after the 4-wheel bakeoff ended with a maruti swict zxi, it was time for the 2-wheel hunt. and after a 2-month introspection about what i want in my 2-wheeled sidekick, i got my royal enfield machismo 350 home last weekend.
while shopping for a bike in india, all said and done, it comes down to whether you want that is zippy and sporty or, a classic hog. in the sporty/zippy segment, the bajaj pulsar is the staple. then comes the hero honda kariza: a bit pricey but definitely has the looks and the performance. tvs has come out with the apache model that looks quite bad-ass and has excellent performance as well.
but i thought the sporty bikes weren’t what i want. having sold my jeep wrangler in the u.s. before i moved out to bangalore, and i had to to backfill my need to own a specimen of classic mechanical perfection. something that lets you see what it’s got, and yet have plenty of mystery underneath.
so i went with the only two motorcycles that had the looks and the performance worthy of being called a chopper. the bajaj avenger and the royal enfield bullet.
the bajaj avenger felt wanting on the raw power side. popping a sport-bike (pulsar) engine topping out at 220 cc into a cruiser bike neither gave it the performance nor the sound nor the comfort while cutting through the roads around the kasturba road. the sitting position is too low, the foot pegs too forward for practicality of the bumpy indian roads. one friend (nicknamed ‘bogo’) said it right – a cruiser is awesome on the open roads of american back country where there arent’ too many bumps. but when you git the nasty patch on the indian road, you feel it on your ass on the cruiser – it ain’t pleasant. opening the throttle yields only a quiet whimper and a purr. disappointing.
i was quiet happy with my test ride on the bullet, so i ordered the green machismo variant weighing in at 350 cc. after a 3 week wait and repeated phone calls to the dealer (jayanagar) for the status of my order, i got mine last week.
the ride home was, frankly, nervous. she felt heavy and awkward to handle. the kick-start on the right kept getting in the way of my right leg when i stop, so i kept using my left leg. the engine halted once or twice but that’s rider-error. after a day or two, i took her out for my ride to work from koramangala to domlur.
breaking into the gear shift was a bit rough. hanging a right through the sony world junction, i was awkwardly groping for various gear positions, and the complaining growls it made were quite embarrassing. but once you know the spots, she shifts smooth as butter. she definitely does let you know when she’s happy and she ain’t. once you let her loose, she makes that familiar thumping noise, and you know you and her are in perfect harmony. shifting into gears as i rip through the intermediate ring road, you feel the raw power in your hands and the heat from the engine on your legs. the seating position is perfect and the overstated engine rhythm runs up the spine. the ride is firm, smooth and sure-footed, but in case you forget, the big tank in front is a reminder of what you are riding. i let ‘er rev in the 4th gear, but you can’t go faster on that road. leaves you wondering how it’d be when she’s ripping at 120.
it was cloudy and overcast on my way home, and the chill of the pre-rain wind shows exactly what ‘sticking your nose in the wind’ really means. and then it started to rain. i had taken the visor off the helmet for the ride, don’t really mind getting wet. as she’s rumbles through the rain, you can’t help but wonder why men dig something big and powerful between their legs.
welcome to the club..
i ride around the same area in a black machismo..
hey bid i’ll wave next time..
wellcome to the club! I also got my Bull just a couple of months back.
thans mandar. i wasn’t aware it’s called a Bull. befitting petname, though. i might name it my ‘nandy’
Hi, nice article. I got my green Machismo 350 last week and am struggling to kick start it. Starting it with the auto start, just isn’t macho enough
Do you face any problems kick starting your bike ?
Right now, I’m scouring the web to see if I’m doing something wrong( which is how I ended up on your website).
ha.. welcome to my blog. i’ve just gone through the 500 km servicing (at the jayanagar dealership where i bought it).
never had a problem kickstarting it. if you are struggling in the morning, it could be fixed by following the recommended starting procedure (it’s in the manual). you may want to rotate the engine by first kick it while holding the cluck, and then kick it second time while holding the fuel release lever (i think it’s called by some other name). and then kickstart it. should work.
Thank You Spandana, but I’ve already tried that. (btw It’s called a decompressor).
My problem is that it takes a lot of kicks (15-20) to start the bike in the morning. I wonder if that is normal.
I guess I’ll have to ask the dealer if that is normal, and if not, to teach me how to.
