Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

Query Approved

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

For Q1:

The bike is definitely not agile. So cutting through traffic will be difficult on this bike. It is a bit heavy and you can feel the weight in the corners or tight turns in comparison with most bikes in similar or below class of bikes.

For Q2:

In over 2 years of ownership I haven't had too much of trouble. Though my bike has not been used heavily, it has 13k on the clocks.

1. No oil leaks till now.
2. No engine problems. Periodic chain tightening and regular cleaning/maintenance of the chain and engine will keep it trouble free.
3. Electrical problems are there, my horn went kaput within the fisrt two months of buying the bike. There were issues with switches not functioning or lights going off. But they are minor glitches which can be easily rectified.
4. No Rusting issues for me, But I have few of my friends living in the coastal areas who have reported rusting on several parts. If you are not in a coastal region, regular cleanup of the bike should keep it rust free.
5. Apart from these minor issues, I have had a great ownership so far. Its a pleasure to ride this on an open road.

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

It’s a heavy bike and handles like one. You won’t be cutting through traffic, but if the traffic's thick, then there's no room for cutting. My C5 has been a pleasure to own over the last year. None of the niggles exhibited by my STD350 (CI). I have ridden her work through the (not so thick) traffic of Pune city. Apart from the engine heat (which is bearable) she's done a stupendous job. The riding posture is a lot more relaxed than the CBR.

I have a question for you though. You clearly seem to assuming the worst, which is a good move. I mean you’ve got to be careful while you put your money into anything. But you seem extremely wary of the product. Then why even consider buying it? The reason I ask, is because later on, any problem, even a small one will leave you fairly broken, no matter how much you prepare yourself for the worst.

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

[MENTION=22757]phoenixflight[/MENTION] you have caught my pulse bang on. True I am apprehensive, as on all bullet forums a fair amount of discussion goes around technical problems which is not the case of other make of bikes. Still at my age and after 12 different ownership (including a CBR 250) I want to try my hand on a Royal Enfield. The fire inside has mostly died down and now I feel that I need a relaxed, unhurried ride. That is specifically why I sold off my CBR 250 which was otherwise a great machine.

Yes I am trying to find out the worst possible situation pertaining to repair and maintenance as all my previous bikes were "Ride it and forget it" types. I only did the specified services at regular intervals, that's all. And I don't remember keeping any bike for more than 3 years hence no issues were faced.

For the RE I will get a fair understanding once more people share their ownership experience for first 12 months. So far yours and hegdeanoop's experience was encouraging. I am following the other similar threads on this forum too which are also informative. I started this thread just to understand and specifically analyze the nature of issues and severity of them. But with the first two threads and reports from other threads I am quite biased now to the RE, I must admit. Let's see. Hoping for more posts.

Thanks once again both of you for sharing your experience and feedback.

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

I own new Thunderbird 350 for the past 3 months. I have driven classic 500 too. For first few days it will be hard to drive in traffic. But after that I would say its great to drive in city due to the central weight i.e; even in very slow speeds the bike goes steady and we didn't need to put our feet in the ground and lesser gear shifts. As of me, its great in cities and in highways. Newer RE bikes are great and doesn't give up much problems. Issues will be there like minor oil leaks etc which can be rectified during regular services. Every bike will have small niggles, if you go now to the duke 200 ownership thread you will find customers having oil leak issues and so on but all can be rectified. So my point is that bullets have turned out be a much reliable bike as of any bike in India.

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

You just further cemented my faith on this "Made In India" machine. Here is the difference, my cupid introduced me to the classic 350. Though it was love at first, second, third(...so it goes on) sight, I was a bit sceptical as I came across a lot of issues reported by users. But now (after being in a dilemma for nearly an year, voraciously reading all enfield threads, interacting with various users, day-dreaming and staring lustily at each classic 350 which passes by or is parked, saving each possible penny and living like a rat) I can say that I have finally made up my mind to go ahead with a classic 350.

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

Here's my take on your situation, I'm not an RE owner but I come from family who had lots bullets in it (Oh boy that doesn't sound right)

1. Any bike will take time to adjust but I don't think you would be able to go through traffic like you can go with lightweight bikes like duke 200 (which is second your option) and the bike is heavy around 180 KGs.
2. Maintenance is a mixed bag of reviews out there many people had few minor electrical issues not major but some people had issue with rusting but could be taken care with regular cleaning. But,keep in mind its a hand built bike so every RE is not the same you might have good apple from the branch or bad apple too but end of the day if you have good mechanic they can handle it.

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

Looking at your requirements... I will sugest you to go for KTM Duke 200 (your choosen alternative)
Other bikes you can check out are:
- Pulsar RS200
- TVS Apache 200
- Even you can check out new Mojo.. if you can extend your budget..

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

I have been riding a CL350 since august'15. covered 7K Kms as well.
In my 9 months of experience, i have only good points to point out to.

1.even though it is heavy,you wont feel it an issue in traffic.it is easily flickable.but since it is longer than most of the other bikes,it would not make through that very tight gaps.
2.decent mileage.wen i used to check after 1st or 2nd service, used to get 38KMPL+ mileage , under varied riding conditions(city/highway).
3.i own an Ash Classic,so it is tough to deal with the dust and dirt and all that.but i try to clean her whenver i find time.


Now for the issues/bad experiences part
1.after my 1st service, this one time i was experiencing a kind of missing during accelaration..i took it to the SVC( RE owned one) and they said it was due to Carb tuning and they rectified it.
2.oil leakage...be sure to check for engine oil leak beneath the vehicle, and on the gearbox outer case.there WIll BE...make the inspection a weekly habit(if u plan to buy one).
3.Rust- i have a few rusty screws and bolts..mainly on the clutch and accelarator lever screws. i'm not sure if i can rectify those..

Trust me you'll love it..even if you do/don't have any issues.

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

Answers are in bold
Keep thumping! Keep sharing experiences! Keep enlightening!

Re: Information Required on RE 350 Classic to help making buying decision.

Owning an RE is owning a iconic piece of machinery. It would ideally suit an enthusiast but not an practical commuter. I owned RE for five years and I am telling based on my experience (RE Electra 5S). It rides like not others and charms at 60s and 70s and after that you cant push any further.
Yes its plush and handles any road like a dream but just can't ride it all day and long and can't have the patience to maintain it with the crook-head RE ASC or mechanics who claim they know all.

I would suggest RE if you agree to spend time with the machine. And do lookout for CI REs from 2027 to 2009, if you want the old world charm and reliability. UCE REs have already gone for toss from engine to build quality. I rode my previous RE for 25k kms with just engine oil change and nothing else. Its a gem of its kind absolutely not even a fuse got blown. I doubt it holds good for UCEs too!

And handing? I stand 6'2" and owned the Electra. Bangalore traffic is an icing on cake to display the maneuvering ability of mine. I have handled it like a dream anything thrown towards it.

Good luck.

Disclaimer: The above writing is based on past users experience. No UCE vs CI fight is allowed and appreciated.