While Royal Enfield might have better motorcycles in its portfolio, it is the Classic 350 which has been racking up huge sales numbers for the bikemaker and for a very long time as well! Even after the arrival of the Meteor 350 – which is better and more advanced than the Classic 350 in every aspect, the Classic 350 still sells like hotcakes. It is the motorcycle that has lent RE a cult status in India and it isn’t hidden from anyone that RE is currently developing the next generation of the Classic 350.
More details
A test mule of the new Classic 350 was recently spotted out on the highway. This isn’t the first time that the new Classic 350 has been spied out in the wild but this time around, it is clearly visible that it has some accessories on!
We recently reported that RE has rolled out luggage solutions for the 650 twins and this time around, the test mule of the new Classic 350 is sporting a pannier on the right side as well! It confirms the belief that RE will roll out a new set of accessories for the Classic 350, once it officially breaks cover! The pannier seems to be mounted on a specially designed mounting rail, something similar to what we have seen on the 650 twins as well. Also, there’s a rear luggage rack as well, which should ease your touring life even further!
New engine
It is almost confirmed that the new Classic 350 will be built around the same engine found on the Meteor 350. It is a 349cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine with an OHC design. This engine makes 20.2 hp power at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm torque at 4,000 rpm, mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The engine will allow for lower emissions and instant acceleration. Compared to the old 350cc engine, the all-new engine has a spread of an extra 1000 rpms and has been tweaked for crisp throttle response.
The engine also gets a balancer shaft to iron out all vibrations. It has been tuned to deliver a healthy dose of torque in the low and mid-range. One of the main niggles which Royal Enfield’s 350cc motorcycles have always been riddled with is vibrations. But it seems like Royal Enfield has managed to turn things around with the Meteor 350.
Tripper pod
Another thing which is almost confirmed is the inclusion of the Tripper navigation pod. Pairing with the rider’s smartphone via Bluetooth, it will display turn-by-turn navigation through signage in both day and night modes.
This has been developed in association with Google Maps and might be offered as a standard feature.