Original Source: Royal Enfield to Re-structure Company Hierarchy to Increase its Competency from BikeAdvice.in

Royal Enfield is one of the iconic bike makers admired by millions of bike lovers. The maker of some iconic bikes is planning a management restructuring exercise to compete with competitors like Harley Davidson, Triumph and others.  News has it that the Chennai based Eicher group has put in a flat management structure with independent senior vice presidents at every level who will be responsible for leading the departments of markets, product technology and the two wheeler industry as a whole.

The whole idea of Royal Enfield to go out for such a flat based management system came from a British automobile company. Royal Enfield says that this management restructuring would be helpful when it comes to increasing the capacity both in terms of products and revenues. When asked to comment on the company’s move, Mr. Padmanabham (Chief Executive) said that he wants to reinvent one of the oldest motorcycle company into an modern automotive one. He was also of the opinion that this strategy would not only help to increase the efficiency but also will be cost effective to the company.

When asked about what exactly is this strategy all about, he said that company is undertaking flat management restructuring wherein a team of four members would play a crucial role in running the company.  He said that Shaji Koshy will be taking over as senior vice president of marketing division after having served the company as senior vice president of sales and marketing for last five years.  Other members include Natrajan Krishnan, who will take over as the senior vice president of products division; Balkrishnan Govindrajan , taking over as the senior vice president of industry. Mr. Padmanabham will join the team as the fourth member.

Padmanabham said that this new structure will help the company move fast and experiment with things they always wanted to put some hands on. In simpler terms, Royal Enfield did decide to count on a team of four who are going to run the company. We will have to wait and see if this management restructuring actually helps the company in attaining higher capacity and revenues.

Original Source: Royal Enfield Classic 350cc – A 1000KM Ownership Review by Madhu from BikeAdvice.in

“Good Things Come to Those Who Wait”, was the theme I spoke about in my previous write up depicting my experiences during the waiting time (of 8 ½ months) for the CL350. But that phase was shown the door on May 5th 2011, by the arrival of my black beauty into my life! It was a nice, warm; Thursday evening at around 7.30pm when I first gotta ride my CL350.

The bike was delivered with all the explanation done and instructions given. The salesman was in a hurry to reach home, After I held him hostage for more than an hour of closure time, until I got my bike delivered with all the relevant documents. I sat on my bike for the first time and turned the ignition key on. My thumb automatically pressed the electric start button and the beast refused to start (Starting the bullet is an art for sure!). After some more efforts, the thumper came to life. The beats filled my heart with joy (muted though).

My first ride on the Cl350

My first ride on the Cl350 wasn’t a pleasant one though. Not used to riding a bullet (riding a bull for the very first time in life), had to get used to the power and the vibrations it happily ekes out. But as time passed and some more rides on this bike, I learnt the “art of riding the beast”. Such is the influence that this bike has on its rider that all other bikes pale in comparo with this one!

This bike gives the rider tons of self confidence and pride, and makes one feel like ‘king on the road’. It grabs everyone’s attention on the road, in signal stops, railway level crossings, etc. There’s not one occasion where I’ve not been asked about this bike whenever I’ve stopped on the roads. True to its name, it makes one feel truly “Royal”.

Run-in Period

Riding any bike during its run-in period is really really tough for any rider (I’ve not yet completed the run-in period). I was wrongly instructed at the showroom to keep the bike’s speed below 40kmph (which is virtually impossible to do) and every time I tried to shift to the 4th and 5th gear, the bike would start stuttering.

Had a real tough time riding under 40kmph for the first 50 to 70kms! Then the bike’s manual came to my rescue. The manual instructed one to ride under 60kmph for the first 500kms (first service) and after first service, the speed could go upto 70kmph till the bike touched the 1500 kms mark. I heaved a sigh of relief after reading the manual and then onwards every ride on my Classic became very pleasant.

The Classic touches the 60-70kmph mark in no time and the one riding it will have to confirm with the odo, that bike is actually doing 70kmph. Every time I feel as though I’m doing 40kmph even when the odo shows 70kmph. Such is the power and the pickup of this bike. There is no way any other bike be compared with the RE’s (no offence meant to the owners of other brands).

Dear Everyone, I strongly recommend all of you to take care of ur new bikes and drive very carefully, within the prescribed speed limits (as given in the manual) during the run-in, So that ur bike will have a long and a healthy life and seamlessly serve you without any niggles and troubles!

Performance during the Run-In

With the Unit Construction Engine (UCE), the bike’s engine is a power to be reckoned with. It happily dishes out 19.8 bhp and 27Nm of torque. It surges ahead with beastly power and is not as lazy as its Iron cast engine cousins (Again, no offence meant to old bullet owners). In my opinion, this new age bullet is a healthy combination of the power of the sports bike (though not completely) and the charm of the vintage bullet.

The thump is muted and in no way compares with the iron cast engine ones. When an old bullet passes by my side, I feel as though my engine’s completely muted, but otherwise, sincerely, there’s enough thump for the rider and the pillion to enjoy! The cl350 comes with a straight silencer in the beginning (as the QC is not given if the bike has the bent silencer as per Indian norms) and one can go in for the bent one at the second service (3000kms) coughing up close to INR 3000.00 (with advance booking).

Quality

The fit and the finish of the Cl350 is better when compared with the old bullets, but still lacks the fit and finish of all other bikes available in the market. It’s stunning when the looks are taken into consideration with generous garnishing of chrome everywhere (even superb when the color of the bike’s black). I had some issues for the first 500 kms (which I’ll discuss later) which was promptly rectified and the issues were solved!

