RE Bullet 500 launched

Royal Enfield has launched a new variant of its Bullet Twinspark called the Bullet 500.

This new variant gets tweaked styling, a larger capacity engine and upgraded brakes. The Bullet 500 comes in a new green colour, a silver and golden restyled Royal Enfield emblem, a backrest mounted on the grab handle for the pillion and borrows the tail-light from the Classic series.

The new Bullet 500 houses a four-stroke, twin spark, 499cc, single-cylinder and air-cooled engine which will breathe through a throttle position sensor equipped carburettor. This engine generates maximum power of 26.1bhp at 5100rpm and peak torque of 4.17kgm at 3800rpm.

This engine is mated to a 5-speed, 1-down, 4-up shifting gearbox, transferring power to the rear wheel via a chain. The Bullet 500 weighs a hefty 193kg and is held together via a single downtube tubular steel frame. This new Bullet uses a telescopic fork suspension in the front and a set of gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear.

This motorcycle uses 90/90 x 19 inch rubber in the front while a 120/80 x 18 inch tyre does duty at the rear. For stopping power Royal Enfield has provided the Bullet 500 with a 280mm disc in the front and a 153mm drum brake at the rear.

The Bullet 500 is priced at Rs 1.53 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). According to the manufacturer, the Bullet 500 will first be available in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi-NCR and Kerala which have traditionally been the best markets for it.