Royal Enfield’s Bullet is an icon, especially in its adopted homeland of India.
First made in 1932, it has the distinction of being the longest continuously produced motorcycle in the world. Far from being a modern day retro wearing the name and a few styling cues, the latest incarnation of the Bullet looks and feels like a proper classic motorbike – with all the good and the bad stuff that brings with it.
Powered by Royal Enfield’s 349cc long-stroke, single cylinder J-series engine, the latest iteration of the Bullet puts out just a smidge over 20bhp. That’s less than even the 1932 originals, which made an impressive (for the time) 25bhp and was good for a 100mph top speed.
The latest version struggles to top 70mph, but in terms of delivering vintage bike vibes there really is no other motorcycle which can roll out of a showroom and give you the feeling a Bullet does.
For starters there’s the look, which is super authentic. From the tubed 19” front and 18” rear wheels, standard fare in the 1930s, to the nacelle headlamp and tank design, today’s Bullet looks like it should be in a museum. And while today’s Royal Enfield is famous for offering their bikes in a myriad of different colour schemes, the Bullet comes with just two options – both of which are black. Our test bike was a smart matt black with blacked out metal work, while the alternative is a gloss black finish with plenty of shiny metal. Both have traditional pinstripes to complete the look.
To ride, the Bullet hits different too. Ergonomics are from another era, with the footpegs placed quite high and more forward than a typical modern roadster. With tall narrow ‘bars, you could be forgiven for thinking you were on a 1950s Brit bike. It’s comfortable to begin with, but I did find I cramped up quite quickly (and I’m only small). I wouldn’t want to go on long runs on one, let’s put it that way.
Pull away and you quickly realise just how charming the Bullet is. The minimalist speedometer looks great and slowly rises with the twist of the wrist, and only the tiny little LCD inset (which features a clock, fuel gauge, odometer and trip meters) gives the game away. There’s also a little USB-C charger hidden away behind the left hand switchgear, but if you don’t tell anyone it’s unlikely they’ll notice!
We’ve ridden many Enfields at Insidebikes and are always impressed. Last year we rode the HNTR 350, which uses the same engine but in a more contemporary chassis, and it is immediately clear that the Bullet is very much its own bike. That 19” front wheel means the Bullet’s steering is lazy and quite heavy and, at the risk of repeating oneself, it just feels like it’s from another generation. It even sounds good, for a modern bike.
And that’s really the Bullet’s USP. It’s a brand new classic motorbike, which gives many of the feels of an old Brit bike but without the breakdowns. It is better, of course. The brakes need a bit of a tug but are decent, the suspension is basic but well ahead of anything you’d find on a genuine classic and the five-speed gearbox is light and slick. You will be happy to know that the gear lever is on the left though, and not on the right as was tradition for old British bikes.
Designing the Bullet must have been a tricky job for Royal Enfield’s design team, for the original really is a cultural icon in India. Having served the British military well in World War II, the Indian Government ordered 800 Bullets for its own military use in 1949. Six years later, tooling for the 1955 specification Bullet was sent over to Madras and Enfield India mass produced the Bullet under licence.
Even when the original company went under in the 1970s, the Bullet continued to be built and sold in India – where it was considered the Rolls Royce of motorcycles. Some were even exported to the UK, where they appealed in small numbers to those looking for some cheap wheels or a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Today’s Royal Enfield Bullet 350 may not quite have the same cache as its ancestors, but the modern day company has done a remarkable job in staying true to its most famous model. It looks the part and rides as traditionally as any contemporary bike can.
It’s not a retro in the sense of a modern Triumph Bonneville or even Enfield’s own Interceptor, but a real life vintage motorbike. Dynamically, Royal Enfield make far better bikes, including the cheaper HNTR 350, the faster Guerrilla 450 and the twin-cylinder Interceptor 650, but that really isn’t the point. This is all about the vibes and the feels. You’ll know if you want one and if you don’t… well you won’t ever be convinced.
At £4629 the Bullet makes plenty of sense for classic bike riders who want a reliable bike they can just go out and ride, either on its own or as part of a multi-bike collection. There’s no fuel taps to worry about, no kickstarter, no oil on the garage floor… just turn the key, thumb the starter and go. The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is a unique motorcycle in today’s marketplace, and we’re all the better for having it.
Royal Enfield Bullet 350 specification
Price: From £4,629
Engine: 349cc, air-cooled, two-valve, single cylinder
Power: 20.2bhp @ 6,100rpm
Torque: 27Nm @ 4,000rpm
Suspension: 41mm telescopic front fork. Twin rear shock absorbers with six-way preload adjustment
Wheels: Spoked, 19” front and 18” rear
Tyres: Tubed, front 100/90-19, rear 120/80-18
Weight: 195kg (wet)
Seat height: 805mm
Fuel tank: 13 litres
Contact: www.royalenfield.com
