Royal Enfield has updated its Bullet range with rear disc brake and no other mechanical changes have been implemented
Royal Enfield has embarked on introducing more safety features into its range of motorcycles. It has updated the Bullet series with rear disc brake and it is a much welcoming and needed addition. The standard Bullet 350 with rear disc is priced at Rs. 1.28 lakh while the Bullet 350 ES and Bullet 500 are priced at Rs. 1.32 lakh and Rs. 1.73 lakh respectively (ex-showroom prices).
The price increase is minor in the in the Bullet 500 and the 350 Electra as both the motorcycles already offered front disc brake. However, the Bullet 350 on the other hand has witnessed a price hike of around Rs. 12,000 as it only had drum brake setup thus far. Apart from the disc brake inclusion, no other mechanical changes have been made on the Bullet trio.
The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and 350 ES derive power from a 346 cc single-cylinder air-cooled four-stroke Twinspark powertrain, which is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 19.8 bhp at 5,250 rpm and 28 Nm of peak torque delivered at 4,000 rpm. The engine is connected to a five-speed constant mesh transmission.
The Bullet 500 uses a 499 cc single-cylinder four-stroke fuel-injected air-cooled engine developing 27.2 bhp at 5,250 rpm and 41.3 Nm at 4,000 rpm. It is mated to a five-speed gearbox. As for the suspension, telescopic front forks and twin gas charged shock absorbers at the rear are utilised. Braking duty is performed by 280 mm front and 153 mm rear disc brakes.
The Bullet range will also have to get updated with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) system before the stringent safety rules come into effect from April 1,2019. Following the launch of the ABS equipped Classic 350 Signals, Classic 500 and Himalayan, Royal Enfield introduced the safety tech on the Thunderbird 350X earlier this month.
Only yesterday, the Thunderbird 500X received dual-channel ABS system with Rs. 2.13 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag. It is Rs. 15,000 costlier than the standard variant, making it the most expensive single cylinder bike from the homegrown manufacturer in the domestic market.