Today you will read about the cruiser bikes that are among the bestsellers in the country, and those are Royal Enfield bikes. If you didn't know this, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 has been in production since the British era. Yes, it is the only bike from the portfolio that has remained untouched.
Moreover, the Bullet 350 was the entry-level model, but it has been replaced by the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Apart from that, if you are a fan of an old-school bike with fewer features than the Classic 350, then the Bullet 350 is the bike for you. It's as simple as the saying goes: "You get what you pay for." And that is why the Bullet 350 slots below the Royal Enfield Classic 350. So, let's begin weighing these two bikes and see what they offer.
For starters, let's know about the engine of the lower iteration, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350. Powering this cruiser bike is a 349cc BS6 engine, which churns out 20.2 bhp at 6100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. Further, this single-cylinder, fuel-injected petrol mill gets an air-cooling system paired with a fuel tank capacity of 13.5 litres. Aside from that, this bike has a kerb weight of 195 kg.
Parallel to the Bullet 350 is the Royal Enfield Classic 350. Under this cruiser bike's chassis, there is a 349cc single-cylinder, air/cooled engine that generates 20.2 bhp at 6100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. This BS6 petrol engine also has a fuel injection system for fuel supply. Speaking of which, it has a fuel tank capacity of 13 litres. Despite having a lesser cubic capacity, the Royal Enfield Classic 350's mileage is around 35 km/l. As for the Bullet 350's fuel economy, it is around 38 km/l.
It is worth noting that these are not ARAI-claimed figures. These are the figures reported by the owners of these bikes.
The Classic model's mileage is not bad. It weighs 195 kg, making it 9 kg heavier than the Bullet 350. In addition, the former is more powerful than the latter. So, if you have started showing interest in the Classic 350, check out the Royal Enfield Classic 350 price on the autoX website.
As for the transmission, these two bikes have the same transmission type. They transmit power to their rear wheels via a standard five-speed manual transmission. Their clutch type includes wet multi-plate.
In terms of brake setup, the lower iteration doesn't get the dual disc setup, even in its top variant. The Bullet 350 gets a standard disc-drum combination across its variants. The front brake size measures 280 mm, while the rear brake size is 153 mm. So, you can expect decent braking performance from this Bullet 350. The Classic 350, on the other hand, gets standard dual-disc brakes across the variants. And dual-disc brakes contribute more to safety.
Speaking of braking, the Bullet 350 gets a standard single-channel ABS, while the Classic 350 offers both single- and dual-channel ABS.
Moreover, both bikes get identical suspension setups but with different measurements. To start with, the Bullet 350 gets front telescopic forks that are 35mm, while the Classic boasts 41mm front telescopic forks.
As for the rear suspension, the Bullet model has twin shock absorbers and a five-step adjustable preload. And the Classic 350 has twin-tube emulsion shockers with a six-step adjustable preload. The Classic 350's price may be relatively high, but it is worth the price.
Now, as far as the chassis is concerned, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 sports a single downtube, with the engine used as a stressed member. That leads to more downforce due to the low ride height, returning a ground clearance of 135 mm. On the contrary, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 has a twin downtube spine frame, which doesn't use the engine as a stressed member. That is why the ground clearance of this Royal Enfield Classic 350 has a higher ride height of 170 mm. There is a big difference in their ride heights. The difference is nearly 35 mm, which significantly affects comfort and ride quality.
But it is worth mentioning that Royal Enfield bikes in India boast well-tuned suspension. Yes, their bikes have stiff suspension, which leads to better stability; however, at the same time, they also offer reasonably good ride qualities. Now, let's move on to features. Also, if you want a Royal Enfield bike with contemporary looks and loads of features at an affordable rate, check out the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 price on autoX.
In terms of features, the Royal Enfield Classic 350 is a better buy than the Royal Enfield Bullet 350. It gets a semi-analogue instrument cluster, a USB-charging port, GPS and navigation, and connected bike technology, to name a few. Furthermore, unlike the Bullet 350, the Classic 350 also gets a digital fuel gauge with low fuel, oil, and battery indicators. It is worth noting that these features belong to the top-of-the-line variant of the Classic 350. The Bullet 350, on the other hand, misses out on those features. So, if you are a buyer who is strict on budget and doesn't mind having countable features, then the Bullet 350 is the bike for you.
As far as the pricing is concerned, the starting ex-showroom price of the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 starts at Rs 1.74 lakh and It goes up to Rs 2.18 lakh for the top model.
Then comes the Royal Enfield Classic 350. It has a starting ex-showroom price of Rs 1.87 lakh for the base model, and it goes up to Rs 2.23 lakh for the top-ranging variant. All are ex-showroom prices, New Delhi.
