New RE Bullet 350: what to expect?

After over a year of spy shots on public roads, Royal Enfield has finally given us a launch date for the new Bullet 350. Its oldest and most iconic model will enter its next generation on August 30, and here’s what you can expect.

New RE Bullet 350: engine

The biggest change to the new Bullet will be right at its heart, in the form of the new 349cc J-platform engine. This motor is already deployed in the current Classic 350, Hunter 350 and Meteor 350, and is likely to be carried over as is – producing 20.2hp, 27Nm and paired to a 5-speed gearbox.

Aside from specs and output figures, this new motor will also bring a huge improvement to overall refinement, and the crippling high-RPM vibrations that currently plague the Bullet are likely to be a thing of the past very soon. Another by-product will be the elimination of the kickstarter. The Bullet is currently offered in a more affordable kick-start-only variant, as well as costlier versions equipped with an electric starter. The former will no longer be offered after the update.

With the Bullet receiving the new engine, it will mark the demise of the 346cc UCE engine that rescued Royal Enfield from the depths of its troubles, back in 2010.

New RE Bullet 350: chassis

Just as it was with the previous generation, the updated Bullet will share almost all its underpinnings with the current Classic 350. So expect a double downtube frame, along with a conventional telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers. Wheel and tyre sizes should also be the same as the Classic’s – 100/90-19 at the front and 120/80-18 at the rear.

Our experience with the current Classic 350 has shown us its balanced and comfortable ride, which you can expect from the new Bullet, too. It will also almost certainly be a neater handle than the bike it replaces, but don’t expect a sharp-handling motorcycle.

As far as differences against the Classic, these will be limited to areas like the seat, headlight and tail-lamp. Where the Classic features split seats, the Bullet will get a single-piece seat, like it currently does. The hood over the Classic’s headlight will not make its way over to the Bullet, and the design of the tail-lamp will likely be different as well.

So far, the Bullet has only been offered with a rear drum brake on all variants. However, the Classic and the more affordable Hunter 350 get rear disc brakes on their higher variants, and so perhaps this could come to the Bullet as well. If it does, it would mean that the Bullet gets dual-channel ABS for the first time.

New RE Bullet 350: features and price

It will be interesting to observe the pricing and placement of the updated Bullet. Before the Hunter was launched last year, the Bullet was the entry point to the Royal Enfield line-up, offering the most affordable price tag and the most basic feature-set. With the Hunter (starting at Rs 1.5 lakh) now occupying the entry-level spot, it is even more affordable than the present Bullet. The Classic, meanwhile, starts at Rs 1.93 lakh, leaving a large gap in the middle. It remains to be seen exactly where in this gap Royal Enfield will place the updated Bullet.