[jetsetgo08]

Back from a 4hrs/160km ride. Does anyone feel that the bike is faster than the indicated speedo? At 80kmph I feel that the bike is going faster than the indicated speed. In one of the YT reviews, it is mentioned that the RE 350's analog consoles have almost 0 speedo error till 100kmph. Any similar observations?

Originally Posted by Viju

Does anyone know if the old style tail lamp and license plate bracket as on the Battalion Black model are available with dealers to buy as accessories / spare parts?

No. Not yet.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

Back from a 4hrs/160km ride. Does anyone feel that the bike is faster than the indicated speedo? At 80kmph I feel that the bike is going faster than the indicated speed. In one of the YT reviews, it is mentioned that the RE 350's analog consoles have almost 0 speedo error till 100kmph. Any similar observations?

I always thought the feeling is because of the way this bike rides at higher speeds. But legally the manufacturers are bound to have a % higher speedo error, right?
The speedometer tips above the 110kmph top speed mentioned in its specs. Have to verify with a GPS sometime on a straight road.

[Viju]

Originally Posted by HillMan

But legally the manufacturers are bound to have a % higher speedo error, right?

This is correct. Speedometers should never have a negative error for them to be legal. They are allowed to have up to a 10% positive error if I remember right.

Therefore, unless there is some serious QC issue with the speedo, I think it's just the way the bike makes one feel that the speed is higher than it actually is.

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by Viju

I think it's just the way the bike makes one feel that the speed is higher than it actually is.

Well in that case it is both a bummer as well as pro. Because it pulls like a freight even with 2 up at lower speeds, but again the engine doesn't really sound stress free at speeds above 75kmph. Note, that I am referring to only the sound and not feel, as there are no vibrations as such. I guess I would be the outlier who wants a 6th gear in a Bullet .

On the other hand, did anyone notice if the engine opens up significantly after may be 2k kms? My Bullet is just short of 1k kms, the Classic that I had once rented had more than 10k kms, and somehow it felt way more stress free at 70-80kmph.

[Viju]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

Well in that case it is both a bummer as well as pro. Because it pulls like a freight even with 2 up at lower speeds, but again the engine doesn't really sound stress free at speeds above 75kmph. Note, that I am referring to only the sound and not feel, as there are no vibrations as such. I guess I would be the outlier who wants a 6th gear in a Bullet .

Fret not, because you're definitely not the only one! I strongly believe that the little 350 J series engine is capable of much more than how RE has tuned it. Why RE tuned it to just 20 bhp is anybody's guess. It could be to retain that low revving character, for fuel efficiency or something to do with the emission norms.

But even on a short 50 km run on the highway, at around 75 ~ 80 kmph, I felt my foot hunting for a 6th gear, not once but twice. The engine sounds 'busy' at those speeds, but with zero vibes, which is so unlike any Bullet I have ridden before.

This has been a feedback from the international rider community as well ever since the Classic Reborn was launched back in 2021. What many people have done is to add a tooth to the front sprocket (15T to 16T), which apparently brings down the revs significantly in top gear. Mind you, it does not increase the top speed, as it is electronically limited to around 116 kmph (GPS measured) by the engine ECU using the wheel speed sensor signals from the ABS. Getting around seems to be more challenging, with the only option being changing to a Hunter throttle body.

The downside to the 16T front sprocket seems to be that you need to shift down a lot more if you ride the hills regularly. My intended usage is to ride the highway to get to the hills. Therefore, I am not sure if this will work for me.

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Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

On the other hand, did anyone notice if the engine opens up significantly after may be 2k kms? My Bullet is just short of 1k kms, the Classic that I had once rented had more than 10k kms, and somehow it felt way more stress free at 70-80kmph.

You seem to be spot on with this observation. The J series engines apparently need around 1,800 ~ 2.000 km to fully open up, and are much more free-revving once the running in is completed. Again, in this day and age, it is not usual for an engine to need 2,000 km to finish breaking-in. But from whatever I can see the long-term owners saying about it, the patience should pay off!

My Bullet is still stuck at 375 km. It is raining heavily these days and I am unable to take the bike out for a spin. Please do post some pictures of your Bullet for our viewing pleasure!

[2wheelsvaga]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

Well in that case it is both a bummer as well as pro. Because it pulls like a freight even with 2 up at lower speeds, but again the engine doesn't really sound stress free at speeds above 75kmph. Note, that I am referring to only the sound and not feel, as there are no vibrations as such. I guess I would be the outlier who wants a 6th gear in a Bullet .

On the other hand, did anyone notice if the engine opens up significantly after may be 2k kms? My Bullet is just short of 1k kms, the Classic that I had once rented had more than 10k kms, and somehow it felt way more stress free at 70-80kmph.

I don't really feel a need for that, particularly because I feel this is not a bike meant for cruising beyond 90 kmph. I have about 1300 kms on the odo and so far it reached 80 kmph pretty quickly. It might be better to enjoy it at safer speeds when touring long distance. There is also the question of braking distance, and fuel efficiency. On the latter, I am a bit surprised that it's already returned 40.3 km/L in mixed riding conditions. I do plan to check it again on a partial tank refill, but I feel it won't be too off the mark.

I also notice that I keep missing which gear I am in. That's a bit strange as I am used to shifting by ear, but the ratios seem to be close together so that I can even mix up 2nd with 3rd and 3rd with 4th gear if the revs are not high.

I made sure to rev it reasonably fast the moment I bought it, even as I stayed within the specified speed limits. I've noticed that already this has opened up the strokes and they are sharp and loud, and pleasing. I would even say they are a bit reminiscent of the old CI strokes.

