Dada, can you please bring me a strong cup of tea?
Yes, thank you.
This story is special.
It marks a milestone,
the passing of a torch.
This story is about transition, from one peak, to another.
Thank you. Is it a strong one?
You know, as I drink this cup of tea, I go back to 2009 when Royal Enfield was just making motorcycles,
until one day, they decided to make a connection instead.
2009, that's when the Classic 350 was launched.
Little Royal Enfield know, that they had just created a legend.
You know, in it's prime, Royal Enfield was selling close to 80,000 units a month!
Hard to grasp that, for a motorcycle that costs about 1.5 lakh rupees.
But that's how Royal Enfield and the Classic 350 became
"dominators" of the premium motorcycle market.
Pause, don't curse me yet.
I am gaga over the brand,
but this, is not a review.
There's no point comparing the past to the future.
In my optimistic world, the future will always, always be better.
Perhaps we should just take two steps back and look at how this motorcycle, which had
its own set of issues, still work, so amazingly well.
The short answer to that is, simplicity,
and the long answer, sim-pli-ci-ty.
This motorcycle has seen a lot of change.
During its time, it went from being cast iron to alloy, heavy to light, from walking to jogging.
This motorcycle has seen expansion of the motorcycling lifestyle,
of the getting late drama, sounds complex?
No, this is still simple.
But that was the brief 13 years ago, today our tea needs to taste a little different,
more subtle, more authentic.
Motorcycling as a funda has come a long long way since then, performance has come a long way,
quality has changed dramatically.
But the universe has changed too.
A vibrating Classic back in 2010, is perhaps still fine, but no longer a good idea.
A bike without a fuel gauge today,
there are so many of these nuggets,
but despite that, the Classic has soldiered on with authority.
It's done, dug-duging to Ladakh and the Classic, is the Bullet.
Owners in the name of legacy,
brand value and commitment, flip the bird in the direction of their haters
and build a strong community over the years.
But now, now my time has come, time for someone else to carry this torch.
Thank you, sir, it is my turn now.
This is the age of drinking a cuppa, nice, rich, smooth and aromatic.
This is what I would like to see.
But, this looks the same, right?
Yeah, it looks the same but only from far away.
Royal Enfield intended strongly to keep the Classic's vibe going. This is their bread and butter.
Not just that, it's a jam, toast and marmalade as well.
That's how important this motorcycle is. The Classic, must be right, there is no alternative.
That means a tonne of questions right?
Does it feel authentic?
Does it have the thump?
Does it vibrate?
Okay, let's answer these questions one by one.
Design, every line, surface and angle is new,
but they're all cleanups and tweaks.
Now that makes the new Classic 350 look cleaner, smarter and higher quality,
but it looks almost exactly the same.
Things that actually make a difference,
a fuel gauge, alloys, this one doesn't have them, but they're there otherwise, navigation,
better part quality, better chrome.
Now the old names have actually appeared as variant names,
so the base model is now called as Redditch.
The Signals, sits below the top model, all of that aura, which means a lot more options.
Now, to all things new, the J series engine is something I've come to like quite a bit.
RE are saying the fuelling has been tweaked, the suspension is better,
the chassis is all, but new, and that's not all,
unpleasant things that we filed away as character or throwbacks, have been solved.
Refinement is a whole another level.
It has a cool vibe, but no vibration, but the gearbox is smooth,
it has character but not as a label for quirks anymore.
There is choice, single or dual-channel ABS,
Tripper or not, four paint schemes in at least two colours each, spoked or alloy wheels.
Royal Enfield is up to speed with things that a potential buyer might look at
and despite all of that, this is still a 100% Classic.
Sweet, recognisable, accessible, and welcome.
Has Royal Enfield done enough to convince you?
Heck, has it done enough to convince me?
Is this a bike I would buy?
No, I like the Meteor's feel a little bit more.
Is this a bike that a fast bike guy will like?
Umm, well, no again, this is the Classic 350, a bike that has its own fan base, fans that live
and breathe this motorcycle, fans that have backed up the brand when someone spoke wrong
against it, fans that have furiously typed and cornered that keyboard warrior
when someone sparked a negative response on social media.
This story is not a review, it's not a comparison, this is a celebration.
It marks a new chapter, not only for the Classic 350 fans, but for Royal Enfield as well.
Oh, sorry sorry, before you switch off all the lights,
if you want to know what's really good and bad about the Classic 350, the new Classic 350,
then you should go back to a video that is already live on our channel.
And hold on, there are more videos about this motorcycle on their way, so you stay tuned,
stay subscribed, stay notified.