Royal Enfield Classic 350 launch timeline unveiled

Royal Enfield is working on updating its line-up. They replaced the Thunderbird with the Meteor and now they are all set to launch the new generation of Classic 350. Royal Enfield will be launching the new-gen Classic 350 on September 1st. A lot of spy shots are already available on the internet and they reveal that the design philosophy will stay the same but there will be a host of upgrades.

The new Classic 350 will be based on J-platform. This is the same platform that is used for the Meteor 350. It will also use the same 349cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that produces 20.2 BHP and 27 Nm. It comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The “thump” for which the Royal Enfields are famous will no longer be there. This was bound to happen because of the stricter emission norms.

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But this does not mean that the new Classic cannot sound good. The Meteor still has a very bassy exhaust note and the engine also sounds nice. The video that has been shared by Royal Enfield gives us a glimpse of how the new Classic will sound like. There are high chances that the manufacturer will also offer different exhausts as official accessories.

Different variants

The spy pictures reveal that there will be quite a few variants of the Classic 350. There would be a single-seater version, double seater version, it would be offered with alloy wheels or spoked wheels and there would be many different paint schemes including Signals Edition and Matte paint finishes. The recent teaser also reveals that now you would be able to get bar-end mirrors for the Classic 350 too.

Design updates

The overall design of the new generation Classic still looks retro. However, depending on the variant, it could look modern like a Jawa 42 or have a classic retro design that people have loved. There are small updates to the headlamp, fuel tank, side panels, turn indicators and tail lamp.

It is also expected that the Classic 350 would come with tubeless tyres if you opt for the alloy wheels which are expected to be offered as an accessory. It would also be using a new double-cradle frame that will be shared with the Meteo 350. This will improve the handling of the motorcycle significantly and the new Classic should not feel top-heavy like the current one does. Braking duties will be done by disc brake in the front and at the rear.

The switchgear will also be all-new. It would be rotary type switches that look retro and are easy to use. We first saw them on the Meteor and they looked and felt good. The speedometer will still be a circular analogue unit but now there will be a small digital readout for the odometer. There will also be a small screen that will be for the Tripper Navigation. The Tripper Navigation is already there on the Himalayan and the Meteor. It connects to the rider’s phone and is used for turn by turn navigation. Although not every variant would come with the Tripper Navigation.

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