Power

The Classic 350cc is powered by an all aluminium, single cylinder, Unit Construction Twin Spark Engine (UCE), which it shares with its siblings such as the RE Thunderbird, RE Electra and RE Standard Bullet model. It Dishes out 19.8 bhp of power and 27nm of torque. The throttle response is very good and the pickup is instantaneous.

Styling

The Classic series of bikes are a combo of modern technology and vintage post world war era bullet. It has oodles of chrome and looks extremely beautiful to every bullet lovers eyes! Personally, I liked the chrome shocks, the long straight silencer (though I prefer the bent retro silencer) and the graphics. The rear fat tyre has converted many non lovers of RE into diehard fans of RE. The rear tyre adds its own aura to the look of the RE classic.

Suspension, Brakes and Tyres

Front suspension is the telescopic forks with hydraulic damping – stroke 130 mm. Rear suspensions is chrome plated, swingarm shock absorbers and gas filled. One can ride pretty smoothly over rough terrain like gravel and mud, and bumps on the road are easily swallowed. Well, bullets are built for the toughest of the toughest terrains and its suspension system is really responsive!

Single 280mm disc with 2 piston calipers is used for a front brake. It really looks huge for a person graduating from smaller bikes. It provides the bike with incredible stopping power, and the brake lever is highly responsive. For the rear brakes there is 152mm drum brake, internal expansion type, though I’d have preferred a rear disk brake for a bike of this size and enormity of power.

The brakes are so damn responsive that, once I almost ran over a little girl, who all of a sudden ran onto the road to pick up her fallen toy. But the brakes, applied at that instant, stopped the beast cruising at 60kmph almost instantly and the bike didn’t skid. It stood its place like the Rock of Gibraltar!

The bike uses a 19” tyre at the front and an 18” tyre at the rear. Both are MRF Nylogrip Zappers. The tyres make the bike feel planted on the road. The rear tyre, especially, is the real heart throb as it looks great on the bike and gives that bit of extra grip to the bike when compared with the other RE siblings!

Handling

The Classic 350 is a mighty heavy bike for a person who’s graduating from a Japanese plastic bike. It tips the scale at over 182 kilograms (dead weight). Even if it feels heavy for a person to push the bike around, it’s great for a person riding it. It never feels heavy once the bike starts moving. It gives the rider that extra bit of confidence by giving a feel of being planted onto the road.

It’s quite tough to handle this heavyweighter in rush hours and slow moving traffic. The gear feels a bit hard and has a lot of false neutrals. Sometimes, I’ve literally hammered the gear with my legs to change it. I hope it’ll change for the better after the second service (got better after first service). So, as I’ve said before, it takes time for a person to learn the “art of riding the beast”. But, once you make yourself familiar with the art, it feels like heaven to ride this bike.

Seating is truly comfortable for the rider. With the seat having extra chrome plated springs, it greatly enhances the comfort and acts as a secondary shock absorber. It also adds on the overall look of the bike. But the pillion seat is not very comfortable as in other RE’s. It’s too small for a person of a medium and heavy build. A wider rear seat will solve the problem.

Mileage

“A diehard bulleteer will not look at the mileage of an RE. It is the passion and the love for the bike which makes one own an RE. Those looking for mileage aspects should go and settle for smaller, fuel efficient, Japanese bikes.” – RE fans of the old school. But, for an environmentally conscious person like me, a new age diehard bulleteer, mileage of a bike greatly matters.

Economy side apart, cleaner and greener technology adaption is a must these days to slow down, if not stop, further degradation of our precious environment. So I consciously went in for a bike which delivered a good mileage with no compromise in power. My RE Classic 350 delivered an abysmal 32.5kmpl for the first 500kms. I was disappointed!

This was due to a leak in the petrol tap which was found out by my friend later. The first service didn’t help as the leakage wasn’t stopped. Another visit to the service centre stopped the leakage and the beast delivered a happy 42kmpl. Another round of manual reading and confining myself to the gear: speed ratio mentioned in it, the beast delivered a fantastic 45.5kmpl. Expecting more from this environmentally conscious, greener and cleaner new age bullet as it matures and munches more miles.

Problems I encountered on this bike till now

• Hard Gear- might soften up after some more miles and services. Has improved after first service.
• False Neutrals- takes some time to get used to and it’ll cease to be a problem after that.
• Petrol tap leakage- the washer was the culprit which was rectified and an additional washer was added to ensure that the leakage stopped. Problem solved. Bingo!
• Rattling sound: There was a strange noise from the chain which stopped after the first service.
• Wobbling: Once the bike touches the 70kmph mark, there’s a slight wobble for sometime which disappears without a trace afterwards. Will check it thoroughly after the run-in at higher speeds. Not much of a bother now!
• Rusting: This is one problem which every bullet owner faces. Rusting chains, sprockets and other small parts (very lightly though). Needs regular oiling!

What made me fall in love with this bike?

• Mileage- As mentioned earlier, a fantastic mileage of 45kmpl for a beast of this size is truly amazing.
• Smoothness- All said and done about vibrations, this bike settles down smoothly into its own aura once the odo shows 50kmph and above.
• Road Grip- This aspect of the bike, too, is fantastic. The tyres are good, as mentioned earlier, and make the bike feel planted onto the road.
• Power: Its beastly power is unmatched in its class of bikes. It gives the rider a rush of adrenaline and satiates the lust for speed.
• Lighting: The 55w halogen headlamp is the real heart throb. “When the sun sets, the headlamp of the Classic Rises”. The brightness is simply brilliant and the road ahead is clearly visible.

Well friends, I’d not like to call this post a review. I’d rather call it “an experience sharing post”. The intention of me giving this name is that I’d like to keep writing and sharing my experiences with the beast. Hope to reach out to you in my next “experience sharing post”. Thank you all!

