Royal Enfield Bullet Gets Better Stopping Power

Royal Enfield’s Bullet range is the oldest, continuously produced model of the brand. The motorcycle has seen very little changes in terms of features. The only major changes it underwent in the recent past was transitioning from a BSIII-compliant motor to BSIV-compliant version emission norms. However, with more stringent safety set to come into effect April 2019 onwards, Royal Enfield has introduced the rear disc brake equipped version of the Bullet 350, Bullet 350 ES and the Bullet 500. As per the new rules, motorcycles displacing above 125cc will have to be equipped with ABS.

The Bullet 350 ES is priced at Rs 1.32 lakh, while the Bullet 500 gets a sticker price of Rs 1.73 lakh. The new models are around Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000 more expensive than their now-discontinued drum brake-equipped counterparts. The only major difference between the standard Bullet 350 and the Bullet 350 ES are better tyres and suspension on the latter. The Bullet 350 is priced at Rs 1.28 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.

Apart from the brakes, the motorcycles remain unchanged. The 346cc single-cylinder engine pushes out 20PS and 28Nm, while the 499cc fuel-injected motor produces 27.5PS and 41.3Nm. Along with the 280mm front disc, the new 240mm rear disc will certainly enhance the braking performance of the motorcycle. We expect Royal Enfield to further update these bikes with dual-channel ABS once the new norms kick in.

The waiting period for the Bullet 350 ES, Bullet 350 and the Bullet 500 start from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the location. These motorcycles compete with the Jawa 42 in the Indian market.

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