Bullet 350, the longest-running production motorcycle in the world: Amazing facts about this Royal Enfield

If there is one name associated at par with the Royal Enfield brand, then it is the Bullet 350 name, which is often interchanged to refer to Royal Enfield itself. The manufacturer is hours away from unveiling the all-new Bullet 350, however, this particular motorcycle has a monumental legacy on its shoulders. To start off, Royal Enfield’s Bullet series is the longest-running production motorcycle in the world. Looking closer to home, Royal Enfield had been selling its motorcycles in India since 1949, however, in 1955, the post-independence government started to look for a suitable motorcycle for the police forces and the Indian Army and the Bullet 350 fit the bill. 800 Bullet 350s were commissioned by the government and that is how India’s love affair with the Bullet began.

However, one may think that Bullet’s popularity was chosen by the motorcycling gods themselves if we refer to the prophecy that Major Frank Walker Smith, Managing Director of Royal Enfield in 1932 made. According to a story published in the Indian and Eastern Motors – Motor Cycle and Cycle Supplement in January 1933, the MD made a predication saying, ‘It is not too fanciful to anticipate the day when ‘Bullets’ will be flying peaceably about the countryside, from Calcutta to Bombay and from Himalayas to Cape Comorin.’ His words have certainly proven to be prophetic, to say the least.

The first batch of Bullets had arrived in the country as early as 1952, to serve under the Indian Army. However, by 1955, the Redditch Company partnered with Madras Motors to form Enfield India and started producing Bullet motorcycles as Completely Knocked Down (CKD) models after receiving the massive government order. By 1962, production of the Bullet had been seized at Redditch and by 1977, Royal Enfield India started exporting the Bullet 350 to the UK and the rest of Europe. As the popularity of the Bullet kept growing steadily, by 1994 the Bullet lineup had expanded to feature the Bullet Standard, Bullet Machismo, Bullet 500 and even an Enfield diesel, based on the Bullet.

1994 is also a crucial year in the company’s history because at this time Eicher Motors took over Royal Enfield India and began the brand’s modern era journey. The Bullet 350 continued to be a favourite among purists but by this time, HOWEVER, India also started to see the arrival of more efficient and lighter Japanese and domestic production motorcycles. As we progressed into the new millennium, Royal Enfield completely revamped the Bullet in 2008 as the Classic Bullet with the new 500cc UCE engine, the motorcycle made its way to India as the Bullet a year later. After a successful run of another 12 years, the Bullet’s production ceased in 2020. With a glistening new portfolio featuring the Himalayan 450 and the Interceptor/GT 650 twins, Royal Enfield fans had been disheartened to see the beloved Bullet name gone from the lineup.

However, the wait wait is now over and Royal Enfield is launching the all-new Bullet in India on September 1, 2023. While it is expected to retain the fundamentals of its original design, the new motorcycle will be based on Royal Enfield’s all-new J-platform. It remains to be seen if the engine will remain the same as the old one or if Royal Enfield has decided to slap on one of its brand-new motors for a new-generation Bullet.
What are your expectations from an all-new Bullet? Should it be closer to the original or should it feel new-age?