A Royal Enfield Classic 350 Reborn Owners Review

It's got to be the most beautiful motorcycle out there today 😍 but 20hp on European roads would be scary 😨
RE needs to put a 500cc motor in this bike.
I ride my Triumph Bonneville slowly around country roads and enjoy the scenery but l know ive got the power to ride anywhere.

Good summary - and good idea to scrap the DNA air filter, the stock set up is best , especially once it’s run in

Absolutely agree a Classic 500 J Series engine would be my dream.

Enjoyed the review and found I had some of the same issues with my C350 you’ve noted - loose bolts, etc. Like you I de-cated, installed the FuelX, did the 500 mile maintenance - and the performance just wasn’t what I needed to be safe on our USA roads. Hills were a challenge too - especially when loaded. I changed the main sprocket but took it off as it didn’t help much. I considered installing the cam to get more power but decided to trade it in and wait for a 650 which I think should be excellent for this style and weight of bike. Hope it’s here soon! Great video per usual. Cheers from NE Ohio USA 😎

Great review mate!! Everything you said was on point. Also the issues you mentioned for the bike are things to be really considered but you know it’s an royal Enfield, issues like unwanted noises from brakes and loose nuts and etc are inherited issues from it’s older generation to this current one 😅

Also what engine oil would you recommend for this bike?

And about the gears I’ve the same issue like downshifting is fine but whenever I shift from 1st to 2nd gear it’s always gets neutral, after pushing the gear level 2-3 times it shifts to 2nd.. this problem does not happen every time but whenever happens it just irritates a lot 🥲

I’ve done most of the mods you mentioned apart from fuel x module, the happy zone for me was the dna/decat pipe with the standard cover back on. I’d recommend keeping an eye on the drive chain, mine had numerous tight spots & some binding links, I replaced it at 5000miles with a did x ring & it became smoother with a better gear change!

El sonido de la Classic queda en los videos genial

Yes! Review of MG would be appreciated. I personally have T120 and as a second bike I’ve chosen V7 which is perfect for daily rides but has some issues and can’t compete with T120. So not sure now if V7 was the best choice in this price range (maybe Kawasaki z650rs would be better?).

Why you put the extra lamp on the left ? Surely it should be on the right for oncoming traffic to see !

Matt is would like your thoughts on the V7 Royal Enfield could also improve the performance of the classic 350 but you may loose some of its charm my old man had a B31 BSA in the mis 70s when I started motorcycling that would hold an indicated 80mph but that was risky as the breaks were piss poor it was more a case of swerve to avoide rather than the breaks pulling you up😂😂

Great review 👍 I installed the cam on mine, and the bike ran even better. I think the fuel x system does more harm than good.

Very cool clip Matt...I'm sure potential buyers would be very interested
Speaking of shonky assembly....my 2nd bike is a Ural outfit 🥴

I've seen many reviews of the classic 350, most of them idealizing the mentioned defects of this bike as "discovery of slowness". It's not only the best classic looking bike on the market, it's also performing like an old bike, underpowered, with few stopping power and dark light, but lots of shining chrome. A very honest review Matt, thanks for that. As you say, a good base for improvements. Could a transmission change compensate any of the lacking power, i.e. changing sprockets/pinion?

Good summary of the bike. Had a lot of the similar niggles. Great to ride at 50-55mph - just find a quiet back road! Yes,the first thing I noticed was the spot light, thanks for the overview of installation. Create kits of these for your website and I think you’ll be on to a winner!

Yep the relay takes the current and the switch just operates the low current side of it.Makes perfect sense.

Nice video.
Matt

Matt, you've mentioned before that you hate speaking on camera, but from this side of the screen I don't think you have anything to worry about.

And you're still tempting me with the RE, I'm thinking of one as a bit of a project, something I could slowly turn into a bit of a classic trials lookalike for some gentle green lane pottering.

Hi Matt, interesting to hear your thoughts on the Classic, sorry to hear of the issues you found with it, sounds like the dealer is at fault.
I was thinking of changing the rear shocks, are yours the ones that have the Allen key adjustment at the top or just the open springs?
I find mine a bit of a heave to get it on the stand & I’ve read that a lot of owners have removed the Fuel X module, according to Hitchcocks their dyno showed the best performance was with the cam, decat pipe & just the dna air intake which I think gives it an extra 5 bhp.

Hi Matt, I have the same mods on my 350 dna, decathlon, fuel X lite. I experienced the juddering/surging both before and after the mods. I realised the surging was in top gear only and have concluded the surging was due to the bike trying to jump out of gear. I have since modified my gear change into top gear with upward pressure before the shift and a longer more deliberate upward push. I think the travel into top gear is further than any other gear. Since modifying my gear change I have not had any surging! Thought I would share to see if it works for you.

Had a 350 classic exactly the same. Trouble was I also had a 500 classic trials rep running alongside the 350......the 500 won and the 350 was sold. The 350 can't cope with the hills whereas the 500 romps up them. I was disappointed royal Enfield didn't make a 500 on the 350 platform. It would be interesting to hear your views on the guzzi.

