Royal Rumble

Royal Enfield are best known for their classics, specifically the ‘Bullet’ models that can trace their history back to the 1950s. More recently, the ‘Himalayan’ adventure tourer has shown a new direction for the Indian manufacturer, but the classic models remain the company’s bread and butter. A new addition to that classic family – at least a new addition to the Australian Royal Enfield range – has arrived in the form of the ‘Rumbler 350’.

First things first. The “Rumbler” name is a little odd and it’s not what this model is known as in its home market. It’s actually called the ‘Thunderbird’ in India, but Triumph, obviously, wouldn’t be too happy seeing that name here, so it’s Rumbler for the Australian market. In India, the Thunderbird/Rumbler is one of Royal Enfield’s best sellers and has been a stalwart model in the lineup there for almost two decades.

While the Rumbler is available in both fuel-injected 500cc and carburetted 350cc firms in its home market, we’re only getting the 350 version for now. The new arrival shares its bones and powertrain with the equivalent Classic 500 and 350 models, but changes elements like the seat, tank, handlebars, front fork and other elements to give it its distinct cruiser identity.

At the Rumbler 350’s official Australian launch in Melbourne at the start of March, myself and the assembled journos were given a briefing on the new arrival, which Royal Enfield labels as an “urban cruiser”. A day/night cruise started in Melbourne’s CBD and took us to Lygon Street in Carlton, then to St Kilda’s Luna Park, along the beachfront on Beaconsfield Parade, then back to Royal Enfield’s Melbourne HQ (aka Mid Life Cycles) in Richmond for the official launch party.

After that, an evening ride over the Bolte Bridge and a section of flyover that connects the Bolte to the Tullamarine Freeway completed the launch. The point in listing the route is to show that we ran the Rumbler through a series of high and low speed scenarios that Melburnites will be familiar with and that typify the type of environment Royal Enfield expects most Rumbler buyers will use these machines.

On first inspection, the Rumbler 350 seems to have more chrome than the Classic 350 (as you’d expect on a cruiser), but place the two side by side and you realise it’s actually about the same. The Rumbler blacks out almost all of the Twinspark engine, but adds brightwork to the new-design side covers, exposes the fork legs and headlight shell (RE’s signature ‘casquette’ is gone) and also features a chunkier stainless steel exhaust.Combined with the high-and-wide handlebars and other changes, the extra bling gives the Rumbler that bigger cruiser look.

The saddle is lower and combined with a pillion seat and small padded backrest that’s better integrated than the pillion pad on the Classic 350 and suits this model’s cruiser ethos. Ahead of the bars, there’s a chromed, two-clock dash, with analogue speedo and tacho, below which is a digital odometer, fuel gauge and clock (left pod) and the usual idiot lights (right pod). The headlight combines a projector-type lamp with a halogen position light. There’s also a hazard light function on the indicators, which is a Royal Enfield first.

Front and rear guards are trimmed a little compared to the Classic, while the tank is reshaped and adds a bold chrome badge instead of the decal identification on the other Classic models. Chromed, spoked rims are as per the Classic 350, but the Indian MRF Zapper tyres use a different tread pattern in this application.

Opinions will vary on just how attractive the Rumbler is (more on that later), but there’s no denying it fits the “cruiser” aesthetic. The Rumbler 350 is currently available in a choice of three colours; Stone (matt black), Marine (dark metallic blue) and Lightning (metallic dark green).

As soon as you sit on the Rumbler, you notice its differences over the Classic. The seat height of 775mm is both low and comfortable, making it easy to plant both feet on the ground. Being a smaller capacity bike, the Rumbler is relatively narrow, too, so straddling it will be easy, even for shorter riders. Even with the lower seat, higher bars and slightly forward-control placement of the footpegs, the riding position is quite neutral and not typically “laid back” cruiser-style.

On the foot pegs, they feature heel & toe gear shifting, which is new for a Royal Enfield (and takes some getting used to), while the foot brake is oversized, too. Hand controls, however, are unchanged. The dash and Instrumentation gauges are basic but match the styling of the bike. The switchgear is all standard fare and there are no rider assistance features – but you can’t expect them on a bike that still features a kickstarter. That kicker adds to the old school aesthetics of the Rumbler, and thanks to the auto decompressor, using it is simple, too.

Having ridden Royal Enfield’s Classic and Bullet models, I had a fair idea what to expect from the Rumbler 350, especially given that no changes have been made to the Twinspark 350 or the gearing for the 5-speed transmission. That means the 346cc single delivers 14.7kW at 5,250rpm and 28Nm at 4,000rpm: not jaw-dropping, but not embarrassing, either.

