[Viju]

As with most motorcycles, there is no place to store anything substantial on the new Bullet 350. As my intended purpose for this motorcycle is light touring as well as small grocery trips, I had been looking around for a decent luggage carrying solution even while the bike was in transit from India.

With the first gen Classic 350s / 500s, Royal Enfield used to supply pannier racks and waxed canvas soft luggage in multiple shades as a genuine accessory. For reasons best known to them, RE decided not to make something like this available for the J series bikes.

Due to the high demand from the global rider community, Hitchcocks decided to offer aftermarket parts which are basically a copy of the original RE stuff. There are plenty of similar items available on eBay as well, but getting the right fit can be a hit or miss.

Finally, this Summer, Hitchcocks designed and offered these made-in-house pannier racks just in time for the delivery of my Bullet. I ordered the pannier racks as well as a pair of canvas bags in black (they have olive green and tan options as well, but I did not think they would suit my bike). They also have a few leather bags which fit these pannier racks very well, but I wanted something easier to maintain even if it got a bit dirty or wet due to daily usage.

Hitchcocks Pannier Racks & Waxed Canvas Pannier Bags

Likes:

• Excellent usability, even in the rains
• Looks durable (I will update here after using them for a year)
• Suits the aesthetics of the Bullet (subjective, but I love the WWII look)
• Holds the shape perfectly although they are soft luggage
• Powder coating and welding of the pannier racks are of a high order
• Specially designed for the Bullet and the Classic Reborn
• The pannier bags can be mounted and dismounted in a couple of minutes
• Clears the pillion foot-rests well enough so that there is no inconvenience to carrying a pillion
• Made in the UK

Dislikes:

• Fitment of the racks is not beginner friendly
• The clamp that fixes the rack to the mudguard stay is not well-designed
• There is no padding to prevent the stay from taking the paint clean off the mudguard stay (I expected better from Hitchcocks as these are expensive)
• Made from mild steel tubing and not stainless steel
• "Enfield Cycle Co. Redditch" writing is cringe in my opinion. Thankfully it is not too obvious.

Tools required:

• Torque wrench (0 - 50 N-m)
• Ring + open ended spanners x 4 (12 - 17mm)
• Ratchet + short extension
• Sockets x 3 (12mm, 14mm, 17mm)

Tools I ended up using


PPF to avoid scratches to the mudguard stays

Fitting time: 75 minutes (this is how long it took for me, but if you know exactly what you're doing, it could be done in 30 ~ 45 minutes I believe)

Product links:

• Pannier racks: https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorc...category=sub11
• Pannier bags: https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/40521

Installation Guide: https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorc...HqPJq&_xt=.pdf

[Viju]

Pannier Racks

Caution:

• Make sure to place the motorcycle on the center stand, as the shock absorber top bolt needs to be removed.
  
• To avoid scratches, dents or other damages to your motorcycle, I would highly recommend that you cover all the surrounding parts with fluffy microfiber clothes. There is also a possibility that a nut or bolt falls on to the exhaust and cause a mini dent / scratch. It is better to cover it up as well to avoid damaging your pride and joy!
  
• Do not overtighten the shock absorber top bolt. The torque range is 42 ~ 50 N-m. If you have a torque wrench, make use of it. If not, you just need to make sure you don't tighten it too much. Torque values for the smaller bolts are provided in the instruction manual I have linked in the first post.

Fitment

Step 1:
Remove the shock absorber top bolt, while holding the retaining nut with a slim open-ended spanner from behind the seat rail. The seat rail may move up or down due to load and you may not be able to put the bolt back in. Do not panic like I did! Once you remove the shock absorber bolt from the other side, the seat rail moves up and down freely.

Once the bolt is off, fix the RH / LH pannier frame top mount and put the bolt back in loosely.

Step 2:

Remove the small bolt near the pillion foot-rest, fix the pannier frame mount and put the bolt back in loosely. There is no retaining bolt at the back here to worry about.

Step 3:
After applying PPF to the correct area of the mudguard stay, fix the supplied clamp loosely to the pannier rack and place it around the mudguard stay.

Step 4:
Bend the clamp around the mudguard stay carefully. I tried bending it using a regular plier at first but it did not work well. Taking a lot of time, using a nose plier and later on my own arm strength, I slowly bent the clamp so that the bolt would go into both the mating holes. This was a real pain, and I wish Hitchcocks had bothered to design something better here. The original RE design had 2 clamps which bolted from either side of the mudguard stay, with proper rubber spacers in between to prevent scratches. That would have been so much better.

Once you manage to loosely fix the bolts on one side, move on to the other side (I did RH first, LH next) and repeat the same steps.

Step 6:
Tighten the shock absorber bolt ensuring that it goes through the seat frame rail as well, while holding the retaining nut at the back. I tried doing it with a spanner, but just could not get the bolt to align with the nut as I could not see what was happening. Finally, I used my index finger to hold the nut and after dropping the nut 3 or 4 times, managed to get the bolt into the nut. It doesn't help that I have XXL thick fingers (my kids call them sausage fingers).

For the LH side, I had to keep my thumb on the lifting handle as well to keep it aligned. It tends to rotate with the shock absorber top bolt during tightening.

Step 7:
Gently tighten all the bolts while ensuring alignment of the racks on either side. Stand back and enjoy looking at the fruits of your labour.

