UPDATE: Royal Enfield Bullet Trials 350, 500 launched, priced from Rs 1.62 lakh
Prior to the launch of the Royal Enfield Trials 350 and 500 – scheduled for tomorrow – select dealers have begun accepting bookings for the new bikes. Inspired by the Bullet motorcycles that brought the brand fame during off-road races in the 1950s, the Trials bikes borrow hardware from existing models in the Royal Enfield line-up.
We believe that the Trials 350 and 500 are powered by the same engines seen on their Bullet counterparts. Output figures for the 346cc motor on the Bullet 350 are 19.8hp and 28Nm of torque, while the Bullet 500 has a 499cc motor that produces 27.5hp and 41.3Nm of torque. Both engines are mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
The only instance where we have seen the Trials in action, is in a recently released teaser. The bike in the video is seen wading through water, through which minor details can be gleaned. The bike is seen with a high-swept exhaust, accentuating the off-road nature of the motorcycle. In the video, the bike also has the frame, swingarm, subframe, fender-stays and even the main stand in a bright red colour. Earlier leaked images also revealed a bike with an olive green colour on the aforementioned parts, and this could be a distinguishing factor between the 350 and 500. We believe that the bike with the red parts is the Trials 350, while the olive green variant is the Trials 500.
Images of the Trials bike show that both have the same tank and side panels as the Bullet/Classic models. On closer inspection, one can that the front and rear fenders are shorter and narrower, which is more in-tune with the bike’s off-road intentions. It’s also likely that the bikes will be equipped with 18-inch wheels shod with dual-sport tyres. The brand seems to be targetting solo riders as the Trials bikes will be offered with a single seat. Replacing the rear seat on this Royal Enfield is a luggage rack as standard; there will not be an option for a second seat. This is confirmed by the design of the upswept exhaust, which makes it impossible to mount pillion foot pegs.
We expect Royal Enfield to charge a premium of about Rs 10,000 over the standard Bullet models, owing to the additional kit on offer with the Trials. The Trials 350 is expected to be priced at around Rs 1.55 lakh; a Rs 21,000 increase (Rs 11,000 for the dual-channel ABS and Rs 10,000 for the Trial kit) over the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 ES, which costs close to Rs 1.34 lakh. The Trials 500, meanwhile, is expected to cost around Rs 1.98 lakh as the standard ABS-equipped Bullet 500 is priced at Rs 1.88 lakh.
(All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi)
Ved Janve
Dinshaw Magol
