It probably comes as something of a surprise to many people - given that the Bullet has been the backbone of Enfield's production for, essentially, the greater part of the company's existence (especially so with regard to machines built since the move to production in India) but the new 350cc Bullet isn't a new machine in entirety. It's based on the Meteor, that was launched into the UK market back in 2021 with the new air-/oil-cooled overhead cam J-series engine. The Meteor itself replaced the Meteor version of the previous pushrod-engined Bullet, which was incredibly popular in the Indian home market, and that was probably the root reason behind the new Meteor being launched ahead of the new Bullet, rather than the other way around.
While not chasing outright power with the J-series, Royal Enfield has developed an engine that is incredibly flexible in its delivery. Impressively for an engine of this capacity, top gear (only five speeds in this 'box) is capable of pulling from as low as 30mph, with no complaints (albeit not at a particularly rapid rate of knots), thus making for a very relaxing ride on twisting country lanes or, for that matter, in busy urban traffic. Although it's in the former rural environment that the bike excels, exploring tight and twisting byways, luxuriating in the slow speed manoeuvrability, leisurely power delivery and relaxing soundtrack.
Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
