While it retains much of its earlier styling, new Classic 350 packs in a range of functional improvements
Royal Enfield has launched the all-new Classic 350 at a starting price of Rs 1.84 lakh for the Redditch Series. Classic 350 Halcyon range is priced from Rs 1.93 lakh. 2021 Royal Enfield Classic 350 Signals is priced from Rs 2.04 lakh. New Classic Dark Edition is priced from Rs 2.11 lakh. Top of the line Chrome Classic 350 is priced from Rs 2.15 lakh. All prices are ex-sh.
Interested folks can place their booking at any of the authorized dealerships. Already the top selling product in its category, new Classic 350 will be a greater challenge for rivals like Jawa, Honda H’ness CB350 and Benelli Imperiale 400.
New-gen Classic 350 design and features
Even in its current form, Classic 350 is loved by enthusiasts for its classy, old-school look and feel. As retro theme is one of the key USPs of the bike, Royal Enfield has played it safe by not fiddling with styling aspects. Classic 350 is the company’s bread and butter, making it all the more important to not take risky bets on it. Experiments with design could always be conducted on other new products that the company has plans to launch in the coming years.
New Classic 350 continues with its round halogen headlamp, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, circular turn indicators and rear view mirrors, ergonomically placed wide handlebars, spoke wheels, bottle-tube exhaust muffler and round tail lamp. The updated bike is available in 11 colour options. A total of five trims are on offer, Redditch, Halcyon, Signals, Dark and top-spec Chrome trim.
In other updates, the bike gets a revised semi-digital instrument cluster. New Classic 350 will also be getting Tripper navigation, which was introduced first with Meteor 350. However, the units currently being sent to dealerships do not have the Tripper system. This is apparently due to global shortage of semiconductors. It is expected that Tripper system will be made available for new Classic 350 as soon as supply situation improves.
New-gen Classic 350 engine and specs
Updated Classic 350 will be using the new 350cc, air-oil cooled motor that currently does duty on Meteor 350. This next-gen 350cc motor will be used for all new / next-gen 350cc Royal Enfield motorcycles that are planned to be launched in coming months. It is capable of generating max power of 20.2 bhp and max torque of 27 Nm. It is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
As compared to the current 350cc engine, power output has increased by 1.1 bhp whereas torque has reduced by 1 Nm. These changes are unlikely to impact user experience in real world ride conditions. However, the engine does offer tangible benefits in terms of responsiveness and reduced vibrations. Also, it will continue to delight users with a thumpy aural experience.
Another significant change for new Classic 350 is the new twin downtube spine frame. Referred to as ‘J platform’, it was introduced with Meteor 350. This is much better than the current single downtube frame that utilizes the engine as stressed member. The new platform improves ride dynamics and helps lower vibrations.
New Classic 350 utilizes larger 300mm disc at the front and 270mm disc at the rear. Front and rear tyres are wider as well. Users have the option to choose from spoke and alloy wheels. They can choose single or dual-channel ABS and single-seat or dual-seat configuration.