Royal Enfield Bullet 350: Reinventing an icon

Few brands can aspire to achieve cult status. A handful achieves that exalted cachet, that point of immortality, when its buyers are not just willing to forgive a not-so-perfect past, but also join in a celebration of its future. A brand’s history can be baggage or can become a timeless adage. The successful ones evolve, reinvent, and move with the times, and yet retain the undying spirit of the original. In that league of icons sits the Royal Enfield Bullet, a motorcycle like no other. It is a motorcycle that has more epic stories around it and its owners than an anthology can compile. And “Bullet Meri Jaan” has been a familiar anthem, even for a generation that hasn’t grown up owning one or having the ‘privilege’ of dealing with the Bullet’s fix-on-the-go simplicity. 

The Royal Enfield Bullet’s legacy is huge. The very name conjures up images of the armed forces and their legendary stunts on Republic Day parades, of Bullets riding with ease over ‘kutcha’ rural roads and of DIY repairs that were quintessential to the ownership experience. But today’s generation of riders, on average, are not attempting to conquer anything more than the neighbourhood’s ‘gullies’, they are not grease monkeys and the Bullet’s appeal may seem a bit distant for that class of buyer. These thoughts were flashing in my mind even as Royal Enfield’s top management pulled the wraps off the 2023 Bullet 350 last week. To find out if the legend lives on, I borrowed one for an extended test ride. Here are my first impressions. 

Ageless Design

How does one redesign a 90-year-old motorcycle with the kind of incredible history, recall and following as the Bullet? You don’t. You gingerly just refine, not change, its fundamental character and design. The Bullet’s design has remained almost unchanged from the 1950-60 era. That timelessness of its design is at the core of its appeal. So, the round headlamp with its bright light throw (halogen now), the tiger’s eye pilot lamps on either side and that signature Royal Enfield casquette (head) that houses these have been replicated in the 2023 Bullet 350. Crowning the casquette are a combination of analog and digital instruments. The classic trio of circular dials with chrome bezels will always remind the rider how the design has stood the test of time. And the dummy dial with the Bullet logo is like a time stamp. 

 The teardrop 13-litre fuel tank with gold pinstripe; that legendary hand-drawn pair of thick and thin gold pinstriping is a Bullet signature and RE made sure that it continues the tradition of hand-painting for the 2023 Bullet too.  | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH

The Bullet’s unique traditional design elements continue but are better finished and executed for an audience that has come to expect it. Most of these parts have been borrowed from the current Classic 350, which in turn had been inspired by the Bullet. The teardrop 13-litre fuel tank with gold pinstripe; that legendary hand-drawn pair of thick and thin gold pinstriping is a Bullet signature and RE made sure that it continues the tradition of hand-painting for the 2023 Bullet too.

 There are differences in design between the Classic 350 and the new Bullet 350, but the multiple shared parts, especially at the front does make them look like fraternal twins.  | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH

There is an undeniable appeal, and even more so after one witnesses the dedicated artists create the stripes with an ultra-steady free hand. There are differences in design between the Classic 350 and the new Bullet 350, but the multiple shared parts, especially at the front does make them look like fraternal twins. While this may confound new buyers (maybe not Bullet fans), I don’t think RE would be worried whether one sells or the other. Of course, since the new Bullet 350 is based on the J-Series engine platform there are many other similarities too. So, much of the middle section of the two bikes are nearly identical. The Bullet gets rectangular side boxes. 

The tail lamp and turn indicators are also shared with the Classic 350 with some minor changes | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH

Overall, the build of the 2023 Bullet is still meant to mimic the original’s simple, yet rugged construction. The single, solid seat has been reworked for better comfort during short and long rides and there is the option of choosing touring and low-rise seats from the genuine accessories on offer. There is still a lot of chrome on the Bullet 350, again in deference to the original. The headlamp cowl ring, the classic wheel spokes and the suspension springs, shocks and the lower arm are all finished in chrome, in addition to the chromed plastic parts for the turn indicator housing, the bar-end weights etc. New, classier Royal Enfield and Bullet 350 logos adorn the fuel tank and the air-filter box cover. The handlebar remains a tubular chrome member with a chrome bolt-on flap to retain the Bullet character (shared with the Classic 350). The same goes for the rear grab handle that is a slim, powder-coated tubular steel unit with open bolts. The riding posture is also typically Bullet with its higher seat height (805mm) and upright configuration. 

