE classic 350 and you will feel as if you are sitting on a sofa.
And this makes your ride a very pleasant one.
The cushioning of the seat is quite good and you do not feel fatigued even after riding the bike for hours.
As discussed earlier, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 weight is 195kgs, which is quite heavy.
And when you ride the bike for the first time you can really feel that weight at slow speeds.
In fact at slow speeds it is quite a task to maneuver the bike in the city traffic.
In the city traffic, once you pick the lane then you will have to stick to it.
If you want to cut corners or want to quickly change lanes and get ahead of the slow moving vehicle, it’s just very hard to do on the RE Classic 350.
Also the clutch of the bike is quite hard and in the city traffic where you have to use the clutch very often for a long time, you really wish for a light clutch.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 : Mileage and Maintenance
Nowadays petrol prices are just going higher and higher. In many cities the petrol prices have crossed the 100 rupees mark and are just not stopping.
So nowadays the mileage of the bike plays a very critical role.
And the RE Classic 350’s average is approx. 35kmpl. It is an overall mileage that you can expect from the bike in real life.
The Royal Enfield Classic 350 Mileage that I am getting is around 37kmpl, with a very relaxed riding.
Now let’s talk about the RE Classic 350’s maintenance cost.
Good news is I have not spent a single rupee other than the service cost of the bike.
And the cost of the engine oil covers the major part of the service cost.
The maintenance cost that you can expect is around 3k rupees in a year.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Price
Price of Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gunmetal Grey: approx. 1.90 Lakhs (ex-showroom)
Royal Enfield Classic 350 On Road Price : approx. 2.15 lakhs
Check the colors and the prices for other models HERE.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Modified
All the modification done by me in the bike are as follows:
- Headlight Cover
- Tail light Cover
- Indicator Cover
- RE Sticker on the Fuel Tank
- Leg Guard
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Verdict
Now comes the main question, should you buy the Royal Enfield Classic 350?
The answer to this question boils down to your personal preference.
If you like retro looking motorcycles.
If you like to ride the bike in a slow and relaxed manner.
And if you like to take your bike on long rides and do not like to get to your destination in a hurry.
Then YES! You can definitely consider buying the RE Classic 350.
But if you like your bike to be fast.
If you want a performance oriented bike.
If you like to push your bike to the rpm limits.
Then it is a BIG NO! Royal Enfield Classic 350 is not the bike for you.
If you would like to explore your options then check out Best Bikes Under 2 Lakhs in 2021.
If you still have some doubts or questions or have a valuable suggestion for me, please feel free to comment below.
And if you liked this article please like, share and comment.