First gear engaged effortlessly and clutch operation is smooth and although slightly on the heavy side, is not enough to be a concern. Speaking of heavy, the Rumbler carries an extra 5kg compared to the Classic 350. Once in motion, I had to concentrate on the heel & toe method, but soon found it easy and enjoyable to use. That being said, if you don’t like it, you can still use the shifter normally, as many did on the launch.

Moving up through the gears was simple and smooth, but with no gear position indicator on the instrument display – only a neutral light - I did find myself fumbling at times to correctly select neutral. It was more embarrassing than frustrating and certainly not a deal breaker.

As mentioned, acceleration is adequate, but not as torque-rich as you might expect. Take off from the lights is smooth and powerful enough to get you in front of traffic in a timely manner, but I did find myself working through the gears to get to the appropriate city speeds, especially when we were transitioning to 80km/h stretches. In that respect, more torque would be welcome.

On the higher speed sections of the test, the engine vibrations made themselves apparent and while those vibes are part of the “vibe” of an old-school cruiser like this, it’s not something you’d want to put up with for a long period of time.

Around town, the Rumbler performed well and I found it would hold lower speeds comfortably without constantly checking the gauges for fear of speeding through a 40km/h zone. With larger bikes, it’s easy to add 10km/h very quickly, but on the Rumbler, I was easily able to maintain 40 / 50 / 60 for an extended period without the needle moving. For a city bike, this was great.

While straight stretches of road are the forte for any cruiser, an ‘urban cruiser’ needs to be able to handle twisties, too. So, as part of the launch, we ran our Rumblers along Yarra Boulevard. This road isn’t Black Spur by any definition, but has enough twists and turns to explore the Rumbler’s handling. I was pleasantly surprised by how it performed; the bike tracked well through the corners - even at pace.

There’s no denying the Rumbler is a cruiser and it handles like one, but due to its compact size and relatively light weight, it felt more like a small naked at times, and I was able to throw it around with confidence. Cornering at various speeds was easy, thanks to smooth and responsive steering. However, getting set up with your gears was important. Often, I found myself having to drop down a gear to better exit the corner.

In heavy traffic, the wide steering range made the Rumbler very manoeuvrable and easy to lane filter, and while I would have liked the opportunity to see what impact a pillion made to the Rumbler’s handling, time escaped us. Regardless, the Rumbler always felt stable and well-planted as a solo, so I’d imagine the same would apply when riding two-up.

While all that was good, the braking was less so. The Rumbler does get a disc rear brake in place of the 153mm drum on the Classic and while it’s an improvement, the braking still felt a little spongey. In heavy and more aggressive braking, the 280mm front and 240mm rear were found wanting, in my opinion. On a bike that’s billed as being capable in urban environments, that lack of responsiveness left me reluctant to push the boundaries like I would on a modern naked or sportsbike. But, for a cruiser, the braking package is adequate.

Royal Enfield continue to deliver bikes that are true to their word. They are not trying to be anything other that what they say they are. In this instance, the Rumbler 350 is pitched as a smaller capacity urban cruiser and it’s a role it fills well. It’s almost like the old Virago 250 in that it’s a capable commuter with a dash of laid-back cruiser style.

As to who will buy the Rumbler, Royal Enfield are hoping a “youthful” demographic will take to the new model, but in my opinion, the cruiser is best targeted to the older “returning rider” that has been the biggest adopter of the rest of the Royal Enfield range to date.

Older riders, I feel, prefer the old school charm of a carburettor-fed, air-cooled engine that’s simple enough for tinkerers and backyard mechanics to work on themselves, be they so inclined. If Royal Enfield are aiming at our youth market, I believe they’d be better served by bringing the new Thunderbird/Rumbler 500X and 350X here. Recently released in India, these roadster-style models have taken a leaf out of the Ducati Scrambler styling book, with blackout treatment on selected parts and bold colours for the fuel tanks, as well as alloy rims and a generally more ‘modern’ look for things like the seat, plastics and lighting.

But back to the current Rumbler, it’s a bike that is definitely suited to cruising through the CBD streets, with capability outside the city, too. On the freeway, it sat solid and got up to speed quickly, so, vibrations aside, longer rides shouldn’t be too much of a chore.

That being said, cruising Beaconsfield Parade and sections of the Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park was where this bike felt at its best. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it in this environment and at this pace, as the Rumbler isn’t the sort of bike I would automatically choose as a daily commuter. At the end of the launch ride, I felt fresh, too, and certainly not shagged out from having to overly manhandle the bike – that was another positive.

Appreciate the Rumbler for what it is and ride it in an unrushed manner and you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. And really, that’s what cruising is all about, isn’t it?

Words: Phil Suriano Photos: Royal Enfield Australia