Regards,
Madhu Bagepalli Iyengar

Original Source: Royal Enfield Announces Classic Chrome 500 for India from BikeAdvice.in

Greetings! The world of two wheelers is never ending as there is some or other new bike being introduced in the Indian market. Not many days have passed since we rolled out the news of introduction of Royal Enfield’s Classic Chrome 500 into the U.S markets. Here is another piece of great news that will make all the Royal Enfield fans go crazy. News has it that Royal Enfield has announced the introduction of Classic Chrome 500 into India soon. This will benefit RE to not only enhance their brand image but also grab some sales. The company has made the announcement of bringing the bike to India on their Facebook page.

Few months back RE has introduced the Classic Chrome 500 in U.S markets and the company is planning to bring it to India anytime soon.

To the surprise of all the RE fans, the exact dates of Classic chrome 500 coming to India has not been spilled out by the company, however it is pretty much clear that the bike is going to come to our country. News has it that the Chrome version of the Classic 500 does not differ in many ways from its regular Classic EFI version in terms of the mechanics. It is also speculated that RE would bring in the Classic Chrome 500 with a non EFI carbureted engine for India. The Classic Chrome 500 is an all in one power packed bike that can produce a maximum power of 27.2 Bhp with up to 41.3Nm of torque.

The looks of this power packed baby are pretty much astonishing with whole body drenched in silver and chrome. The toolbox, tank and the front fender also sport generous and attractive silver color that adds to the bike’s look. Also it is expected that the Indian version of Classic Chrome 500 will sport 19 inch wheel upfront. All in all, RE has decided to launch this power packed bike in India anytime soon and one may see its sales rocketing soon after the launch in India. However, the company did not yet declare any date whatsoever thus all the RE fans will have to wait in order to get their hands on this power mill.

Original Source: Royal Enfield to Launch Riding Gear and Other Goodies from BikeAdvice.in

Two wheeler sector is not just limited to manufacturing new bikes but also other things like riding gears. Many companies are trying to diversify their product range and venture into other businesses to increase their sales and brand image. Royal Enfield is one such company that has always utilized their capacity into doing something new. Recently RE has decided to launch their riding gear and this will certainly increase their revenue and take their brand image further. Not only riding gears but also the company has plans to introduce goodies as well. So all in all the company is looking to launch their goodies that include riding jackets, riding boots, glasses, helmets, pants, raincoats, key chains, bags, etc. Royal Enfield will also be launching branded accessories like luggage racks, panniers, ropes, etc.

Royal Enfield seems to having followed the iconic bike maker Harley Davidson as far as the strategy of rolling out their branded goodies is concerned. The company may also look into launching other products like racks panniers etc. This step will certainly give riders some extra stuff to buy when they go for a Royal Enfield motorbike. There can be two reasons that Royal Enfield is keen to come up with riding gears and goodies the first being that the company wishes to diversify their business for better and secondly launching new goodie and riding gear range means extra revenues and improved brand image. RE have focused on day today needs of the riders and people and have come up with this concept of introducing other accessories than just riding gears.

The company has also planned the way to make these accessories available to their fans in both India and Abroad. The people who wish to obtain these accessories can also buy it online. The products are priced very reasonably like for example the RE raincoat will be priced at 2299. Also RE is making sure that each of its products is made of highest quality. All in all, RE introducing these accessories will add a great diversification to their business.  We can only wait and see what RE has to offer and whether or not its products are accepted by the bikers.

Original Source: Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark Review by Jayanth from BikeAdvice.in

Hi everyone, I’m Jayanth from Bangalore its been 9 months since I got my Thunderbird twinspark. I must say it just feels awsome to own an Enfield & to get attention from fellow bikers & others. Lets me start on how I got my Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark. It was last year (march) that I turned 18 & was waiting to get my licence.

As soon as I got my LL in june it was just a matter of time on to get bike. Even thought I was in a lot of confusion on my bike selection it was between the Avenger 220 (it was just upgraded from 200) & the Royal Enfield. Even though my dad insisted me to go for the Avenger as it was much lighter & had great pickup than the RE.

Even though I had almost settled on avenger I still had this bug inside me thight I might regret my decison but everything cleared as soon I had a test ride of both the bikes that Thunderbird is the bike for me. I forgot to mention that I have ridden Karizma ZMR & Apache 180 which two of my cousin’s own. I must thank both of them as both of them were helpfull in selecting my bike.

Coming to the bike I had booked the bike (@ jayanagar) in the month of may even thought it took me a lot to convince my dad to buy me that. The bike had 3 months waiting time, let me you that the waiting part is the hardest searchin throughout the net for reviews. I had seen so many reviews from xbhp, BikeAdvice, bikeindia, mouthshut that I had kept calling the showroom guys every 15 days.

After 3 months the showroom guys gave me a shock that it might take 1 more month. After which I called the regional manager & demanded that I get bike as early as possible. A last I got the bike on september 17th. Myself, my cousin &my dad went to the showroom their she was the showroom guy briefed on the things that I should look out for after 1 hour they added half lt of petrol & du du du the bike was started even though the bike sound was more like tus tus tus, the echo @ the showroom made it du du.

I will not mention much of the Technicalities I would like to mention one thing about the bike i.e., Torque 28nm Which is a lot. Most of the bikers just check the bhp & cc and start comparing with other bikes which is quiet wrong. Torque is somthing that is important when your cruising at highspeeds & even the load on the bike matters. Try ridding an apache or zma with 300kgs weigh load & then try the same thing with any Royal Enfield to know what torque is.

Looks

The best part about the bike is chrome. Its just shines where ever you go. The console has a fuel indicator, speedometer & a tachometer. I must say one thing that the neutral light is very difficult to see in bight sunlight. The backrest is very good, the seats are very comforting.

