Royal Enfield has been busy updating line-up to BS6 specifications in past few months. The Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer has already launched the BS6 avatar of its most popular product, the Classic 350, at a starting price of Rs 1.65 lakh ex-showroom. Now, BS6 prices of the entry-level Royal Enfield Bullet 350 (STD 350) have been leaked ahead of its launch.
The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 BS6 comes in two formats: Standard and ‘X’. The Standard version (with kickstart) is priced at Rs 1.28 lakh while the Bullet ‘X’ splits the pricing between kickstart and self-start variants at Rs 1.22 lakh and Rs 1.37 lakh, respectively. The prices are ex-showroom and have gone by around Rs 6,000-7,000 over the outgoing BS4 model. Just like the updated Classic 350, the Bullet 350 BS6 will arrive with new paint choices.
The BS6 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is powered by the familiar 346cc air-cooled single-cylinder UCE motor but with the addition of an FI system. The output figures of the power plant after going through BS6 update were not shared even for the already-available Classic 350. One can expect it to be marginally different from that of the carburetted BS4 model, which stands at 19.1bhp and 28Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed transmission.
After facing poor sales for multiple months, Royal Enfield registered a mild growth on the sales chart of February 2020, thanks to the launch of the BS6 Classic 350. On the other hand, Royal Enfield is working on the next-generation 2020 ‘350’ range which includes the Bullet, Classic and Meteor (replacement of the Thunderbird). The much-awaited Royal Enfield Meteor 350 was spotted on multiple occasions on public roads as a prototype.
Due to poor demand, the company has discontinued the ‘500’ line-up. However, as a worthy tribute, the Royal Enfield Classic 500 Tribute Black (BS4) was introduced recently as a limited-run online-sale product. The motorcycle sports a unique paint scheme and a hallmark plaque with the respective ‘End of Build’ serial number. The 499cc air-cooled UCE single-cylinder is good for 27.2bhp and 41.3Nm of torque while mated to a 5-speed transmission.
Compared to the current Royal Enfield BS6/BS4 single-cylinder models, the next-generation products are expected to showcase serious improvements in all respects. For starters, the engine is an OHC (Over Head Cam) unit. The setup should return better refinement, sharper throttle response and a noticeable reduction in NVH.