Royal Enfield Bullet 350 (2024) - Review

Technical Review - Ben Purvis -  Sept '23
Riding Review - Steve Lamb - Mar '24

Retro bikes are still all the range and they don’t come much more authentic than the Royal Enfield Bullet – a machine that can trace its heritage all the way back to 1932 and from a styling perspective hasn’t moved on much since then.

For years that refusal to move with the times made Royal Enfield the butt of jokes, but in today’s market, where authentic retro appeal is much sought-after, the slow pace of development is a positive boon. And the latest Bullet 350 is genuinely a new model despite sticking close to the appearance of its predecessors, boasting the same ‘J-Series’ engine that debuted in the Meteor 350 in 2020, bringing Euro5 compliance to Royal Enfield’s entry-level models.

We spent a couple of weeks with the Bullet, riding a variety of roads from bumpy backroads to busy motorways, to see if the Royal Enfield lightweight can cut it as a modern usable bike.

Maroon, Black and Black Gold test bike, which came with options fitted (see below)

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Price

The Bullet 350 starts at £4629 if you opt for a simple black or maroon paint scheme, while the more ostentatious ‘Black Gold’ version, as tested, carries a slight premium at £4,709. Not expensive by any measure, but it’s worth noting that you can get a bike with the same engine – the more modern-looking HNTR 350 – for as little as £3899, the cruiser-style Meteor 350 from £4059, and the single-seat Classic 350 from £4619, making the Bullet the high-end model of the 350 range.

Add in a few of the many official accessories and it's easy to break the £5k mark. The bike we tested, for example, has the following accessories fitted:

• Brown Touring Seat - £150

• Passenger backrest mounts - £30

• Brown passenger backrest pad - £22

• Black touring mirrors - £144

• Silver octagon engine guards - £93

• Touring screen - £92

taking the overall price to £5,188 - still some way from the new Classic 650 (at £6,499), but hardly a 'budget' alternative.

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Engine & Performance

The 349cc ‘J-series’ engine debuted in the 2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 and, with 20.2bhp on tap, arriving at 6100rpm, it’s no fireball - but then that's no real surprise. Peak torque is 19.9 lb-ft, but at least it’s all there at 4000rpm so you’re not forced to rev it too hard to get all it has on offer. A lack of a rev counter means you'll have to feel when the torque drops to make the most of the engine, but you soon pick it up and it's easy to make good progress.

You’ll still be needing the gears to get the best out of what performance is available, and like the Meteor the Bullet has just five speeds with fifth very much being an economy boosting over-drive. So few ratios might seem a little too retro, but bear in mind the Bullet didn’t even get that many until the 2000s, and even stuck to an old-school right-foot shifter until this century, so the left-foot shift and five gears is still plenty modern in Bullet terms. The engine itself is an SOHC single with two valves and air/oil cooling, and the internal dimensions are unfashionably under-square, with a 72mm bore that’s dwarfed by the 85.8mm stroke. As with Royal Enfields of the past that simplicity is a selling point rather than a drawback. Enfield’s huge success in India is, in part, down to the fact its bikes can be depended upon and are easy to fix.

Out on the road, and taking in a near-hundred-mile test route, the Bullet never feels out of its depth. Even on busy motorways, there's (just) enough power to keep up the faster traffic and overtaking slower moving vehicles can be done with ease. If anything, it's probably the lack of wind protection that would be the limiting factor on faster roads, though the optional touring screen fitted to our test bike helped enormously with this.

On A and B roads, keeping to the speed limits (don't you always?!) makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable ride - the engine seems to be in its happy zone at around 55-60 mph, producing a pleasing soundtrack while still returning some impressive consumption figures (more on that below).

In town, it's more of the same with the engine's easy-going nature shining through, though I do find the initial pick up from idle a bit 'fluffy'. I guess we're so used to the instant response of twins and fours that we forget that singles can be that bit slower to respond, and I wondered if a bit of tweaking of the throttle free play might improve matters and give a more immediate response.

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)

The J-series engine is fitted in a similarly conventional, simple frame – a twin downtube spine chassis – with suspension that’s also very much in the traditional mould. 41mm right-way-up forks at the front offer 130mm of travel, while the twin shock rear offers a touch of adjustability with six steps of preload. The tyres are considered wide in Bullet terms, but to most of us the 100/90-19 front and 120/80-18 rear are on the spindly side of slim. But what’s the point of anything wider? Narrow tyres avoid excessive changes to the geometry as a bike turns, and the large wheels are well suited to coping with rough roads – another boon in Royal Enfield’s Indian homeland, but increasingly one that riders in the UK will appreciate as the country’s plague of potholes remains rampant. One downside to the simple, rugged design is that the Bullet, like other Enfield 350s, is a little heftier than you might expect, with kerb weight of 195kg. The brakes – a single 300mm front disc with a two-pot caliper, a 270mm rotor and one-piston stopper at the rear – feature the mandatory ABS at both ends.

On the road, the suspension is the main area where the Bullet starts to show its age of design and budget specifications. On faster bends, or when the road surface is uneven (ie seemingly all roads in Cambridgeshire), the bike can feel a bit unsteady and has a tendency to weave. Thankfully is all very predictable and so once you get over the first experience of it, you know what to expect and can either ease off through corners to avoid it, or just hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

Around town, the handling is much better suited with very light and precise steering, an uncanny ability to soak up potholes and overbanding (I guess they get lots of development time in India) and confidence inspiring weight distribution despite the 195kg all up weight.

