OG Royal Enfield Bullet 350 owner’s take on the new J-Series model

The smoothness this bike has along with that butter smooth gearshifts is almost like the Interceptor.

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The bike is nearing the 1,28,000 kms mark. It has run 1,27,940 kms.

After the last service a few weeks ago, I noticed the chain was loose again. It was getting better before the service when the chain noise and slack were right. Probably removing the rear wheel and putting it back during the service affected it again. With a pillion, it was fine but riding alone, it got very noisy to the point that I thought the chain would jump off the sprocket.
I took the bike to another mech I knew who surprisingly remembered me after many years and got it tightened a bit which made things better. I need to change the chain/sprocket set again mainly because the parts used when I changed them just 2000 kms ago, weren’t OE, and worse, the sprocket and chain weren’t a match since it was a non-O-ring type chain then.

Otherwise, the bike is running fine and the engine all okay. When I visited Mehboob’s garage when I was passing by once, they saw the head gasket leak which was not much, the oil covers just a few fins of the bore and mentioned that they could clean the cylinder and piston, change the rings without having to dismantle the full engine, just to keep the engine going in the same beat. He asked me not to re-bore as that would never get the original feel again, which I agreed to. That is for later till I can run this engine with no major issues.

I had a good ride yesterday on the airport road when I went to test ride the Bullet 350. It was a relaxed ride at 60 kmph enjoying the world going by fast forward.
Coming to the new Bullet 350, it was the first time I experienced the J series on the Bullet. I had ridden the Meteor for a long ride and the Hunter for a short test ride. This one felt the best. I was riding a BS4 UCE Classic recently on a ride and was comparing it to that more than my Bullet which is way too old for comparison and I hadn’t ridden the Classic J series either

The smoothness this bike has along with that butter-smooth gearshift is almost like the Interceptor. It picked up speed and relaxed, but at the same time, I was able to hit 80 kmph without any drama. I felt it could cruise at 80-90 with no issues or stressing the engine. It has a nice exhaust note which was way better for me than the Hunter or Meteor and was audible all the time, regardless of the speeds, but not annoyingly loud. Since the frame is different on the J series, when riding, it feels like the front end is stubbier including the tank, especially compared to my Bullet. The torque was quite good too and quite similar to the old CI500 which I ride now and then. But the USP is that everything is so much smoother than the older Bullets. The riding position and seat comfort, coming from my Interceptor felt like I was sitting on a sofa. The Bullet I felt has the best ergo for long-distance riding and it is carried on with this model too.

21 years and a few generations apart.

Both 350cc’s, but a world apart.

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