We hadn’t ridden a sidecar until we took this cute Royal Enfield Classic 500 outfit for a cruise around the stunning South Coast NSW town of Narooma. Heather and I enjoyed a morning run and the relaxed nature of the 500 thumper and sidecar.
This little beauty belonged to my my uncle, Bob, who has since upgraded to an Interceptor outfit.
Short shifting and just plodding along at the speed limit was relaxing and enjoyable on the Classic 500 with Inder Beemer sidecar fitted. I’d only ridden BMX side-hacks in my youth and no other experiences with a chair but I had read up a lot on riding them and watched tutorials prior to the spin. All up, it was what I expected and not too tricky at our slow pace. The outfit was in need of set-up, but still fun.
In fact, so much so, that we are considering buying a sidecar in the future – it’s a change of pace from what we are used to, which is racing and high performance bikes after a 30-year career racing and testing. Something similar to this set-up would suit us, I may even fit a chair to our Bullet 350…
Anyway, enjoy a slow lap of Narooma. It’s not a review by any means – but if it is a review of the Classic 500 you are after, you can find our 2018 Classic 500 ABS review in full posted under the video.
VIDEO | Royal Enfiled Classic 500 and Inder Beemer Sidecar Cruise
2018 Royal Enfield Classic 500 ABS Review
When it comes to the Classic 500 Royal Enfield have stayed true to an authentic old school thumper, with the bike retaining the character and feel that sets it apart from modern machines.
2018 Royal Enfield Classic ABS in Stealth Black
For 2018 Royal Enfield have made some concessions to safety requirements, with ABS becoming not just an expectation, but in many regions a requirement. So we’ve now got ABS, plus a rear disc brake which makes sense for the ABS, not to mention because mashing that foot lever and locking the rear is probably the most common mistake when it’s slippery.
ABS is a new addition, with a two-channel system fitted to the Classic
We’ve also seen the inclusion of a pillion seat on the Stealth Black version, while also boasting an extensive black-out, across the engine and exhaust and some raw metal retained tastefully on the kickstart, wheel spokes, fork bottoms, shocks and engine fins.
The 2018 Royal Enfield Classic ABS in Stealth Black adds a pillion seat and grab rail
In my eyes, not having lived through the era, it seems pretty true to form and while I’d personally lean towards a regular Classic with the glossy paint, or even a Chrome edition, I can see the appeal of the Stealth Black version.
I also felt like this 2018 model had a bit more go than the model I tested back in 2016 (the Squadron Blue Classic), although it did have more miles on the clock, which may have helped.
The Classic features a rear disc brake as well as the new ABS system
The ABS is also a nice backup, but even in slippery wet weather conditions I had to force activation, or really be doing something silly to get it to kick in. That’s good as it means it’s not overly sensitive, but the brakes don’t offer the kind of performance that lends itself to easily locking wheels, or breaking any stopping distance records. Not that you’d expect either.
For relaxed cruising the bike remains a fun option, still being capable of inner city commuting, so you could certainly ride one of these daily. I had my fair share of wet weather and found the bike easy to manage in slippery conditions, despite it still being a heavy machine.
2018 Royal Enfield Classic ABS
With the thin wheels and tyres the handling is easy and natural, with good balance, despite the bike being obviously heavy if you’re rolling it around by hand. Combine that with the compliant ride, partially thanks to the sprung seat, and open ergonomics and I felt like I needed to break out a half face helmet, goggles or aviators and find a manly white scarf to truly make the most of the experience.
2018 Royal Enfield Classic ABS
One area that was noticeable, especially on the freeway, was vibrations particularly compared to our experiences with previous Classic models, and we dropped the press test bike in to Royal Enfield Sydney who explained the most common complaint is vibrations, and this is generally due to loose engine mount bolts, something they diagnosed our machine with, after a quick look.
Overall I think my original thoughts on the 2016 model remain true, so check out the full test – Review: 2016 Royal Enfield Classic Squadron Blue if you want the full run down. The 2018 model benefits from ABS, which is a nice backup, but it’s still that authentic old school thumper.
2018 Royal Enfield Classic Stealth Black ABS
2018 Royal Enfield Classic 500 Stealth Black ABS Specifications
Price New: $7,990 + ORC Estimated Used Price 2026: $4,800 to $6,200 2017 to 2020
Warranty: Two-year warranty, two-year roadside assistance
Colours: Stealth Black (as tested)
Claimed power: 27.2bhp@5250rpm
Claimed torque: 41.3Nm@4000rpm
Wet weight: 190kg
Fuel capacity: 13.5L
Engine: Air-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder, OHV, 499cc, 84 x 90mm bore x stroke, 8.5:1 compression, Digital Electronic Ignition, Keihin EFI, Twin-Spark, wet sump Gearbox: Five-speed, constant mesh Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Chassis: Single downtube, using engine as stressed member
Suspension: 35mm telescopic forks, 130mm travel, twin shock absorbers, five-step adjustable preload, 80mm travel Brakes: Dual channel ABS, Single 280mm rotor, twin-piston caliper, 240mm rotor, single-piston caliper Wheels & Tyres: Spoked wheels, 90/90 – 19in (F), 110/80 – 18 (R), Avon RoadRider
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1360mm
Seat height: 800mm
Overall height: 1090mm
Overall width: 790mm
Instruments: Analogue speedometer
2018 Royal Enfield Classic 500 Stealth Black ABS Gallery
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