Royal Enfield Classic 500 Black with ABS launched in India [Video]

Royal Enfield has been working on equipping its whole fleet with ABS as per the upcoming safety rules. The Classic 500 series too has received the ABS update and it is a dual channel unit. Now, the black paint shade model of Classic 500 ABS have reached dealerships and are ready to roll out with their buyers. The video below by Bullet Guru shows the Black shade Royal Enfield Classic 500 ABS which is probably sitting in a dealership. Let’s now checkout the video before moving onto further details.

As seen in the video above, the inclusion of ABS is the only big change made on the bike apart from some stickers and other minor alterations. It is essentially the same bike with added ABS functionality which makes it safer to ride. This update has been made in lieu with the upcoming mandatory safety rules which come into force from 1st April 2020. It mandates all the two-wheelers with engine capacity of 125 and above to offer at least single-channel ABS system. For two wheelers below 125 cc engine capacity, combi-brake system is mandatory.

As mentioned earlier, Royal Enfield has equipped the Classic 500 with a dual channel ABS system and not a single channel unit, which is quite a good thing if you ask. While single channel ABS means only one wheel comes with ABS system, dual channel system means both the wheels have the anti lock functionality when braking hard. On such heavy bikes like the Classic series, Bullet series, Thunderbird series and others by Royal Enfield, ABS functionality is critical safety feature which can create the difference between life and death. ABS prevents wheels from locking up when braking hard which in turn avoids slipping and skidding of the bike and the rider stays in control.

Talking about the bike, the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 ABS is powered by the same 499 cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine with fuel-injection that churns out 27 Bhp of power along with 41 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties are handled by a 5-speed constant mesh gearbox. Other mechanical elements like suspension and brakes (apart from ABS) are also the same as before.

The Royal Enfield Classic 500 ABS has a sticker price of Rs. 2.0 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It has no direct rival but the recently launched Jawa Classic has came out to be its biggest challenger of late. Both bikes have almost equivalent engine output and the same retro-classic design appeal. It comes down to personal taste when choosing between the two. Also, the recently launched 650 twins are an excellent alternative to the Classic 500 if you are ready to shell out Rs. 50,000 more over its price. Nonetheless, the inclusion of dual channel ABS has certainly made the Classic a better and safer deal.