[Viju]

Pannier Bags

Fitment

These pannier bags are a direct fit to these frames and they sit well on to the base of the frames as well. This gives me more confidence to load the bags without worrying about it causing too much stress on the frames themselves.

Fitting them is just a matter of sliding them from the top of the frame, and then using straps with velcros and D-rings to secure the bag completely to the frames themselves. I will let the pictures do the talking here. Fixing and removing them should not take more than 2 ~ 3 minutes at the max once you know what you are doing.

The bags comes with a waterproof inner lining as well which can be used in case of rains. They also retain their shape without any luggage in them, thanks to the fold-in / fold-out construction.

A few parting shots:

After I shot these pictures, I noticed that the bags were not perfectly aligned and sitting on the frames. I adjusted the straps and now they look better.

As far as I know, Hitchcocks has made similar racks for all the J series bikes as well as the UCE 350s & 500s. One needs to be careful to order the right one though.

Hope this thread is of use to someone. Until the next one, take care and ride safe guys!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Motorfanatic1]

Originally Posted by Viju

These pannier bags are a direct fit to these frames and they sit well on to the base of the frames as well. This gives me more confidence to load the bags without worrying about it causing too much stress on the frames themselves.

Fitting them is just a matter of sliding them from the top of the frame, and then using straps with velcros and D-rings to secure the bag completely to the frames themselves. I will let the pictures do the talking here. Fixing and removing them should not take more than 2 ~ 3 minutes at the max once you know what you are doing.
...
Hope this thread is of use to someone. Until the next one, take care and ride safe guys!

Nice write-up and congratulations! For bikes, especially if in regular day to day use, any additional storage space is always welcome. I preferred ViaTerra saddle bags on my bike. https://viaterragear.com/collections/saddlebags.

This helps me in installation and removal of the saddle bags on need basis and I find it more convenient over a permanent fixture. After using it for more than 2 years now, I can vouch for its durability, ruggedness, and very nice manufacturing quality.

[jeeva]

Beautiful bike there. The Standard 350 tugs at the heartstrings in a way no other bike ever can.

[sunnyjimny]

I bought an RE Bullet 350 in September 2023. I have a made a few mods to it

Tank Grill bought from Ali Express
Interceptor Handle Rod
The tiger eyes are now LED bought from Seimens
The head light is also LED - Night Eye bought from Amazon
The grab rail is an original RE accessory
The brace pad on it is actually for the handle rod but my wife complains that it is comfortable to sit at the back with grab rail hurting. So I have put the brace pad on the rear rack to provide some cushion. It helps
The small pouch on the crash guard houses my sunglasses. Bought from Amazon

[Viju]

Originally Posted by sunnyjimny

I bought an RE Bullet 350 in September 2023. I have a made a few mods to it

That’s a beautiful bike you’ve got!

How many kilometers have you clocked so far and how has the reliability been? Have you faced any issues at all?

Ride safe!

[sunnyjimny]

4200 km so far. I use to it to commute to work and back.
No issues, enjoying it
I have read about people putting fuel X pro and changing the air filter to DNA. Is it worth it? My run to too low to make these mods. What do you think?

[Viju]

Originally Posted by sunnyjimny

I have read about people putting fuel X pro and changing the air filter to DNA. Is it worth it? My run to too low to make these mods. What do you think?

Glad to hear you’re past 4200km without any issues. Still surprises me when I hear really negative opinions about the lack of QC in RE.

About the DNA filter, Fuel-X etc, this is my personal opinion. I don’t think they are going to translate into any increase in actual horsepower or real life performance.

But since our bikes are programmed to run extremely lean due to the fuel efficiency requirements / emission regulations, a Fuel-X should help it to run a bit richer and hence cooler. This should only help to improve the engine’s longevity. As far as I know, the single map of a Fuel-X Lite is the same as the Map 6 of a Fuel-X Pro. I may go for a Fuel-X Lite sometime in the future. I personally wouldn’t want to stick the Fuel-X Pro switch on my handlebar.

A DNA stage 2 kit especially creates a lot more induction noise. Some people like it, some don’t. Same for a catcon delete or freeflow exhaust. But both these mods will make the bike run a bit leaner than it came from the assembly. A Fuel-X should act like upjetting a carburetor, to compensate for such mods.

Cheers!

[themotohead_doc]

Originally Posted by Viju

About the DNA filter, Fuel-X etc, this is my personal opiniBut since our bikes are programmed to run extremely lean due to the fuel efficiency requirements / emission regulations, a Fuel-X should help it to run a bit richer and hence cooler. This should only help to improve the engine’s longevity. As far as I know, the single map of a Fuel-X Lite is the same as the Map 6 of a Fuel-X Pro. I may go for a Fuel-X Lite sometime in the future. I personally wouldn’t want to stick the Fuel-X Pro switch on my handlebar

Being a Classic Reborn owner since the last 2.5 years I can assure you that the J platform is a reliable one.
Also, I did try the Fuel-X lite on my steed but she ran extremely hot post the installation.
Upon inquiring I was told to upgrade to the Pro series since I was running a N-Gage air filter and a Gursewak exhaust.
For Air filter and exhaust upgrades it's better to go for Fuel-X Pro as one can adjust the fueling as per the riding scenarios and that's what folks at RD recommend.
Got the lite returned and planning for the newer Pro+ soon.

Cheers,
MHD