Performance

Even though this is not a performance machine I would like to mention that the bike does 0-60 under 6.5 seconds which is very quick for a bike that weighs 182kilos. The sweet spot of this bike is between 80-95km/hr even though it goes beyond that it very difficult to ride the bike with the vibrations.

Before buying the bike I was always complaining with my cousin that his bike (Apache 180) has a lot of vibrations but after checking my bull’s vibs it was just a matter of time that I got used to that. Personally I have done a top speed of 120km/hr on speedo. BTW I am not sure whether my bike had a lot of speedo error or the other bikes coz when I went on a ride with 2 other pulsar’s the speeds of those were 70km/hr where as mine was 58-60km/hr so I dont know which bike has the error.

Positives

• Its very confortable. It feels like your in a sofa. I personally has ridden 400kms in a day without any butt ache & back pain.
• The auto decompress is quiet handy as u start your bike in one kick. Even though sometimes it tends to come back & hit your leg very hard.
• The perfect highway bike. It can criuse @ high speeds for hours with complaining. The torque makes it easy to take on other vehicles without breaking a swet.
• The looks of the bike is something that makes this bike so unique. Tons of chrome makes this one of the most noticible bikes.
• The mileage is something that is quiet talked about. It usually gave me around 36-38 with stock silencer in city & 34-35 with goldenstar. On the highway its a star both the silencer gives more than 40 @ speeds 80-95km/hr.

Negatives

• The false neutral is something that you’ll have to get used to. The gears requires a bit of force to change it. Its no where near close to the Japnese bikes.
• Its requires a lot of attention as it tends to rust if you dont look after it properly.
• The stock horn & silencer just sucks. I hav changed mine to roots & goldenstar respectively(after 3000kms).
• In 9 months I have visited the service centre nearly 10 times for minor problems. Thats is something that you must be aware of.

Finally before I conclude I must say one thing if your someone who likes to rip the bikes & take on the corners then definetly this is not the bike for you. After buying dont complain that it does not does fast & does not accelarate quickly. Each bike is unique & is special so please never ever compare your bike other bikes.

Park not thy Bullet in the darkness of thine garage, that it may collect dust for want of being oft ridden, ride thy Bullet with thy brethren, and rejoice in the spirit of the road.

Regards,
Jayanth

Original Source: Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 Review by Rajorshi from BikeAdvice.in

Hey this is Rajorshi from Kolkata, I am a bike lover just 4 years back I didn’t like bikes but now I love em. This love increased even more after I learned to ride em in class 11, I have been introduced to bike riding very recently, what I mean is that am riding bikes regularly since last year only. This is the story of how we (I will tell you a little later who my friend is) became friends.

It’s one fine night; I was going to my tuition class with my father. Half way through he suddenly announced that he will buy a new bike. I was shocked to hear such a nice thing. Then father told that actually he was supposed to go book the bike that morning but due to his illness he couldn’t go.

I was very curious to know what was the bike of his choice but sadly he did not tell me then, so in tuition class no physics went into my head I was thinking and thinking Karizma, Pulsar 220, ZMR what can it be, then that night I forced my dad to tell what was going on in his mind and after a short pause he said that he will book a bullet!

For a second all my excitement went down, but after a while I remembered my childhood days on my father’s old bullet (a red standard model) I use to sit at the front and enjoy the view and the best part was its sound so I got excited again and I said when are you booking it?

I will also come with you & he said Ok which elevated my excitement even more, then I gave him the news of our parent’s teacher meeting to be held at school and he told that after the meeting we will book but if my results weren’t good then everything will be cancelled.

Then the day arrived and after my father saw I did significantly well in comparison to last time he was happy and then after returning we went to the Royal Enfield showroom. [At the showroom] there were three beast (Classic 500, Thunderbird, Electra) and three minions (salesmen).

My father asked about the price of the Classic 500cc as he was keen on booking it but his enthusiasm was thrashed by the waiting period of 9 long months, then he asked about the Classic350 but that had 6 months waiting period. Lastly we asked about the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 which had 2 months waiting period, so we went for the Electra and then after booking we went back home.

Days passed on and I was growing impatient and to my surprise on fourth week from booking we got a call from the showroom that our bike has arrived and we can come for delivery after one day (they called on Saturday and Sunday was closed) I was overexcited and I could not wait to take the bike. Dad told after I return from school we can go take the bike.

All the while in the school I was impatient. But then the school had to get over and so it did and I rushed to my car and I told my driver to rush to the showroom (my father was supposed to reach there before me and so he did). I reached and saw the red Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 standing in front of me. It was ready for delivery.

I got it started after a while (I had to wait for a while as it was their lunch time) but I was shocked to hear the sound it was so minimal, so I asked the sales guy why is its sound so minimalistic and different from the Classic350 then he told that classic series use different silencers (optional fitment).

I told I want that fitted into the bike and he asked around and called up someone and gave me a green signal, then the supervisor of the service center (and the owner of the service center) came and took me and the Bullet Electra to the service center. There I got it fitted with a different silencer (as the bent silencer was not available) and a thunderbird style backrest and a leg guard, then we returned home with the bike.

Next day after returning from school I gave my first trial with the bike and boy oh boy it was an awesome feeling, though I couldn’t ride it properly, but that evening I tried it once more and voila! I could ride it with ease. There after I started living with this beast of a friend phew, there’s my long story but here’s my review of the bike.

Design and Styling

Well what can I say it’s all understated retro styling though the classic is a true blue retro but this isn’t less either. Not all love it at first sight but surely its design grows on you. Every day you pass with it you appreciate it more and more.

