Bike sales in India exceed 48,000 units per day. Australia? The same in six months. Madness. So the chance to join the crowd on two wheels on a Bullet 350 was one to be grabbed. It was a blast...
We attended the World Launch of the 2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 in Q4 2023 and toured the Royal Enfield Factory. We have a review on the Bullet published and a Factory feature coming up. Here’s my on board street ride video, my first ride in India!
Tech Talk, 2023 Royal Enfield Bullet 350
The Bullet 350 returns in 2023 with an all new design based on the Classic 350. Everything from the frame to the styling is new. The forefront of the new Bullet 350 is the 349cc air-oil cooled single-cylinder engine. The new single-cylinder J Series was launched recently in the Meteor and generates 20.2hp@6100rpm and 27Nm@4000rpm.
A heap of development has gone into making the new engine easy on the wallet and easy on new riders. Thanks to its EFI system, the throttle response has been optimised for a “linear acceleration” as Royal Enfield describes it. The new engine also has a five-speed gearbox, with fifth gear being an overdrive, taking stress off the engine while highway cruising, and a seven-plate clutch for easy gear changes in built-up traffic and a nice and smooth clutch release.
The Bullet 350 shares the all new Classic chassis for 2023. The brakes, suspension and frame have all been upgraded over from the Classic. Royal Enfield said they aimed for the frame itself to be stiffer allowing for a more planted feeling when taking corners at high and low speeds. The front-end sees conventional 41mm telescopic forks with 130mm travel and the rear has received a pair of twin tube emulsion shock absorbers with six-step adjustable preload. Both the front and rear have been adapted to make the bike easier to ride.
Continuing with the rideability theme are the ergonomics. Riders have a choice between multiple accessory seats, with low cut and premium patterns available through their genuine accessories. The seats as a whole have been slightly reshaped to cradle the rider better while also being widened and redone with softer foam for comfort, while the kickstarter has been removed to de-clutter the footpeg area. With brand new handlebars, the riding position has been tweaked to further improve comfort.
Spoked wheels feature at both ends, both options are wrapped in 100/90 – 19in at the front and 120/80 – 18in at the rear. The braking is handled by a 300mm rotor with twin piston floating caliper at the front and a 270mm rotor and single piston floating caliper at the rear. The new Bullet 350 has a hefty kerb weight of 195kg.
The Bullet 350 comes in five new colours, Black Gold, Standard Black, Standard Maroon, Military Black, Military Red. Pricing and availability in Australia was yet to be announced as we published.
2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Specifications
Price & Availability: $7,890 R/A (Standard Black or Maroon), $8,050 R/A (Black & Gold).
Warranty: 3 Years unlimited km with Roadside Assist.
Colours: Black Gold, Standard Black, Standard Maroon.
Claimed Power: 20.2hp@6100rpm
Claimed Torque: 27Nm@4000rpm
ENGINE
J Series single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-oil cooled, 349cc, bore x stroke 72mm x 85.8mm, compression ratio 9.5:1, Electronic Fuel Injection(EFI), wet, multi-plate clutch, five-speed constant mesh gearbox, 2.313:1 primary ratio, 1st 2.615, 2nd 1.706, 3rd 1.040, 4th 1.040, 5th .875:1 final ratio 2.800:1.
CHASSIS
Frame Type; Twin Downtube Spine Frame Rake: N/A, Trail: N/A
Front suspension: Telescopic, 41mm forks, 130mm travel, Rear suspension: Twin tube Emulsion shock absorbers with six-step adjustable preload, N/A travel.
Wheels & Tyres: Spoked 2.15 x 19in wheel – 100/90 – 19in (f), Spoke 18in wheel – 120/80 – 18in(r) both tubed tyres.
Brakes: Front 300mm rotor with twin piston floating caliper, rear 270mm rotor, single piston floating caliper, ABS both ends.
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 1390mm
Ground Clearance: 170mm
Overall Length: 2110mm
Width: 785mm
Height: 1125mm
Seat Height: 805mm
Kerb Weight: 195kg
Fuel Capacity: 13L
Dash & ELECTRONICS: Analogue and LCD display, ABS, Electric Start.
2024 ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET 350 GALLERY
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