Royal Enfield Classic 350
The all-new Royal Enfield Classic 350 joins the evo India fleet
Will this be the bike to rekindle my love for Royal Enfield? The short answer is yes
ILEARNT HOW TO RIDE A motorcycle on the Royal Enfield Desert Storm 500. And then, a few years later when I was fresh into college I got my first ever bike, the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V. The reason for me choosing the RTR was because I was looking for something that offers proper value for money while also giving the best performance there is.
I have always heard about the unrelenting love for Royal Enfields and to be honest, before I rode other bikes I shared the same passion for the company. But then I rode other bikes, mine included and my perception of the company changed very fast. I saw them as rattly, fiddly bikes that have been surviving purely on the love of their customer base. That is a bit harsh but that is what
I felt. And then came the 650 Twins. That launch began to bring my affinity for the company back and that feeling was further accentuated with the launch of the Meteor 350. The Meteor launched around the time I joined evo India and I got to ride it around a fair bit. So, I jumped at the opportunity to review the Classic 350. Would this be the bike to fully rekindle my long lost love for the RE brand? The short answer is yes. I absolutely enjoyed testing the Classic 350 and putting it through its paces. The engine is extremely refined, it handles unlike any Classic that has been, has proper modern features, all attributes that don’t go in the same statement as anything defining a Royal Enfield. In fact, the new Classic 350 has been so well received by everyone at the office that despite being my long-termer I haven’t gotten a chance to ride it as much as I would have liked. Every time I left for a shoot or an event, the keys to the Classic have been flicked from my desk. Such is the love for the new Classic. Well, I can’t be all praises. So for the sake of objectivity, if I were to point out a fly in the ointment of the new Classic 350, it would be the Tripper navigation. The system is iffy at best. Connecting to it is a hassle and on that one lucky day that the app doesn’t crash the navigation is not the most accurate. The tyres as well aren’t fond of the rains. To my luck the monsoons are behind us and the first service of the bike is complete. Which means, I am still to find a reason to not fully love the new Royal Enfield Classic 350. ⌧
Karan Ramgopal (@karanramgopal)