Planning To Buy A Used Royal Enfield Classic 350? Here Are Some Pros And Cons

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is right now the most popular motorcycle from the legacy brand. First introduced in 2009, the motorcycle was inspired by the Royal Enfield's G2 350 cc Bullet motorcycle, which was first produced in 1948. Currently, it is the best-selling motorcycle in the company's line-up, and last year, the company launched the second-generation Classic with a new design, chassis, engine and equipment. However, the bike has also become a lot more expensive now, with prices going up as high as Rs. 2.51 lakh (on-road, Delhi).

Having said that, if you are planning to buy a Royal Enfield Classic 350, but are on a tighter budget, we suggest you look for a pre-owned one. You are likely to find a host of options in the used two-wheeler market, priced from Rs. 90,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh, depending on the model year and its condition. However, before you start looking for one, here are some pros and cons you must consider first.

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The Classic 350 holds a strong resale value, so if you maintain the motorcycle in a good condition, when you sell it after a few years it will still offer you a good value.

Pros

1. While looks are subjective, one cannot deny the fact that the Classic 350 has a strong road presence. The retro design with the vibrant colour palette gives the motorcycle a premium look.
2. The Classic is a well-built motorcycle and comes with quality fit and finish, especially the newer models. The paint job is good, and the quality of the switch gears is also quite solid.
3. While the second-gen Classic 350 comes with a more refined and advanced J series engine, the older 346 cc single cylinder twinspark engine was also not bad. The motor was tuned to make 19.1 bhp and 28 Nm of peak torque, while mated to a 5-speed gearbox. And pulling power of the bike is certainly impressive.
4. The Classic 350 holds a strong resale value, so if you maintain the motorcycle in a good condition, when you sell it after a few years it will still offer you a good value.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Confirms Two Additional 350 cc Models Under Development

Cons

1. The Classic 350 is certainly built like a tank, and it also weighs like one. The near-full-metal construction of the motorcycle leads to a kerb weight of 195 kg, with 90 per cent fuel and oil. And that's a lot of weight to handle.
2. The older BS3 and BS4 compliant engines of the Classic 350 were not the most refined motors. They were full of vibrations and had heating issues. However, things did improve to an extent with the BS6 model so try looking for a more recent model.
3. The engine was certainly torquey offering a good amount of low-end grunt and decent mid-range performance, however, the bike had no top-end performance. Unless you are happy cruising at 80 to 90 kmph, after a point, you'd be left wanting for more.