ENFIELD CLASSIC 350 (2022 - on) Review

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is so much better than any £4500 single has any right to be (2022 launch pricing). A charming blend of modest power, exceptional build quality and quaint styling harking back to the glory days of British motorcycling, it’s a delightful backroad retro companion that’s happiest chugging away below 65mph.

Novice friendly dimensions work in tandem with a gentle circa 20bhp output and five-speed gearbox, providing a top speed just north of the national limit and a chugging soundtrack that immediately transports you to the set of Heartbeat.

Although Euro5 and fitted with two-channel ABS, its metal tank, air-cooled engine, chunky mudguards, glistening spoked wheels and analogue single clock are pure 50s nostalgia and if there was a sideways numberplate over the front wheel, you’d easily mistake it for the real thing.

Having since purchased a 2023 Classic myself (Halcyon Grey) after writing the initial review around a year ago, I am constantly inundated with inquisitive pedestrians passing by, who are always surprised to discover a modern numberplate screwed in at the rear.

Originally yours for £127.25 a month on HP over three years, with a deposit of £299 and generating a tested 77.7mpg, it’s incredible value to own and run – making it refreshingly obtainable for young A2 licence holders wanting to join the retro brigade. It's also proved a hit amongst experienced bikers wanting something more sedate as a second motorcycle, or with those that owned something similar 50- to 60-years-ago, now craving a hot serving of nostalgia.

For all its good looks and chugging charm though, the Classic is slightly let down by its wooden brakes. It could also benefit from a sixth gear and a slightly higher top speed, to help make you feel slightly less vulnerable on the motorway. Those wanting to adjust the preload on the rear shocks will also struggle immensely, thanks to a poorly thought-out frame around the rear mudguard.

The Classic is a doddle to ride. Gently set, with an 805mm seat height and easy reach to the floor, the handling is neutral and encourages you to gently tip into a bend before wafting out the other side to the gentle chug of the exhaust.

This is not a bike for frantic weekend scratching. It won’t thank you for wringing its neck and responds best to gentle inputs at speeds below 65mph. And that’s fortunate, because the engine is only capable of a claimed 71mph…

Suspended by non-adjustable 41mm forks and six-stage preload adjustable twin shocks, it works with the spongey rider’s seat to soak up the majority of cracks in the road. It's firm but forgiving, with no irritating fork dive under braking and minimal squat under acceleration (because there's bugger-all power).

It's quality stuff that only falters over larger potholes and ruts – transferring some crashing energy into your forearms and lower back – and more than acceptable for the money you’re paying. Whilst we're complaining about stuff, the rider's foot pegs are also situated exactly where you would naturally put your feet down, meaning stopping can sometimes feel a bit awkward - especially with the additional weight of a pillion to contend with.

Braking power is provided by Bybre, with a 300mm single disc and two-piston floating caliper up front and a 270mm rotor and one-pot caliper at the back. Twin channel ABS comes as standard, too.

For a bike of this capacity, it should be more than enough, but the Royal Enfield Classic 350 weighs a portly claimed 195kg wet and the two-pot front lacks any kind of feel – which can make initial applications disconcerting. Stick someone on the back and the front just isn't up to stopping you quickly on its own either, and a dab of rear from the chunky lever is almost always required.

That said, there’s no intrusion from the ABS and you get ample grip in damp conditions from the CEAT tyres. It's likely a change of pad would aid that lack of front-end feel too.

Sticking with carrying a passenger, the Classic 350 is surprisingly capable. It may only have around 20bhp, but once you've wound up the preload as much as you can, it feels nicely suspended for two averagely-sized users. Adjusting the suspension to this level is nothing short of infuriating though, with the adjusters sitting in line with an external metal frame for the rear mudguard.

This makes it impossible to get a clean purchase on it with the standard C-spanner in the toolkit, meaning lots of slips off, bruised fingers and swearing. Now it's adjusted, I will never move it back - it's just not worth the hassle.

Elsewhere though, the rear grab rail and side handle also plays a massive role - allowing passengers to hold on to more than just the rider's waist, as well as assisting with getting on and off the motorcycle. A decent distance down to the pillion pegs also means their legs aren't folded up like an origami bird and the whole design feels considered, rather than a last minute afterthought.

Three out of five stars might seem harsh for the gentle two-valve single-cylinder engine because there’s nothing really wrong with it – but it’s just a bit too slow to feel comfortable at motorway speeds.

Royal Enfield are claiming 71mph on the spec sheet, which flags up as 75mph on the single clock. That’s fine for bimbling about town, or chugging along a back road, but it leaves you exposed on faster A roads and motorways, where the engine is revving its tiny head off.