There are oodles of chrome thrown here and there even the engine gets a bit of chrome. The chrome rear suspension looks good to my eyes. The sari guard is blackened. Overall the bike is a decent looking one.

Quality and Fit and Finish

This is a part where Royal Enfield has to improve though it has quite a lot improved but still there’s space for improvement. Like the tank cap on mine sometimes does not come out and sometimes does not close. The paint quality is good. The plastic quality is Ok.

The fitting of the parts is not up to the mark. The pedal on the left side was comes out frequently. Recently the silencer covering has loosened very dangerously. There are these niggling issues otherwise there’s not much to complain about.

Ride and Handling

The ride is very good. It feels like its sailing over the road. It’s a ship on wheels. Sorry for exaggerating too much but yes the ride quality is really good. It would have been better if they had supplied it with an adjustable suspension at least at the rear. Handling is not sharp and agile but good for such a heavy bike.

All weight disappears when on the run and though one cannot cut sharp corners with it but still it delights as a good handler. “Though sometimes it tends to go towards left when braked hard” (am I the only one facing this issue. The workers at the service center told its normal. I seriously doubt that). It’s a pain to move about with it in heavy traffic for its heavy weight.

For a cruiser, Bullet Electra got good ride quality if not the best. It’s got just enough handling to go about highways or city streets anyways whose going to take it to the track for those Karizma,Pulsur 220 , R15, Ninja, and the CBR250R are there.

Braking

Well it’s got disk at front and big drum (153 mm single lead internal expanding) at rear thereby the result is good braking. Contradictory to what many say i felt the rear brakes are good. The disk is very big at 280mm. It has a bit of a stability issue on hard braking i.e. It lacks straight line stability. Overall braking is good.

Engine and Transmission

It’s a UCE (Unit Construction Engine) which is much better than the previous generations. Its more reliable now. It also gets twin spark which helps in efficient burning of fuel. But it also has a few shortcomings, its low on torque by as much as 4NM and it has lost that distinct thump though not totally but partially.

But what’s good is it has almost 2bhp more than the prev gen. And it’s much more agile. It’s a long stroke engine so it does not feel out of breath at any rev range. Overtaking is breezes in any gear just Twist The throttle! It has got a 5 speed gearbox with 1 down 4 up pattern which is absolutely notchy.

Sometimes it’s very difficult to find neutral and there’s lots of false neutral engagement while on the run. The clutch is hard and it can be a pain in heavy traffic. It has got vibrations but very meek ones it does not irritate. Till now I have gone up to 60-70kmph and not more because I have not yet completed 500kms.

In city it tends to overheat a lot I hope Royal Enfield keeps an option for liquid cooling. In winter mornings it does not start very easily though it does the same even in summer but in winter especially in cold night it stops sometimes and then it has to be restarted though this does not happen if its revved for a min or so.

Electrical

It provides two 12v batteries one for electric start and the other for equipments. It’s got 35watt headlight which has good throw but a 55watt would have been great. The electric start is a boon for this bike cause sometimes kicking does not help. Though I could never start it at the first press of the button but my father can (I don’t have any explanation for it).

Mileage

The biggest deciding factor for an Indian buyer is mileage. Well there’s a saying Bullet chalaney waley mileage nehi dekte i.e. Bulleteers don’t care about mileage and so do I. No not even for curiosity have I checked the mileage so sorry guys can’t give any update on this.

Conclusion

It’s a dream bike for many but because of its high ownership cost people don’t go by it but with the intro of the new engine there’s an increase in demand because this is much more reliable. What it does is. It separates the Men from the Boys! If you want speed, superior handling and show off then go for a sports bike (which even I want) but if you want royalty then go for Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350. Enfields are a class apart!

Problems

I’ve had no major problems as such other than loosening of parts and sometimes the engine use to stop on the move but that has been taken care of. It was due to loosening of the spark plug due to vibrations.

Pros

• Ride quality
• New engine
• More reliability
• Brakes
• Suspension
• Increase in power

Cons

• Gear box has miss shifts
• Fit and finish
• Handling
• Seat is not as plush as Thunderbird or Classic series
• Paint isn’t top notch

Regards,
Rajorshi Deria

Original Source: Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Review by Abhilash Bharadwaj from BikeAdvice.in

Hi everyone, I am Abhilash Bharadwaj; Just now completed my engineering course and I would wish you to join in my journey of my passion about bikes and specially Royal Enfield. I had written a review about my first bike FZ16 in the same site for the previous review and was also selected as the fourth best by the judges.

In this article, I would like to write a story rather than a review about my First Love, a legendary machine which is ruling the streets for over many decades – The Royal Enfield – Bullet 350. Passion about Bullet and how I became a owner of a Bullet. The urge to ride this legend was over many years even before I knew it was called a Bullet.

As I was happy riding the Japanese bikes for over 7 years, I got an opportunity to ride this monster in Goa when I was on a college trip. Two of my friends along with me hired Royal Enfield bikes for a day and this was probably the point I fell in love completely with this machine. That was the day I decided that further if I ride a bike it’s gonna be a Royal Enfield.

Along with this, a video named “Riding Solo to the top of the world” by Gaurav A Jani was a great inspiration for me to own a Bullet. The bike which I hired was a 2009 model STD 350 which had a right foot gear shift and it took me time to get adjusted to this pattern. I was amazed with the performance of the bike and its capacity to pull up to 50kmph in 2nd gear.

Once I came back home I started to speak fulltime about the bike its performance and comfort and my parents were fed up of listening to the same story again and again. Finally after convincing them for over a month they agreed to get me a Bullet. Now it was my turn to decide which bull to buy. I decided to go for a 350cc itself as I have plans to do lot of touring and it needs to be economical on fuel.

