VOLUME 63 ISSUE 11 MARCH 17, 2026 P85
ny's 350 Bullet model, Royal Enfield's best-selling
motorcycle worldwide and in the U.S. "The Classic
350 has been an extremely popular model here
[the U.S.]," Kolbe says, "but by combining our iconic
heritage design with the 650 Twin platform, we've
built a motorcycle that bridges the gap between
heritage and high-speed capability that we believe
will also resonate extremely well with riders." Espe-
cially in the U.S., with its wide-open spaces.
I'm presuming anyone interested in buying the
Classic 650 is attracted more by its looks than by
anything else. Its vintage, post-war style is what
draws you in, not by how quickly it can get you from
point A to point B or how sharply it can carve a can-
yon turn. It's all about the look. But you also don't
want something that looks great parked outside the
Outback Crab Shack but is something you dread rid-
ing home on. You still want some performance, and
the more the better, of course. I'll get straight to the
point: the Classic 650 performs as well as it looks.
Nowhere in Royal Enfield's pre-description ver-
biage of the Classic 650 is the word "cruiser" used,
nor did I think of it as a cruiser when I first laid eyes
on it. It's simply a modern classic based on a pre-