Fantastic Matt, really enjoyed the review….thanks.
I’ve a 2016 classic 500…have a false neutral happening on it too so will probably have to investigate…it’s only done about 2.5k miles so low mileage for an 8 year old plodder.
Interested in which bar end mirrors you bought…they look ideal and aren’t wider than the bars which is what I’m after so would be grateful if you could let me know.
Go well and thanks again

Same issue with pulsing on the front brake. Refused to honour the warranty with 3000kms on the clock as I'd been riding it too hard, how is that remotely possible on one of these?

Enjoyed the show. Thanks for sharing your thoughts 😊

I would love to hear your thoughts on Moto guzzi. Particularly your thoughts on the dry clutch and its other unique characteristics. I like your honesty about the RE. Have you ridden the hunter 350.

Cheers Matt. Good to hear your honest common-sense opinions and about your upgrades.
I tried to find a maroon Bullet 350 recently and can't! They are all sold out in advance of the new Euro5+ bikes, apparently.
I totally agree a 500 single would have been awesome (I find their 650 twin feels a bit 'modern' and boring). Maybe next year! (But I don't think so...)
But I think I will give a Bullet a go when I can find one. I test rode one and loved it apart from I could barely get it to 60mph, but I'm hearing from just about everyone that after a few thousand it is much more reasonable (and that new air filters, plugs, etc help).

Which kind of engine oil did you use to fix the false neutral problem ??

I respect every one's opinion but let me tell you honestly i am in love with my standard 350 2019 with only kicker option ....... my father fullfiled his dream by buying a RE motorcycle ....... but for me i want to buy 2 more RE bikes esspecially a 1995 series bullet and a diesel bullet also ...... Hope one day i will achive it .....

The fuel injection "learns" by monitoring the O2 sensor. You shouldn't need a after market fueling. That may be for a closed course without O2 sensor. It needs to sit and idle for about 5 minutes, no throttle. Then operate it normally.

Yes to the Guzzi Mat, great vid

Would definitely enjoy your style applied to a review of your friend's Moto Guzzi

I agree with what you said about thrashing this bike a little bit.. the engine definitely frees up after few thousand kms of sensible thrashing 😂

Wjy wud u buy such a shit bike?

Very watchable for a "non bike review" review!

Sounds like you got someone’s else’s problems. I bought a new 2022 RE Classic 350 halcyon green and I have zero problems. Dealership put it together properly and I have made some modes as well like dna air filter but I did not decat or use fuel x those were always questionable in the forums so I happily decided against them and sounds like I made a good choice.

What a good looking mechine ❤

Thanks for this video. Hope your elbow is better soon. Looking to seeing you out and about

💯 Guzzi V7

Hi Matt, not sure if anyone's mentioned this to you but these bikes have a speed governor that kicks in at about 72mph in 4th and 5th. I would guess that is what you are experiencing on the motorway. Check out the forums plenty of info there about this. I love these bikes too.

Look good but who wants car drivers right up ya chuff trying to get past because your bike couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding !

Morning mate, my classic did not loosen up till I clocked up 2500km now goes so much better but I agree 10 - 15kph more top end would be welcome, but having been a Ducati rider for the last 20 years I appreciate the relaxed nature of the ride or I’m getting old.
The front brake warped feel I had reported it to my dealer here in France when I took it in for a service and new metzeler road tec tyres, Fanch checked the callipers and gave them a service and with the new tyres which were I noticed seated on the rims properly the front brake problems gone, tyres or callipers ! not sure which cured it, but fine now, no warped disc pump feel, having a great dealership helps one you trust mine is a mom n pop shop they are also riders of their own bikes, important to me, ….. Pete 🇫🇷

Hi Matt. Great videos, thanks for sharing. I’m 45 and want to get into riding? How do I start? Also - best beginners bike - Interceptor 650 or Bonnie 120?

I'm installing the Future Eyes F2 spot light-fog lamp (2x60 watt LED) on the OEM engine guard, functionally it works great as per my other ADV bikes. But visually, it looks out of place with the classic look of my Meteor 350.

For my future reference, what is the size of your fog lamp? 3,5 inch or 4,5 inch in diameter?

Classic 650 is new love.❤

Very interesting non bike review, review. I was surprised to hear about a) the number of false neutrals, and b) that an oil change cured this. But AI confirms this can do the trick. Also sorry to hear about the number of loose items. The dealer I bought my Classic 350 Reborn from may have done the opposite, so that overtightening and liberal use of thread cement made it impossible (for me) to remove the bar end on one side, as I rounded out the hex head completely. A broken drill bit and then even worse, broken extractor, mean that the very nice bar end mirrors are still in their box. The bike will reach 115 kph, but isn't as happy as it is doing 85, but that's fine by me. I don't find hills are a problem. That said, I agree with you that a single cylinder 500 cc would probably have been a hit.

Love this!

You have to fit a relay to the bike. The bulbs in the lights draw anytime from 55w-80w, and the resistance in the wiring will melt the outer sheath and short out, resulting in wiring damage!

Hi Matt,
Thanks for your thoughts. Here in Australia, you can pick up either the classic or Bullet 500 the longest models are around 2021 for $15000 with a sidecar or from $11000 for a black edition. Then, going down from there.

In my sixties I noticed i was slowing down to the annoyance of my mates until the only chat between us was my speed so i thought fuck this and bought a classic 350 now I ride alone and love it