First Impressions Of My New 2024 Royal Enfield Classic 350
All year long, I’ve felt the pull to procure an old British bike, which is something which I’ve never owned in all 29 years of riding motos. However, life’s twists and turns have left me completely bereft of any patience at this particular time to endlessly tinker and fix – and so began the hunt for something that looks and feels old, but that actually starts and runs when asked to.
A search of the tri-state area led me to Mahwah, NJ, where this leftover 2024 Royal Enfield Classic 350 was collecting dust on the dealer floor. The dealer sweetened the deal by adding over $700 in accessories, and discounting the bike to well below $4k before taxes and the usual fees. Sold! I picked her up today and rode home the long way. Over 100 miles of backroads, although break-in period dictates that I take it easy for the first 300 miles. And so I did.
In short, it’s exactly what I need right now. It’s got loads of character, with that unmistakable tug-tug-tug pull of its J-Series air-cooled thumper mill and all the mechanical ringing of an engine originally designed some 70 years ago. The ride is genuinely plush for a small bike, and the handling is delightfully neutral – even, dare I say, accurate! The whole time I was riding it, I was grinning ear to ear. It sounds right, and it feels right, and it even smells right!
The styling details are on point, too. There is a seriously historic lineage here, and unlike other bikes in this price class, everything you see and touch is metal. As such, it weighs a portly 430 pounds wet, with a measly 20 horsepower straining to accelerate it to a governed top speed of 75 mph. Compared to a modern Vespa GTS310, the Enfield has 5 less horsepower wrestling with an extra 100 pounds. You get the picture? It’s glacially slow. I’m sure even my 20 year old Vespa GTS250ie would run away from it, but that’s not the point of this bike. (And this power deficit will also be somewhat remediated after break-in with a free-flowing intake, exhaust, and aftermarket FI computer to richen up the mixture and cool things down.)
It’s very interesting to compare my new Classic 350 to my friend Jim Lam’s “old school” Enfield 500 models that I rode last week. Jim’s are original Enfield era models, before the company instituted a top-down overhaul of its operations and quality control in the early 2020s. His Enfields are raw, vibrate like paint shakers, and have a decidedly agricultural feel to them – in short, much more character than this new model of mine, which is positively smooth by comparison. The transmission of the new model “snicks” into gear almost like a Japanese bike, instead of “THWACK” like Jim’s do. With an extra ~150cc (or 7 hp, roughly,) Jim’s bikes pull harder, too. Two very different experiences!
This bike is a tool, and when used for its intended purpose, it’s just about perfect. For the local backroad riding I sometimes do, I have a hunch that it’s going to quickly become my favorite steed. It has such a sweet spot between 40-60 mph – just right for this local area. Once I break it in, open up the intake and exhaust, and add some tasteful bags (in contrasting colors, of course) it will be perfect. Just perfect, for what I need right now.