Like you I am waiting to see what happens post 2000 kms when I take it beyond 80 kmph, and do some maximum speed runs. Knowing the old bullet, I would not be surprised if the engine keeps opening up beyond 2000 kms.

I do feel, however, that it could do with a bit more torque. Maybe this is just due to the new engine, but it could be quicker on the roll-ons. Overall, though I am pretty happy.

On the issue of noise. Do you have the sump guard installed? I am told that removing it lessens much of the noise and the engine becomes quieter. Apparently, the noise is bouncing off of the sump guard and back on to you. I know it sounds strange, but I am pretty sure that this is an issue.

Thanks.

[Viju]

Fuel Efficiency:

All you J series 350 riders out there, how fuel-efficient are your bikes?

My bike is still at 400 km and breaking in.

In the first tank-to-tank fill up, my Bullet did 33.3 km to a litre. This was with some very short errand runs, a 150 km highway run and around 50 km up in the mountains.

My usage is minimal, but as FE also affects the touring range, is it realistic to expect ~40 kmpl on an average, especially after running in the engine?

I am a gentle rider and wind the throttle open only if required (steep climbs, quick overtakes etc).

Thanks!

[pachchu77]

Originally Posted by Viju

Fuel Efficiency:

All you J series 350 riders out there, how fuel-efficient are your bikes?

I had Classic 350 reborn for 1 year amounting to 8k+ kms from May 2023 through Apr 2024.

Wrt FE, maximum I had got was 48 kmpl on highways (single trip, solo riding) and minimum was 35 kmpl in morning hrs city traffic (multiple trips across one and half months).

On highways, 60-70 kmph always extracted the best FE while 80 kmph brought it down to 42 or thereabouts.

[Viju]

Originally Posted by pachchu77

Wrt FE, maximum I had got was 48 kmpl on highways (single trip, solo riding) and minimum was 35 kmpl in morning hrs city traffic (multiple trips across one and half months).

On highways, 60-70 kmph always extracted the best FE while 80 kmph brought it down to 42 or thereabouts.

Thank you for the feedback, pachchu77! Guess I can expect around 40 kmpl at the max if I stick to my current riding pattern of short errands, highway runs and hill-climbs. Although I would love to cruise around at 60 km/h, on my first highway ride with the Bullet, I could see other drivers behind me getting impatient even when I was riding between 70 - 80 km/h, even in the slowest lane. But a tank of fuel should last me well enough for a day-trip.

PS: If you don't mind, why did you sell off your Classic?

Touring Seat

In other news, I finally pulled the gun and ordered a GMA Touring Seat. I know that it gets a lot of hate due to its shape and the departure from the classic Bullet styling. But as my lower back is really beaten up with 25 years of riding and driving, I needed a bit more support than the original seat.

There is nothing wrong with the factory seat either, just that I could feel my tail-bone aching a bit after riding for around 50 km on the highway, and basically me trying to move around the seat a bit trying to find more support. I am hoping that the slightly stiffer foam will help me out here, as I do want to keep the Bullet for many years to come.

I shall report back on the actual comfort of the seat after spending some time on the highway.

The new seat


It is wider and longer than the original


It is slightly stiffer and taller than the original, especially for the pillion






Love the little writings, especially the 'Bullet' at the back


Before


After

[pachchu77]

Originally Posted by Viju

PS: If you don't mind, why did you sell off your Classic?

I had got the Classic for leisure riding. My use case was weekend 150-200 kms rides with wife in the pillion and solo riding from Bengaluru to my hometown (Kota, Udupi) and vice versa.

Before getting the Classic, I rented a variety of bikes during the period of one year to understand my needs better and to test the strength of this new-found
passion. List included - RR310, Classic, Highness, Meteor, Super Meteor, Interceptor, Versys 650 and Ninja 650. Then again and again, I found myself going back to Interceptor and I realized it ticked most of the boxes for me. Being in mid-40s, I'm quite a sedate rider and I loved cruising @ 80-90 kmph in 3200-3600 rpm range. I liked low-rpm high-torque nature of enfields.

Just when I was about to confirm my booking for Inty post the launch of alloy wheels in Mar 2023, I figured out one more thing about myself. I caught myself red-handed drooling at Classic 350s on the road even while I was riding an Inty (rented). That's when I decided to get a Classic for the short term in order to exhaust this Classic 350 vasana

I still miss my Classic though and would have retained it if I could keep/maintain 2 bikes. It ran trouble-free and I have nothing but pleasant memories with this bike. May be a used Classic 500 or a Classic 650 in future, lets see

[themotohead_doc]

Originally Posted by Viju

Fuel Efficiency:

All you J series 350 riders out there, how fuel-efficient are your bikes?

I'm a satisfied Reborn 350 user since Jan'22, my fuel efficiency figures range anywhere between 27-30 kmpl while majorly riding in the western suburbs where as the highway figures range between 38-41 kmpl.
My best being 46 kmpl.

Regards,
themotohead_doc

[vikramvicky1984]

Is there a way to get tubeless tyres + alloys in the motorcycle.
Also if one wants to get it aftermarket, is it advisable to get single disc or dual disc variant?
Are teb current tyres tubeless or they would also be need to be changed along with rims?

[Viju]

Originally Posted by vikramvicky1984

Is there a way to get tubeless tyres + alloys in the motorcycle

Aren’t RE supplying these as accessories or spare parts anymore? This is for the dual disc variant of the Classic 350 Reborn of course.



I would suggest getting the dual disc variant for the added safety of the dual channel ABS.