Build and Features

There is a certain inevitability to making any motorcycle of today refined and bug-free. The days of the past when Bullets could be forgiven for being whimsical are gone. The 2023 Bullet 350 gets a new twin downtube spine frame that RE says is more rigid and offers better manoeuvrability at the same time. On the road, the new Bullet does seem nimbler and quicker than its 195kg kerb weight would suggest. The rims and wheels that have been chosen are also meant to aid in offering more grip and stability at higher speeds. The front gets 19-inch rims and tyres, and the rear gets 18-inch wheels and rubber. The choice of suspension complements this set-up with 41mm front forks that offer 130mm travel and dual shocks at the rear with a 6-step adjustable preload. 

The round headlamp with its bright light throw (halogen now), the tiger’s eye pilot lamps on either side and that signature Royal Enfield casquette (head) that houses these have been replicated in the 2023 Bullet 350. | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH

The attempt at refining and repositioning the Bullet for a modern audience has led to a few additions like the USB charging point mounted below the handlebar, though it doesn’t go as far as getting a tripper navigation pod. To improve its stance and aesthetic, the new 2023 Bullet 350 gets wider, chunkier mudguards at the front and rear. The tail lamp and turn indicators are also shared with the Classic 350 with some minor changes. The Bullet 350 also gets 300mm disc brakes at the front and a 270mm disc at the rear. The base trim Bullet Military Red and Military Black get a drum brake at the rear and single channel ABS. But the mid-trim Bullet Standard and top variant Bullet Black Gold get discs and dual channel ABS. The switchgear is all also shared with the other RE motorcycles. They are clean, feel rugged and functional, and intuitively positioned. The small LCD digital screen displays just the fuel gauge, current time, and an ‘Eco’ indicator to inform the rider of his riding style. 

Familiar Performance

The UCE mill (unit construction engine) of the previous Bullet has been replaced by the new J-Series 349cc engine, which is already being offered in three RE motorcycles including the Classic, the Meteor, and the Hunter. This is an updated, tried and tested engine platform and in the Bullet 350 the single cylinder, 4-stroke, air and oil-cooled engine delivers the same output as in the Classic 350. Peak power is 20.2bhp and max torque is 27Nm. The big advantage with this engine is its refinement levels. The primary balancer shaft cuts out a lot of the vibrations, and there is very little by way of harshness that I feel at the bar or at the pedals even when I cross into 3-digit speeds. Unfortunately, there is also the inevitable dumbing down of the trademark Bullet thump. There is less of it one hears while riding the new Bullet 350, but frankly I could feel more of the thump at the seat of my pants. Pulling away from low speeds while at a higher gear raises the exhaust note . 

The front gets 19-inch rims and tyres, and the rear gets 18-inch wheels and rubber.  | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH

While this engine ensures that power delivery is linear, the characteristic low-end torque ensures that one doesn’t need to frequently change into lower gears; the Bullet 350 pulls away clean without any knocking. The heel-toe activated shifts on the 5-speed gearbox are crisp and the clutch action is light. The new Bullet feels stable on the straights like the previous-gen but is also quite planted and predictable into corners. I couldn’t ride it through road conditions that were varied enough to comment about its ride quality. But it feels comfortable on mildly broken tarmac and my guess is it’ll be quite like the classic 350. The riding position is a bit more upright, and one can easily chug along at slow speeds without frequently changing gears. 

The UCE mill of the previous Bullet has been replaced by the new J-Series 349cc engine, which is already being offered in three RE motorcycles including the Classic, the Meteor, and the Hunter. | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH

Gen-Z appeal?

The Bullet has evolved, but so have buyers. It is going to be a toss-up for buyers between the Classic 350 and the new Bullet 350. Nostalgia alone isn’t going to be enough, and the Gen-Z may not fully identify itself with this history and charm of the Bullet. But the legend lives on and for Bullet fans it is still an icon. Prices for the three trim variants of the 2023 Bullet 350 range from about ₹1.74 lakh to ₹2.16 lakh. 

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