When Royal Enfield debuted the new J-platform and the new 350cc engine with the Meteor 350 a couple of months ago, we knew it would spawn several other future motorcycles in Royal Enfield's lineup. And that included the next-gen Royal Enfield Classic 350 as well. Now, the 2021 Royal Enfield Classic 350 once again, this time fully undisguised. This new sighting gives us the clearest view of the upcoming RE Classic 350 yet. The Classic 350 is Royal Enfield's bread and butter model, and one of the most popular motorcycles in its price bracket. It thus not surprising that RE hasn't strayed too far away from a successful formula.
The 2021 Royal Enfield Classic 350 looks
very similar to the current model. The shape of the tank, the fenders over the
wheels and even the side panels look very similar to that of the current-gen
model. If however you look a little closer, you will spot a few more updates.
The tail lamps, for example, are new sleeker units with a chrome bezel and seem
to have come from the Meteor 350. Even the headlamps seem similar to the ones
on the Meteor 350. The seats too have been redesigned with more rounded edges
and the grab rail appears to be raised, perhaps for better ergonomics and
comfort for the pillion rider.
The 2021 Classic 350 will be underpinned
by the same dual-cradle frame J platform that Royal Enfield debuted with the
Meteor 350. In fact, this platform will be underpinning a lot of future RE
models. The upcoming Classic 350 will come equipped with front and rear
disc-brakes with the option of dual-channel ABS. However, the discs have been
now mounted on the right-hand side of the motorcycle, instead of the left-hand
side, as seen with the current-gen bike. This is a direct consequence of the
new powertrain that the next-gen Classic will come with.
Speaking of powertrain, the new Classic
350 will be powered by the same 349 cc fuel-injected single-cylinder engine we
saw in the Meteor 350. The new engine on the Classic 350 will thus adopt an
SOHC setup instead of old pushrod-valve system. The engine will still be
air-cooled but it now features an additional internal oil circuit within the
cylinder head to aid cooling. This engine produces 20.2 hp of power and 24 Nm of
peak torque. Just like the Meteor, this engine will come mated to a 5-speed
gearbox in the Classic 350 as well.
In terms of features, it remains uncertain
if RE will equip the new Classic 350 with the Bluetooth-enabled Tripper
navigation system that we saw on the Meteor 350. The current-gen RE Classic 350
is priced from INR 1.65 lakh (ex-showroom) in India. The next-gen model could
be priced at par or slightly at a premium over the current-gen model. The spied
test mule looks almost production ready and you could expect Royal Enfield to
bring this into the showrooms early next year.
