2023 Royal Enfield Bullet First Ride Review: Made Like A Gun, Goes Like A Bullet!

Royal Enfield Bullet 350: The longest-running production motorcycle has finally come of age, 92 years later. The 2023 iteration of the Bullet 350 is mature, still manages to tug at your heartstrings with its iconic thump, and also stays true to what it's always known for: a no-nonsense motorcycle that’s retro through and through. Here’s how Royal Enfield did that:

Refinement: Like a hot knife through butter

We gotta say, the J-platform engine (transplant) felt like an ageing person getting a new lease of life from a brand new heart. It’s light years ahead in refinement than the UCE (Unit Construction Engine) that the older Bullet 350 had. Even when the revs feel out of syllabus, it still thumps along unyieldingly, like a Terminator steadily walking towards its target, Sarah Connor. 80kmph? No problem. 100kmph? Yes, why not! 110+kmph? Well, sure thing!  As I kept pushing the bike to its limits with a wide open throttle, the Bullet whizzed past traffic, chasing the horizon relentlessly. There was a slight buzz from around 90kmph, but nothing too worrisome. Just like the Classic, it can stay comfortably at 90-100kmph all day long with nary a stress. As I said, this Bullet is like a mature youth who doesn’t complain when pushed out of its comfort zone. 

The fifth gear is good from 80kmph and above, whereas the fourth gear is the perfect cog if you want to ride that wave of torque and overtake vehicles between 60-80kmph. If you’re in the city limits, then the first three gears are long enough to keep the momentum going. Even the first gear was tall enough for me to crawl at 20-30kmph without having to change any gears. What made it even more manageable is the fairly light clutch, much better than the one on the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. The shifts are smooth, clean and precise too, with none of the clunky feeling that its predecessor had.

Most importantly, it still has the characteristic ‘dug-dug’ thump the moment you crank the engine, which feels a little more pronounced than on the Classic 350’s. Due credit goes to Royal Enfield as it can only do so much in an era of ever-tightening emission norms. Sadly, hardcore fans will have to miss the iconic kick start lever. Royal Enfield could’ve provided one as it only makes loading the gun all that more engaging. 

Can you curve the Bullet?

Oh yes, you can, as long as you’re not expecting streetfighter-levels of involvement. The new double cradle chassis comes with a  41mm fork (6mm fatter) that provides you with just the right amount of feedback of what’s happening on the surface below, all the while soaking in the bumps. However, the rear (twin emulsion shock absorbers, 6-step preload adjustability) felt slightly stiffer, which could partly be due to the somewhat rigid cushioning of the new, contoured single-piece seat. And yes, even though the seat is 5mm taller (805mm), it’s narrow enough up front to let this 5’5” rider plant his feet comfortably. And though I couldn’t flat-foot completely, it wasn’t all that much of an issue. 

The brakes are much more communicative than the ever-so-wooden units in the older Bullet. With a 20mm larger front rotor, the stopping power was fantastic, and the lever felt progressive too. However, the feedback from the lever could’ve been a bit more communicative. The 270mm rear rotor tends to bite hard and triggers the ABS, especially on gravel or wet surfaces. Another aspect to appreciate is the rifled barrel of a chassis that keeps the Bullet as straight as an arrow (quite literally) at subsonic speeds. 

A chromed-out Desert Eagle

As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only constant in life is change.” But the primal human instinct in response to that is fight or flight. Honda learnt it the hard way with the Unicorn, even Bajaj did with the Pulsar 220F.  It’s important for the Bullet’s target audience to preserve the revered looks, so Royal Enfield has managed to keep the Bullet’s simple yet loveable iconic lines intact. That said, the boxy rear fender could’ve been as lengthy as the UCE Bullet, which would’ve added a bit more charm to the bike. Royal Enfield could’ve also retained the boxy taillight as the circular ones now look too similar to that of Royal Enfield Classic 350. But at the end of the day, design is always subjective.

Pimp My Rifle

Another major update is the new Classic 350-derived semi-digital instrument cluster. It’s got an analogue speedometer, tell-tale lights, and a digital inset that shows the dual tripmeter readings, fuel level (yes, finally, a fuel gauge on a Bullet!), odometer readouts, and a clock (Bullet time? hehe). There’s a large Royal Enfield logo on the right side of the console, which, to be honest, looks overdone and doesn’t serve any purpose. It does get replaced by the optional Tripper Navigation pod for an extra Rs 5,000. However, we feel Royal Enfield could have provided the iconic ammeter there as standard.  

The Chennai-based bikemaker has also overhauled the switchgear to rotary units. Honestly, I’m not a fan as they feel a little too cumbersome to operate, especially with two of the switches on the left handlebar (for the indicators and for the low/high/pass beam) moving horizontally. It tends to mess with your brain that’s hardwired to use your forefinger for the pass beam, which inadvertently ends up toggling the readouts in the LCD screen in the Bullet. I never got used to it in my long-term Royal Enfield Meteor 350 even after several months of using the cruiser.

'Colt' of personality 

In the age of dwindling attention span and fast-paced, ever-pervading capitalism, the new Bullet 350 reminds you to take a breather, and enjoy the journey and not just the destination. But then, that’s also exactly what the Classic 350 does. This epiphany gets even more real when you compare the price tag of the two bikes. At Rs 1,97,436 (ex-showroom Delhi), the mid-spec Standard Black/Maroon is the one to go for. However, the same-spec (spoke wheels, with dual-channel ABS) Halcyon Green/Black colour variants of the Classic 350 are just Rs 4,658 more (prices are as of writing this review). The premium isn’t all that substantial for a person looking for a near 2-lakh rupee retro motorcycle, so it all boils down to what kind of styling you like. Capitalism really is a double-edged sword, isn’t it?