2021 Royal Enfield Classic 350 review, road test

Let’s be real, if not for this gorgeous red and chrome colour scheme, it’d be rather difficult to tell that this is the brand-new Classic from even a couple of bike lengths away. That’s funny because the truth is that every single panel and surface on this motorcycle is new and there are no part carryovers from the old Classic.

Manufacturers often refrain from messing with fundamental design elements of their most sought-after offerings, but, in this case, they’ve gone the extra mile and held themselves back from even making any changes that could alter the overall look. And to be honest, can you blame them? Firstly, this is a design that changed the very destiny of Royal Enfield. Secondly, and more importantly, it’s already so damn good-looking.

What Royal Enfield has used this opportunity to do is to make a big improvement in fit and finish, and overall quality of components. The first things you’ll notice are the updated switchgear cubes, levers, balloon-grips and neat bar-ends. The switchgear cubes are identical to the ones on the Meteor 350, and they look and feel vastly superior to the ones they replace. That said, we wish the pass-light switch was slightly easier to operate. The non-adjustable curvy levers, meanwhile, look like they belong on this bike. However, they are quite thick, which makes grabbing them a little difficult, and riders with smaller hands will end up straining their fingertips under heavy usage. The balloon grips and bar-ends look expensive and are hard to fault.

Another nice touch comes in the form of the fuel-filler cap that sits a lot more flush. Royal Enfield has redesigned other points that you’d touch as well. The foot pegs, for instance, look top-notch and the seat is more supportive. The company has also ditched the twin-spring set-up under the rider’s seat for a fixed cantilever mount, thus keeping you from floating around in the corners. If you were a fan of the old-school look of the springs, worry not as you can buy some aesthetic springs as an official accessory. 

They’ve also finally gotten rid of the hideous tail-light and number plate assembly and opted for a much more simple set-up. This has really tidied-up the rear of the motorcycle. Speaking of tidying-up, for 2021, the bike has much neater welds, uniform usage of Allen bolts and no exposed wires. This level of detail is a clear indicator that the company is also targeting more-developed global two-wheeler markets, just like they did with the Meteor 350.