Royal Enfield has sent us a Block Your Date for August 30-September 1, and the company says that this is for the launch of an 'old' motorcycle. You don't need to be a detective to conclude that this is almost certainly referring to the new Bullet 350. The legendary Bullet has been in production since 1931, and it will finally be updated to RE's more modern J-platform, receiving the much smoother 349cc engine already present in the Classic, Meteor and Hunter 350.
UPDATE: Prices for the Bullet 350 will be announced on September 1
The Bullet is currently the last remaining model to still use the 346cc UCE engine. This is the motor that propelled RE to the top of the middleweight charts and effectively rescued the company from ruin, when it was first introduced back in 2010. With the Bullet now set to receive the new 349cc J-platform motor, it will signal the end of the long-standing UCE mill.
Engine and otherwise, the updated Bullet is expected to be exceedingly similar to the current Classic 350, with the subtle differences here being a single-piece seat, a different tail-lamp, and the removal of the hood over the headlight. Expect the engine to produce the same 20hp and 27Nm as it does on all the other J-platform models, and the chassis to be the same as the Classic’s as well.
What will be interesting to see is the pricing and placement of the Bullet. Before the Hunter came around last year, the Bullet was the entry-point to the Royal Enfield line-up, offering the most affordable price tag and 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.
All prices ex-showroom, Delhi