Royal Enfield Old Generation Classic 350 2021 Price in Kolkata

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is widely regarded as a quintessential example of modern retro motorcycle design, blending old-world charm with contemporary features. Here's a comprehensive review:
**Design and Build:**
The Classic 350 is celebrated for its vintage aesthetics. Its design draws inspiration from mid-20th century motorcycles, featuring a rounded headlamp, traditional analog speedometer, and retro-styled fuel tank with a prominent Royal Enfield badge. The build quality is robust, with a solid metal frame and durable components that reflect Royal Enfield's commitment to craftsmanship.
**Performance:**
Powered by a 349cc, single-cylinder, air-oil cooled engine, the Classic 350 delivers a smooth and reliable performance. With approximately 20 horsepower and 27 Nm of torque, it offers a comfortable riding experience ideal for long-distance cruising. The engine's characteristics provide a satisfying low-end torque and a steady power delivery, making it suitable for both city commutes and highway rides.
**Comfort and Handling:**
The Classic 350 features a well-padded seat and a classic riding posture that ensures comfort on long rides. The suspension system, comprising telescopic front forks and twin rear shock absorbers, is tuned to handle a variety of road conditions. While it offers a relaxed and stable ride, it may not be as agile as more modern, performance-oriented motorcycles.
**Technology and Features:**
The bike includes modern conveniences such as a digital trip meter, a USB charging port, and an anti-lock braking system (ABS), which enhance its usability and safety. However, it retains a minimalist approach with fewer high-tech features compared to some of its competitors, which some riders appreciate for maintaining the bike's classic charm.
**Fuel Efficiency and Practicality:**
With a fuel tank capacity of around 13 liters and a mileage of approximately 35-40 km/l, the Classic 350 offers decent range and fuel efficiency. This makes it practical for long-distance touring and daily commuting.
**Overall Impressions:**
The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is ideal for riders who appreciate classic styling and a nostalgic riding experience. It strikes a balance between retro appeal and modern reliability, making it a popular choice among enthusiasts of vintage motorcycles. While it may lack some of the advanced features found in newer models, its timeless design and dependable performance continue to attract a dedicated following.

About the Reviewer

Pros:
- Visual appeal: The Classic 350 has a vintage style that has made it Royal Enfield's best-seller for years. The design includes a round headlamp, round mirrors, a peanut-shaped fuel tank and a peashooter-style exhaust.
- Smooth engine: The 350cc engine is profoundly smooth, even at 100kmph, which makes highway cruising a breeze.
- Handling: The weight distribution of the motorcycle is bifurcated as 46% at the front and 54% at the rear, which makes it feel more balanced and agile.
- After-sales and service network: The service cost of the Classic 350 is around Rs 1,200-1,400, which is not expensive. Also, finding a Royal Enfield service centre is not difficult in any region across India.
Cons:
- Heavyweight: The Classic 350 has a 195kg kerb weight, which could be quite a handful to manage when moving it around in the parking or treading slowly in traffic.
- Firm ride quality: The ride quality is not very comfortable, especially when there is a pillion. The ride feels even firmer with a pillion.

About the Reviewer

Performance of the bike, does not depend just on the new unit constructed engine, but also on the usage. If ridden within acceptable limits, the bike will exhibit a higher than perceived fuel efficiency. I get raised eyebrows from people, when they hear my bike runs at 40–42 kmpl.
Although, the bike is sufficiently engineered to serve both everyday commute and long rides, it is still not a perfect machine. There may be minor sporadic issues like blown lighting bulbs(parking, speedo) , braking switches going kaput, clutch cable snapping and some more. So far, I have not experienced any serious breakdown, while on the road. Bottom line is, if the vehicle gets its due attention and servicing, chances are rather slim that one would face issues.
Like many RE bikes, it does not have tubeless tyres, which obviously means, that a puncture on the road will certainly cause some distress. But then, if you ride with the correct tyre pressure, you may not have to see that day.
As mentioned earlier, one can do long stretches on it, and it is quite comfortable. Credits to the spring seat for that. For the pillion rider though, I cannot say the same. The stock pillion seat and a lack of backrest, are to blame. In one of my rides along with a friend who rode pillion, after 9 hours of riding, he utterly refused to ride back in the same fashion, and took the overnight bus instead. May be, RE should think about the pillion rider too, and include a better pillion seat and a decent back rest.

About the Reviewer