My Choices Were

• Thunderbird
• Classic
• Bullet STD 350
• Bullet Electra

As this plan of getting another bike was just for the sheer passion and not for any purpose, I did not have any other options than Royal Enfield and I have observed that people who decides to go for Royal Enfield out of passion will not even compare tech specs of other bikes or do research on fuel economy or even the maintenance cost. In this regard Royal Enfield is a competitor for itself and none others are in its league.

I finally decided to go for a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 because of two reasons

• My dad insisted me on that because of the Royal Enfield metal badge on the tank.
• Waiting period of classic was over 10 months and I could not wait.

As all 350cc Royal Enfield’s run on the same engine, I did not have much to worry about. Finally my dad booked for a STD 350 on 9th of November 2010 in Shimoga in his friend’s showroom as he promised to get the bike within 5 months. After a painful waiting period of 4 months (thank god I got the delivery 1 month early) I got my bike on 7th march 2011. I got it packed and loaded on to a train and finally got it to Bangalore.

I named him “Hermes” which means Greek god for travelling. From here on I kick-started the most exciting journey of my life with my faithful and trusted companion a 350cc 4-stroke motorcycle. This bike made me realize that one could also fall in love with a machine and have a bonding. Let me not bore you further with my story so let me speak about the bike, its performance, positives and negatives in brief.

Review of the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 UCE

What one would like

• Classic and elegant styling
• Sturdy design
• Comfort
• Power
• Suitable for touring
• Fuel efficiency
• Most suitable for Trails

What one may dislike

• No disk brakes or self starter in STD
• Handling is difficult for new riders
• History of high maintenance cost of Royal Enfield
• Too long turning radius
• Heavy

Styling

It’s not a bike designed or upgraded periodically with the changes in the market or the customer taste. It has the same frame and same finishing as it was a few decades ago but still maintaining the presence in market because of its classic styling which takes us back to 1970’s. The badge on the tank looks great.

Initially I faced questions like is this model still available in market including from the RTO who registered the bike, as it is not sold frequently now a days because of its drum brakes and kick starter many people prefer for other models in Royal Enfield. “Handcrafted to perfection”, the paint work done in the tank is by hand and gives it a touch of elegance.

Design

“God did not create metal to make paper clips and plastic to make bikes.!”. It should be the other way round. This logic is followed by Royal Enfield, it has a sturdy build in which plastic is used nowhere apart from mirrors and indicators. One would feel safe when on a Royal Enfield.

Comfort

This probably has the best riding position which is balanced between highway riding for long distances and trails or off-road. This makes the riders prefer a Royal Enfield to ride in the highest motor able road at very tough situations in like Leh and cross other passes. “When going gets tough the tough gets going”.

Power

There is no need for me to explain about the power of the bike. The new UCE provides a power of 19.8bhp and a torque of 28Nm. The new engine has better acceleration and provides a stable cruising at 60 miles an hour.

One should know it’s neither a commuter nor a sports bike and know the behavior of the bike and how it needs to be handled. It is the only bike which demands Respect apart from fuel.

Touring

The purpose of going for a Royal Enfield is touring, there is no fun riding a Bullet in city traffic like a commuter. One has to tour on this bike to explore its strengths and the highest level of comfort which it provides for the rider and also pillion.

It can carry up to 280kgs of load including the rider and pillion and with proper adjustments can carry luggage enough for a month of riding including tent and other equipments.

Trails

The purpose this machine was built was for military by Enfield during the world wars. Till date, Royal Enfield is supplying this machine for Indian Army and other defense organizations. So I need not tell how much this bike is suitable for trails and its tough frame with a sturdy build gives confidence off roads. To other bikers other than Royal Enfield: “You can go faster but I can go anywhere”.

Fuel efficiency

With the new engine, Royal Enfield claims a fuel efficiency of 52kmpl under road conditions (not standard test conditions). But in city riding with ignition on in traffic lights and my riding style, my bike gives a fuel efficiency of little above 40kmpl (of which I am very happy about). For a fair review I would also like to write about drawbacks of Royal Enfield.

Drawbacks

As Royal Enfield Bullet 350 does not have either disk brakes or a self starter as a option, people riding other bikes may feel little uncomfortable as they have adjusted for lot of comfort on their plastic bikes. It is huge bike which is 7ft long and a wheel of size 19” and a weight of about 180kg with fuel and oil make handling for new bikers a difficult issue and one may feel it not practical to ride a Bullet in city traffic.

Maintenance of RE bikes as observed has been high and one need to care about the bike like a kid and cannot just ride it and forget it. Cost of maintenance has a great issue with Royal Enfield but now they claim their new engines are better in terms of maintenance. UCE bikes lacks in Thump provided by the old cast iron engines.

Advice

There is no need to advice any Bulleteers about his riding style or skills as all the Bulleteers would be matured enough in their riding style unlike other bikers with just enthusiasm. “Boys ride toys, men ride Bullet”.

For people who are thinking to own a Bullet; go for a Royal Enfield only if you have passion for a Royal Enfield otherwise it may not be a pleasant ownership experience. All the owners would have faced lot of problems but their passion which is tons greater than problems have made them keep their bike even for decades.

Verdict

Other bikers may feel Bullet is a piece of crap in a outdated design but only Bulleteers or anyone having passion towards a Bullet will know how one truly feels when he is on a Bullet and on the road leaving the crowds behind. In this bike I have traveled very little of about 1700km in these 3 months.

I am a part of Royal Indians Enfield Owners Club and have done few short rides. But I can assure that it’s a great machine and one would truly enjoy every minute spent with this bike. Hoping to do lot of touring and trails on this bike, I would like to end this review by sharing a quote. “Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window”.

