Review of the Macho 350cc Bullet - a Bike for All Seasons

The Royal Enfield has relaunched the Bullet about 2 years back. It is a 350 cc bike which has over the decades endeared itself to the Indian public by its performance . The bike has a classical look of the early fifties and in case you are a nostalgic buff the bike will certainly please you.

The Royal Enfield bullet comes with a 350 cc engine. A 500 cc version is also available but it is heavier on petrol and also costlier. The 350 cc is thus a better bet. It supports a 4 stroke single cylinder engine with a 4 speed gear box and develops 18 bhp@5000 rpm.The bike is easy to ride and even hitting a pot hole on the road at 70 km an hour is none the worse for the rider and the bike.

The bike has an all tubular steel frame. The latest version has interchangeable wheels and disc brakes and thus the ride is smoother. In addition the bike has a unique gearbox having a separate "neutral finder" foot lever which allows you to select neutral directly from second, third or fourth gear without downshifting.

Most of the bikes come with the kick start version. But in their 'thunderbird 'model the Enfield have a self start option. But the kick start version has a relatively soft kick and the engine revs up with a firm push of the kick lever.

The bike is very good for all types of roads and can be even used on the village trails so common in the sub continent. The bike runs nicely and the front telescopic fork and shock absorbers at the rear give a fairly smooth ride. The bike is excellent for long drives as it is powerful and cruises with two persons easily. I recently drove the bike from Mumbai to Nashik about 160 km from Mumbai and I certainly loved the drive. The bike handled like a breeze-smooth and steady.

The bikes pick up however does not match the Japanese bikes .It is a little slow, but then people who buy the bullet buy it more for its stability and ease of use than just pick up. Fuel economy is reasonable with the bike giving about 30-35 km on a liter of petrol in tough city driving conditions. On the highways you can get over 40 km to a liter.

Royal Enfield has an extensive dealer network and spare parts and service is not a problem at all. In addition all models meet emission and noise requirements as specified by the government. The bike is also exported and it does have a clientele in England. The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is essentially a rugged motorcycle that has proven itself for over forty years in the toughest of conditions. In India it is priced at about 90,000 rupees and for its price is a good buy. The Madras plant churns out 25000 bikes a year and if you like a vintage sturdy bike then you cannot be faulted for going for a bullet.