They also both feature a rear wheel that comes off leaving the sprocket and chain in place for roadside puncture repairs! Like the 500, build quality is pretty good the welds, chrome and paint seem reasonable quality and all the side covers and fenders are made of metal.

The knob is a bit difficult to access unless you have long skinny fingers as it’s tucked away behind the fuel tap. However, starting a carby bike requires some choke when it’s cold. That’s part of the old-school charm reflected in the timeless styling that includes a kick start as a back-up to the electric start, although I never needed to use it. Only four things give it away: the dual seat and dual horns on the 350, the oxygen sensor on the 500’s header pipe and, of course, “350” instead of “500” on the side panels.īoth Classics come with a centrestand as standard and there is a handy grab handle on the side so you can easily lift it on to the stand so you can oil the chain.Īnd there isn’t much difference when you get on board except the fuel light is replaced by an amp meter, so when it starts to cough, you need to reach down to the left and flick the fuel tap to reserve (and then don’t forget to switch it back to “on” after you have refuelled!)

It wasn’t the first or last time the retro bike attracted a lot of attention on our test. Stopped at the lights with a truck on either side of us, we were besieged by questions from the drivers drooling out of their respective windows. We didn’t get more than 500m before the misty-eyed old guys began gawking. A mate on a Classic 500 accompanied me as I picked up the 350 from Motosport Bayside in Capalaba for our test.

Royal enfield classic 350