Before finishing off this review I would like to thank all the people involved in production, design and maintenance of this Legend, all the workers in Chennai plant for giving us a great machine “Royal Enfield”. I am proud of being an owner of the oldest existing motorcycle brand in the world.

“Biking is not all about speed; it’s about Passion, Respect, Love. And sense of Freedom”.

I would like some suggestions from all the readers especially Deepak Raj about any improvements which can be brought about.

I would look forward for all your comments and suggestions. Ride safe, Ride Royal.

Regards,
Abhilash Bharadwaj

Original Source: Royal Enfield Classic 500cc Video Review from BikeAdvice.in

This is a review of the Royal Enfield Classic 500cc motorcycle in video. We plan to create more video reviews like this in the coming days. Your feedback and suggestions will be highly expected and appreciated.

The rider in the video: Ram. Video Created by: Naren. Videos and Photos: Deepak Raj.

Special thanks to: Praveen from Royal Enfield for arranging the test drive of this wonderful machine. Kannan, who drove the car while I took the video of the bike.

Original Source: Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark Ownership Experience by Joel Chandra from BikeAdvice.in

Hi, I am Joel Chandra and have been following the thumping for a long long time. I am originally from Mumbai but have been settled in Hyderabad for quiet a few years now.

Finally got my hands on my Thunderbird. I got a call on 28-Apr-2011 at 10:00 Pm and was asked if I can take the delivery on 29-Apr and I was more than happy to do that. I left workplace at 3:00 Pm, picked my wife and kiddo and we all went to the showroom. I must say, it looks a little chaotic and by no means was the waiting experience amazing. But I am ok about it since I did not spend more than 4 hrs for the whole process to finish (Tiring it was).

When I entered the RE Showroom, I saw atleast three Red TBTS parked and I instantly started looking for the bike which would be mine. I handed over my documents to the sales guy and again started to check them out. I selected one and told the guy to close on that.

Well, I asked them to take it out from the herd which helped me check it with more caution. I was convinced and told the sales guy to block the bike. Cash was paid and I was informed that I can get the accessories fitted until the insurance and other things are in place. I am not a fan of saree guard and hence only installed a crash guard. I did not get what I wanted since the stock was not available. I will use the current crash guard may be for an year and then change to the one I want/like.

Finally, I was on the bike and started riding. It was getting dark and I switched on the headlight and I felt that it needs a upgrade. I would be installing Phillips 55/60w after or during my first servicing. I had 90/100w on my avenger and it did the job very well.. For my bull, I do not want to take that risk now. May be once I get to meet others who have used this without problems, I would be convinced to do that. I am not willing to use a relay for 55/60w bulb though.

The Riding Experience

Let me come to my riding experience. Well, the first day, I rode for about 120kms within Hyderabad. The bike is just amazing to ride. I am getting used to the loud engine noise which I was not experiecing in any of my earlier bikes. The best thing that I noted was the comfort that it gives. My wife and I were very comfortable even on rough patches of the road. It being in run-in, I did not exceed 60kmph, however, I felt the reponse from the engine is best when you are going above 2k RPM. Also, the gear seems to be a little hard but I do not complain of it. That is how RE is suppose to be.

5th-May-2011: I have done about 400kms on the bull and it seems to be improving every day. I am waiting to get the first servicing to be done. I am planning to go to Bidar this Weekend and visit the gurudwara there. But before that, I would want the servicing to be done. There are a couple of things that needs to be taken care during the first servicing for my bike. They are

1. Gear shifting seems to be too hard. Need to get that checked.
2. Horn is too too low
3. headlight focus is not right. Needs to be adjusted.
4. Chain is either too tight or too loose. When I have a pillon on bumpy road, I hear some sound from the chain.
5. The rear number plate is not alighned. I had informed this while taking delivery and I was assured that this will be aligned during the first servicing.

Other than this the regular fastening of bolts, checking of brakes and other things.

7th-May-2011: (First Service 433Kms – 7 Days from the date of delivery). Got my bike serviced today and things seems to be in much better shape now. The bike has become more responsive and most of the below problems have been sorted out.

1. Gear shifting seems to be too hard. Need to get that checked. – It still remains the same. I am told that is exactly how it is.
2. Horn is too too low – This was rectified. There was some tuning issue.
3. headlight focus is not right. Needs to be adjusted.- Slightly loosened the unit and correctly aligned. I also replaced it with Philips 55/60w Halogen. Excellent coverage on the road. I need to check it tomorrow while I am on the road trip to Bidar.
4. Chain is either too tight or too loose. When I have a pillon on bumpy road, I hear some sound from the chain. – The chain has been adjusted and greased well.
5. The rear number plate is not aligned. I had informed this while taking delivery and I was assured that this will be alighned during the first servicing. – This has been done.
6. The headlight switch is slipping sometimes:- Asked RE Service Center to replace it. Stock not available right now. This will be done during the next servicing. This has been assured by the Territory Service Manager.

Regards,
Joel

Original Source: How I got my Royal Enfield Classic 350cc from BikeAdvice.in

“Good Things come to those who wait”, is a caption which I often used to see, since my childhood, while visiting my family doctor at his clinic. That sign board still hangs on his door to this day. It has had an immense effect on my life and thinking. I always used to remember this caption while waiting for anything I was expecting, be it exam results, going out, while being stuck in traffic, standing in a queue, etc. Infact, I’m still waiting to achieve some more dreams before I settle down in life. That caption should be applied by everyone in this world and it will have a great effect in bringing about peace in everyone’s life.

Well, I started my journey of being an avid automobile lover with my dad’s purchase of a brand new LML Vespa Select Scooter, although I’d learnt riding my uncle’s Suzuki Samurai much before. But, the new scooter was a nice addition to my family, which brought out the true automobile lover in me. I used to play, imagining riding the scooter all around Bangalore, sitting on the scooter. It was a Sparkling Blue coloured scooter, which was my favorite at that time.

