The Royal Enfield Classic is the brand’s most popular modern motorcycle that’s sold in 75+ countries globally and today the Chennai-based bike maker has launched the next-generation Classic 350. To make sure every prospective buyer is attended, Royal Enfield has introduced the new Classic 350 in five different variants — Redditch, Halcyon, Signals, Dark and Chrome. Furthermore, the motorcycle is available with the choice of 11 different colour options to choose from. As for the pricing, the base model carries a sticker price of Rs 1.84 lakh for the Redditch which goes up to Rs 2.15 lakh for the Chrome.
Keeping to the same design that is liked by people around the world, Royal Enfield has revised the styling but made sure to not change the essence of it at any cost. Starting from the front, the headlamp now features a clear lens with a better improved reflector while the instrumentation is now semi-digital with a small LCD unit for displaying the Odometer, fuel gauge, trip meters, clock, ECO indicator and a service due indicator. Only the top-spec variant gets the GPS Tripper navigation system, borrowed from the Meteor, that allows the rider to pair their smartphone for turn-by-turn navigation updates. Other new bits include retro-styled switchgear and USB charging as seen on the Meteor 350. The seats design is new and also is the rear tail lamp cluster.
The new Classic 350 is built around Royal Enfield’s new J-platform that comprises the all-new chassis, swingarm and motor that was first featured on the Meteor 350. The new chassis has made the motorcycle a lot better and much more planted around corners. The front telescopic forks are now 41 mm while the rear twin shocks come with six-step preload adjustment. The setup is not slightly stiffer which has contributed to improving the overall dynamics of the motorcycle. The motor powering the new Classic 350 is a 349cc air/oil-cooled unit that does duty on the Meteor 350. The fueling and ignition timings have been slightly tweaked to match the Classic’s distinctive character and feel. The motor is tuned to deliver 20.2 bhp of max power at 6100rpm and 2.75 kgm of peak torque at 4000rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox that is slick and shifts cogs like butter.
Royal Enfield is currently offering 35+ accessories for the new Classic 350 and will be updated with more items later on. Read the first ride review of the motorcycle by clicking here.
