GROUP TEST – Royal Enfield Bullet, Classic 350, Classic 500, Continental GT
It’s no secret that the Royal Enfield brand is growing, both here in Australia and worldwide. It should also come as no surprise that Australia is now one of the most important markets for the Indian-owned and made brand.
While still a niche player against some other manufacturers, Royal Enfield’s growth – 50 per cent every year for the past five years - is seeing the brand expand beyond its current stock of classically-styled singles, with new models, like the Himalayan. However, the well-known and well-liked Classic and Bullet remain the bedrock of the brand worldwide.
Launch Ride
This past December, JUST BIKES, along with other members of the motorcycling media, special and invited guests, took part in a ride day to celebrate the opening of Royal Enfield’s first Australian brand store, located in Cremorne in inner-suburban Melbourne.
After seeing plenty of Royal Enfields on the road, but not having ridden or even sat astride one until now, I was keen to get on the range and experience for myself what all the hype is about.
The day consisted of time on the Classic in 350cc and 500cc form, 500cc Bullet and the 535cc Continental GT, which are all LAMS approved and identified, respectively, as “Retro Street,” “Standard Street” and “Café Racer” in the locally-available range. (JUST BIKES previously tested the Continental GT on that model’s UK launch back in 2013).
Under sunny summer skies, the route for the local event represented a good mix of tarmac, with time on the Nepean Highway down to Portsea, which was OK, followed by some twisties around Red Hill and Arthur’s Seat, which was much better! The variety of road types and surfaces that made up the ride allowed a good assessment of the abilities of each Royal Enfield model.
Enjoy the Ride
Having produced these bikes in their Indian factories for the past 60 years, Royal Enfield know their product and know their market. As such, their mantra is “enjoy the ride”. Royal Enfield understand that they don’t produce the fastest, most highly-specified or technically advanced motorcycles on the market, but their customers get that, too; understanding that they’re basic bikes designed for relaxed riding enjoyment.
As I see it, Royal Enfields are for weekend coffee meet-ups, day trips to places like Arthur’s Seat or a run down the coast: it’s all about cruising and enjoying the ride. As such, the range, with the exception of the Continental, makes for a handy commuter, too.
But, in assessing the current Royal Enfield lineup, it’d be fair to say the range currently appeals to the “mature” rider; someone with memories of the UK-made Royal Enfields who appreciates the authenticity of the current, Indian-made range to those British originals.
Where Royal Enfield are yet to make an impression is in the younger urban hipster market. Ducati has hit this segment dead centre with their new Scrambler, but Royal Enfield are only starting to tap into it with their casual and rider apparel range. If (but more likely, ‘when’) they add a range of factory accessories allowing riders to personalize their bikes, that lucrative younger market is sure to follow.
Some initial moves have already been made in this area, with last year’s factory-organised ‘Custom Bike Build Off’ competition showing the personalization possibilities with a Royal Enfield.
Classic Look
Since they first started getting serious about exports, Royal Enfield’s motorcycles have been subject to ongoing improvements. Getting their existing range right has allowed the “next step” in bikes, like the Himalayan, to be produced with a confidence that they’ll be well-made and reliable.
A walk around the test bikes before we got underway showed a degree of fit and finish that I was impressed with. Things like chrome and paint work, tinware, plastics, wiring and switchgear all look as you’d expect on a bike that starts at $5,590 (for the Classic 350, with the Bullet listing at $7,490, the Continental GT at $8,590 and the Classic 500 starting at $7,990).
All three have an old school look, but of the range, the Continental GT is unquestionably the glamour model and the one we were all keen to spend some time on. With the choice of bold GT Red or GT Green tinware (there’s also a GT Black), the Continental looks the goods and evokes visions of the ‘ton up boys’ - even amongst those of us born well after that era ended!
By comparison, the Bullet is less eye-catching and the Classic is downright homely. But there is a simple charm to the Classic, with the Lagoon Blue version particularly appealing. On the Bullet, it’s chromed tank badge, more detailed paint treatment and practicality of the twin seat serve to make it look more substantial than its smaller sibling.
If I was selecting a Royal Enfield purely on visual terms, the Continental GT would win hands down, but if that wasn’t available (Royal Enfield says that demand regularly outstrips supply), I’d probably go for the Classic over the Bullet.
That’s Comfort
Compared to some bikes I’ve ridden recently, sitting on the Bullet is like dropping into a sofa; there’s comfort in abundance, which combined with an easy-on-the-wrists-and-neck riding position makes racking up the miles a pleasure, albeit with one caveat, but more on that later.