Sometime later, my cousin, Paternal Aunt’s son, stayed with our family for some time and brought a second hand Standard Model, Iron cast Bullet. He had got the engine of the bike tuned so well that, the beats were simply fantastic to listen to. But that didn’t impress me then, and my love for Royal Enfield was a big ZERO at that time (coz it’s a man’s bike and I was a boy then!). I became a proper two wheeler rider, learning all the lessons of riding, on my dad’s LML Vespa and passed the DL test using the very same scooter.

My journey of becoming a two wheeler owner started off with Pulsar 150-DTSi, my first Bike. I was very endeared to this black beauty of mine because of my experiences associated with it. Brought this bike during my final year of Degree and it seamlessly served me for four years without any hitches, bad incidents or experiences. After Sometime, It was time to move on and I sold it off after a good 4 year stint with it for a very good resale price.

Then the question arose, what next? I surprised many of my friends with my next choice of purchasing a gearless scooter (surprised myself too!) and brought home a Suzuki Access.

It was one of the best gearless scooters in the market (still is) then. Rode it around for two years before going in for another change. By this time, I was in deep love with the grand old man of them all and the humble beast, The Royal Enfield(RE). My love for the Bull had started after I had purchased the Access and it took me two long years to bring my dream bike into my life.

It was really tough for me to convince my parents on purchasing the RE because of their belief that RE’s are heavy and my personality didn’t suit the size of the bike. Moreover, Suzuki access was relatively new and I had no justification for the change. I just had to keep quiet and wait patiently for the right time. That time didn’t take too long to come (read the caption in the beginning). I found a job and was posted to a rural area which required a sturdy strong vehicle for those rugged roads. This was the time to justify my demand ( and passion) for an RE and my dad agreed instantly.

Everything fell in place and I made my trip to the showroom of RE after 15 days of finding a job. I had read many blogs, watched n number of videos, visited innumerable websites to zero in on the best RE model. I was confused to the core on which bike to zero in on as all of them had the same engine, except for the cosmetics. It was a really tough time in choosing the right model (many of you prospective buyers might be in the same dilemma). I finally made a choice and decided that the bike I’d own would be a Royal Enfield Classic 350cc. Upon enquiry with the sales guys, I was disappointed to know that the waiting period was 8 long months( even though I was aware of it) and there was no other way to bypass this long period of waiting( I even offered Rs.10,000 extra for an immediate delivery but to no avail). I just had to wait and could do nothing about it. My craving for this bike had reached its peak during this time and found it really tough to control it. But I remembered the caption on my family doctors door and started to count days( months infact!!!) for the delivery of my bike. I just kept my love for this bike in hibernation for 8 months.I also didnt take a test ride coz it’d make me more desperate to own the C350 immediately and I’d find it extremely difficult to wait for 8 months and also because of my confidence in the performance of this humble beast.

During the waiting period, I satisfied my appetite for this bike by watching videos, reading blogs and looking at snaps of the bike. I used to follow this bike whenever I found it in traffic, secretly admiring its beauty (I observe others doing the same while I’m on my bike now!!!) and browsing for them in parking lots of malls. I used to enquire from the C350 owners (wherever I found them) about the performance. This happened for seven months and I didn’t bother visiting the showroom for enquiring the status of my booking coz I knew very well that I wouldn’t be getting the bike sooner than 8 months. After seven months and 15 days had passed, I visited the dealer and enquired with him and got a promise that the bike would be delivered within the next 15 days.

After waiting out my full quota of 8 months, there were no signs of me getting my bike on time and another visit to the showroom saw an extension of another 15 days. This was the time I thought I should be assertive and start exerting pressure on those sales guys. Another five days, another visit to the showroom, another round of threatening (friendly though) talk yielded a promise of me getting my bike in another 5 days for sure. This happened on a Saturday. Monday, I got a call from the sales guys (after me calling and reminding him) that I’d be getting my bike on Wednesday. I made full payment and walked away happily that the wait had almost come to an end. On Wednesday, the day of delivery, I called to confirm the delivery and was disappointed with the reply of the sales guy. “ Sir, I forgot to take your signature on a document and there is no way that I can get your vehicle registered today and deliver it to you”. Disappointment again….. Damn!!!!!

I rushed to the showroom and signed the document and extracted another promise for getting the bike delivered the next day ( I didn’t shout at him as I thought that it was of no use) and warned him that I would bring the roof down if I didn’t get it the next day.

It was a bright sunny Thursday and I was all set to receive my love in the evening. Called the sales guy to confirm and pat came the reply, “ sir, please take your bike tomorrow along with all the documents or you can take the bike today and collect the documents tomorrow”. This time I thought I had waited for too long and my patience had thinned out. I said to the guy that I had waited enough and come what may, I wanted the bike and the documents together the same damn evening. I went to the showroom and threateningly said that I’d not allow him to close the showroom till I got my bike delivered. The delivery time was slated to be 5.30 pm and it was 7 pm and there was no sign of the documents, though the bike was there. It was 7.30 pm when I laid my hands on the beautiful, shining Royal Enfield Classic 350cc and my joy knew no bounds. Had got my dream bike after an arduous and agonizing wait of 8 months and 13 days!!!!

“Good Things Come To Those Who Wait”. Thanks to my family doctor who had enlightened me with the caption on his door and brought in loads of patience into my life for this helped me wait patiently for 8 months just to lay my hands on my dream bike!!

Will be back with a detailed review of the bike, its performance and my experiences of being a proud owner of a Royal Enfield Classic 350cc!!

- Madhu Bagepalli Iyengar