Despite having 'just' a single disc at the front, braking is confident and assuring, especially if, like me, you favour the back brake when riding at low speeds. My only gripe with the brakes was the tendency to push the front tyre when coming to a hard stop, causing the ABS to kick in momentarily. This may have been due to the low road temperatures and far-from-grippy post-winter surfaces combined with the low and long geometry of the bike. Again, not a deal breaker and easily avoided with a slight tweak to your riding style.

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Comfort & Economy

The Bullet’s thickly-padded dual seat might not look as cool as the single, tractor-style pad of the Classic 350, but it promises more comfort as well as the ability to lug a passenger around. At 805mm it’s neither excessively tall nor ultra-low, and it sits behind a 13-litre fuel tank similar to the Classic’s. Those litres are going to take you a long way. Royal Enfield claims economy of 2.63l/100km, or 107.4 miles per imperial gallon to use a more familiar measure. That means each 13-litre fill has the potential to take you more than 300 miles.

As you can see from the photos, our test bike was fitted with selection of accessories from the touring range, so while I can't comment on the comfort of the standard bike, I can confirm that if you are looking to do some extended miles on your Bullet, adding a few extras may well be the way to go.

The touring seat added to our bike was certainly comfortable enough for the 100-mile non stop stint that is my favoured test route and while, by the end of it, I did have some aching in my bum cheek, a quick fuel stop and stretch meant I was ready for more. If you are looking to change the seat and have a shorter inside leg (at 5'6", mines only 28"), then it's well worth trying it out at your local dealer before committing. I have a feeling that the wider body of seat may make it a bit more difficult to flat foot with both feet. There is a 20mm lower, similar looking "Low Ride" seat which may be better suited if this is the case.

The touring screen meant that the wind blast was greatly reduced, but I get that its a bit Marmite - not for everyone - and does detract from the looks of the bike. It's easily fitted and removed though, so even if you only plan to do one or two longer trips per year, it's a good investment to make those journeys more pleasant.

When it comes to economy, the Bullet really shines - easily achieving over 95mpg, despite my best attempts to drain the 13-litre tank as quickly as I could. With a less eager right hand, I'm sure the manufacturer's 100+mpg figures can be achieved, if not beaten.

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Equipment

The ‘equipment’ part of most modern bikes’ spec sheets is packed with initialisms and acronyms, with multi-layer menus to navigate and a baffling array of modes and features. That’s not the case with the Bullet 350. It has what you need, including two-channel ABS and even a USB port (though, hidden away behind the clutch lever, it's not exactly accessible on the go), but while the instruments – a single, large speedo set into the top of the headlight cowl – have a small digital display, there’s not much else to mention in terms of tech.

 Accessible through a push button on the back of the left switch gear, the digital display comprises two trips, a clock and mileage, while an 'Eco' indicator shows when you are riding economically (basically when the throttle isn't fully open).

In comparison to its rivals, you might look at the Bullet as being basic, verging on antique, but for me, this simplistic style adds to the charm and authenticity of the bike.

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Rivals

The Bullet 350’s main rivals are, most likely, its own stablemates – if you’re in the market for a retro bike in the sub £5k arena, Royal Enfield very much has you covered. However, you might also be swayed by the Benelli Imperiale 400 (a classic Italian name that somewhat disguises the model’s Chinese roots), which is even cheaper, while the likes of the Mash Five Hundred – which actually has a 400cc engine – also target a similar customer.

Royal Enfield Classic 350 | Price: £4619

Read more

Power/Torque

20.2bhp / 19.9lb-ft

Weight

195kg

Benelli Imperiale 400 | Price: £3699

Read more

Power/Torque

20.8bhp / 21.4lb-ft

Weight

200kg

Mash Five Hundred | Price: £4299

Read more

Power/Torque

27.1bhp / 22.9lb-ft

Weight

160kg

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Verdict

The current crop of retro-modern bikes reminds me of another current trend in retro technology - that of remanufactured 8-bit computers.

In recent years, there has been such a resurgence in interest in platforms such as the Commodore 64, Atari 2600 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum, that we have seen the re-release of these systems for modern users. While they maintain the same basic premise of the originals - they run the same software, have the same memory constraints and are, on the most part, just as basic and frustrating to use - they also incorporate a few minor tweaks to make them usable in the 2020s. HDMI ports make them compatible with modern LCD screens, USB ports allow the (instant and reliable) loading of software and saving of progress, and many of the electronic components have been swapped for modern reliable alternatives. Switch them on though, and you are transported back forty-years to a world of Jet Set Willy, Yars' Revenge and Boulder Dash.

The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 follows the same ethos. Modern tweaks such as ABS, EFi and USB make the bike more usable. Modern reliable components replace the outdated and unreliable ones, meaning you spend more time riding and less time mopping up oil leaks and adjusting valve clearances, but once you start the bike, you are once again transported back to the machine's heyday.

Are there better and more capable machines available? Yes of course. Just like modern consoles massively outperform their 8-bit ancestors, modern clean-sheet designed bikes will outperform the Bullet, but that's not really what counts. It's the feeling you get when you turn on your speccy, or mount your Bullet that makes you smile, and what price do you put in that?

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.

2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.