It’s a similar story with the Classic and Continental, but neither can match the Bullet in the comfort stakes.
Being basically appointed, all the switchgear and instrumentation is simple and straightforward. There are no complicated rider assist functions or multi-function display options with the instrumentation; it’s all very “analog”. On the Bullet and Classic, there’s a speedo (no tacho), fuel gauge and the usual idiot lights on the ‘casquette’ headlamp that’s been a signature feature on Royal Enfields since the 1950s. Speaking of which, those two pilot lights on the casquette serve no real purpose that I can see, but they’re part of the heritage appeal of the brand.
The Continental GT gets twin clocks with a tacho, and the usual warning lights for battery/engine/high beam, as well as a gear position indicator.
While the Continental seat may not be the most comfortable, the rear hump does allow you to brace yourself against it, so you feel more “planted” when unleashing your inner café racer!
On the Road
For those of us who still like a kicker, Royal Enfield have retained the kick start on all three models, while those of us who appreciate the convenience of an electric starter have that as well.
Once started, each bike idled smoothly and quietly, but initial clutch action was heavy and take off was a little sluggish, but nothing too disconcerting.
The torque curve is pretty narrow, so on each bike I found myself working through the gears a lot to get up to speed. On this ride, it wasn’t really an issue, but if I was traversing similar routes on a daily basis, I’d be inclined to go for something more “torquey,” like a Yamaha MT-07, for example. On the flipside, you definitely know what gear you’re in, transition is solid and finding neutral fairly easy.
With the 535/500cc of the Continental GT/Bullet, suburban and country roads were a breeze, but highways will be a little wearying, as the vibrations at higher revs do become an issue. Both models feel at their best in the 80-90km/h range, but vibration is apparent – and annoying – even here. At 100km/h+, they’re close to their limit, so if regular highway riding is on the menu, maybe go for something with more capacity.
With only 350cc on tap, the Classic does its best work as a suburban runabout and a “cooler” alternative to a scooter. The more time I spent on it, the more I liked it. With additions like a carry rack or dual seat (which is available), I’m sure it’d appeal to more potential buyers.
At the Bars
With the Classic and Bullet, handling is fairly docile. By that I mean that they feel stable and go where you point them, but you lean in cautiously, as you are doing this on skinny tyres and somewhat soggy suspension. For everyday riding, the handling performance is fine; these bikes aren’t made for hammering into turns and I think most everyone understands that.
On the GT, I could push it into corners with more speed and confidence, but it wasn’t the remarkable improvement over the other two that I was expecting.
Handlebar position is broad and flat, with the GT’s bars being higher, wider and more comfortable than I had anticipated, despite the café racer look.
Braking performance was adequate across the board, with the rear disc on the Continental GT delivering more bite over the drum rear stopper on the other two. That drum rear brake did feel weak, but adding a disc probably goes against the Bullet/Classic’s retro appeal and would no doubt add to the price, too.
As you’d expect, lever action is smooth and progressive for the front brakes. On the GT, I was probably pushing it to its performance limit on a number of occasions (as were others), so being able to pull it up safely and securely was welcome!
Final Thoughts
After time on the Classic, Bullet and Continental GT, the overwhelming impression of all three bikes was that they represent motorcycling in its purest form.
Royal Enfields are basic motorcycles, but in this instance, “basic” doesn’t mean “boring”. With each model, you know exactly what you’re getting and none of the bikes are trying to be anything they’re not.
You don’t get some of the bells and whistles that you’d find on the latest from Japan, but you do get enough modern features, like disc brakes, electric starting and EFI induction, to make them usable as daily rides without compromising each model’s hefty dollop of retro style - and that’s a big part of Royal Enfield’s appeal. Michael Catchpole at Mid Life Cycles Royal Enfield phrases it better than me when he says: “Royal Enfield bikes offer the classic riding experience without the pain that can go with some classic bikes.”
All the current range are LAMS approved, so new buyers, be they first time youngsters or returning oldies, would do well to look at a Royal Enfield (particularly the Bullet, which is the all-rounder of the range) as part of their buying decision.
Since the launch event, I’ve gained a lot of respect for Royal Enfield and have added a new item to my bucket list in the form of a Royal Enfield ride in India, like those run by Nevermind Adventures. So I guess you could say the bikes made an impression on me!