That said, you’re unlikely to see many Classic 350s trundling along the M25 and whilst it may run out of puff at the national speed limit, it still feels smooth beneath you – with minimal vibrations through the bars, mirrors, pegs, or seat.

And away from any multilane misery, the Euro5 lump is a joy to behold – projecting a rumbling soundtrack from a bygone era through its pea shooter exhaust. Impressively noisy for a standard set-up, it’s happiest below 60mph and encourages you to short shift through the gears and dine out on a gentle wedge of torque.

It might bark back at you like a small-capacity trail bike, but this is no performance motorcycle. Big handfuls of throttle are met with the swift arrival of the rev limiter and the gentler you ride it, the more it’s circa 20bhp output makes sense. Stick to the back lanes, slow down and take in the scenery around you - it's a great antidote to the high pace nature of modern living.

The forgiving engine and minuscule price tag also make it an obtainable machine for young A2 licence holders. It’s frugal, too. Our 82-mile run returned a tested 77.7mpg, which is enough for a theoretical 222 miles from it’s 13-litre tank. Since owning my own Classic 350, I've seen 180 miles from a tank of fuel, before filling up with two bars left on the tiny LCD strip display. When it comes to first service time, the valve clearances will need doing, too.

The Classic 350 feels incredibly well built. Run your fingers along the glistening tank, polished mudguards, and intricate panels and you’ll find almost no plastic. Instead, it’s a mixture of chrome and gloss, with chunky metal bracketry and a solid finish. You even get a centre stand for maintenance and preload-adjustable shocks as standard.

There are no panel gaps, or dodgy welds and it gives off the impression a bike costing double it’s sub-five grand ticket. You’ll also find no wires poking out where they shouldn’t and there’s a lockable cubby hole providing access to the battery and tool kit.

Our Royal Enfield Classic 350 owners' reviews don't speak of any reliability issues except a sticking speedo in hot weather. With that in mind it truly does seem to have classic charm...

Being an affordable, small-capacity motorcycle, it is best to make sure that you keep on top of the cleaning regime though. Upon purchasing my own Classic 350, I treated the bike to a coating of ACF 50 but despite this, I have seen some surface rust creep in around the lip of the fuel tank - beneath the chrome cap. Given the amount of shiny metal and spokes to attend to on the 350, each clean will likely be a methodical, time consuming task. You have been warned...

It’s hard to fathom just how Royal Enfield can sell the 350 so cheaply. At £4439 on the road back in 2022, it’s more wallet-friendly than a lot of mass-produced Japanese 125s – many of which are draped in endless plastic and share none of the Enfield’s charm or heritage. Even with a deposit of £299, the bike is yours for £127.25 a month across three years on finance. It’s cheap motoring.

It also sounds terrific at any speed, is comfortable to ride, handles itself amicably in a bend and doesn’t dive under braking. I can’t really work out where they’ve scrimped on it, to make it so affordable. It makes you question why other smaller-capacity bikes cost as much as they do…

Our test mule, finished in 'Chrome Red', is nothing short of stunning. Each of the intricate spokes catches any scrap of sunlight on our glum February ride and is complimented by its shimmering single exhaust and mirrored petrol tank. And that’s before you get to the chromed preload-adjustable shocks, mudguards, headlight cover, and mirrors.

It's a pricier option than its one-pot retro rivals like the £3699 Benelli Imperiale 400 and Royal Enfield’s own £3879 Meteor 350, but those bikes lack the Classic’s authentic retro chic, and stand out finish. There’s no rattly plastics, the levers are reassuringly chunky, and even the rounded switchgear comes etched with Royal Enfield’s logo and founding year. This isn't a stepping stone onto a bigger bike, it's something to pull out of the garage and be proud of.

Equipment on the Royal Enfield Classic 350 is basic, but that’s to be expected on a bike costing less than £4500 when it was launched. Plus, it’s styled to look like something from the 1950s, so a TFT dash, or suite of lean-sensitive gizmos just wouldn’t sit right with the aesthetic.

That said, it does get six-stage preload-adjustable twin shocks and decent wiggle room for a rider and pillion. The switchgear also feels robust, with thick metal levers on the gently set bars, and rounded knobs featuring an etched Royal Enfield logo. Although there’s no span adjustment, both the clutch and front brake are within easy reach – even for those with shorter digits (like me).

There’s a central speedo, with a small LCD display showing your fuel gauge, trips, the time and more, but there’s no rev counter. You won't be thrashing it though, so shifts are easily done by feel and by ear.

It’s easy to read and nicely lit for nighttime outings, with the predictability of the motor making it easy to snick through the cogs without need to look down at the dash. For additional road presence, the round central headlight is flanked by two smaller DRLs, with the horn also alerting others with a purposeful honk.