My 500 KM’s will probably come up next week.
definitely not normal. mine starts every time.
this is silly, but you may want to see if the gear ISN’T in neutral. sometimes, the gear is in between positions. the vehicle appears in neutral, but engine wont start (kick or electric).
hi just when through your article ive got 79 bullet 350cc riding it in my town makes me pride when all eyes fall on the bike ive never got starting problems but intrested in self starts can you give me any tips about it i whant to fit it to my bike will it be useful will it work for a 79 model
sivarudran..
i have no idea how you can do that.. sorry!
please do not fit electric start. it can be fitted in 350 cc standard model but it cost you too much and not worth it.
it keeps you giving constant trouble. the trouble area is the sprag clutch system (part no 560011/A, cost 3200 rs.) definitely un worthly.
regards
prashant.
I am planning to buy a new Electra 5s.
I am worried about 2 things
1) Starting problem
2) Oil leakage
is this still happening to the new bullets or is this an old story !
there isnt a difference in the engine between all the models that carry the aluminum engine 350 cc configuration (electra, 5s, thunderbird, machismo, etc.). i’ve never had a starting problem – just follow the instructions in the manual every morning when you start it for the first time.
i saw very minor engine oil leakage, but they seem to have fixed it during the first scheduled maintenance.
Bullet Colour
which bullet colour would you suggest. Red, Black or Silver.
I am planning for a red bullet electra 5s.
i have a machismo green. but the black and chrome go really well.
hey can u just say what is the mileage of th RE machismo 500…. i really like this beast…i am planing to book but confusied that 350 or 500 ….what to do …..in nepal it costs Rs2,01,500 indian rupee hahahah it is really expensive here so please tell me about the bullet machismo 500 …..plzzzz guys…. give me full insteuction oke guys….plzzzzzz
in general, 350′s are more popular for ‘causal’ riding. i tried the 500, i didn’t think it’s worth the high cost of petrol – note that 500′s mileage typically is about 1/2 of the mileage of 350′s.
mileage of bullet machismo 500cc is 33 km per litre … i got my machismo 350 for 1,02000 in chennai India it gives 40 mileage for sure ..
my machismo faces starting problem even when it gets drenched in a small rain … can u get me a solution for dis problem ??
will check out my mileage again. i usually apply a little bit of choke. but in general, if you haven’t started the bullet for a couple of days, it does take a bit of struggle to get it to start.
Am so looking for my new Machismo 350. I feel like a 33 year old looking forward to my new toy. LOL. I have been driving a car for the past 6 years and sold my last bike 5 years back. Now going to go for a 2 wheeler again……….
enjoy!! it’s an awesome ride, the gear shift might be a bit rough during the beginning.
Hi Folks,
I have recently got one machismo 350, its a second hand 2000 model, i got it serviced just two days back, in the sense I got the clutch plate changed, engine oil changed some minor rework in the suspension and similar small things, but I really face a lot of trouble to start it, can u please suggest how should I start my bike I am very new to this, it was a dream of mine to have bullet, but I really face a hard time starting it
. One more issue my engine gets heated up very fast, i.e not even 1 km and engine gets burning hot, please suggest. I am really having a bad time with this Bull 
hmm.. seem like deep rooted problem. may be spark plugs is the problem, or the electrical wiring. but engine heating up like that is a symptom of poor maintenance..
Hey Sourav..
Welcome to the hood buddy.. I owned a Bull from the time I learned to ride till I left India couple of years back.. Engine overheating is not unheard of in Bullets could be multiple reasons, from faulty rockers (Does it burn oil real fast, to check while on idle, block the silencer with your palm for a second of two.. Do you see soot/does it smell burnt oil), a leaking head gasket, faulty timing rod setup, not enough oil in the clutch case etc.. However, I have not heard of spark plugs or wiring causing engine to heat up.. If your engine is misfiring, you could be running heavy try playing around with the carb.. its fun trust me..
Alvin.. Your problem could be with the Condensor coil (it is usually below the seat, above rear mud flaps).. if rain water reaches it.. man you are in some trouble.. it used to happen to me quite often.. and I finally had the damn thing shifted inside one of the toolboxes..
Enjoy.. the beast guys..
Xtreme
I am a new proud owner of a CHROME-GREEN MACHISMO 350 for the past one month;
Do they call this, the Moving Heaven?
It has Rhythm,
It has Power,
It has Style,
It provides Pleasure,
It makes everyone to go wanting
He has become my Signature.
well said, brother. and after the initial getting-used-to, it actually feels quite lite!
Hi friends i got maron machismo 350 just 15 days back
I brought my dream to my home
I am very happy on my ride
can any one tell me is there any RE bulls named 2000 model(established 1991,black,with knee rest)?
its name?
madhavareddy – congratulations! and X – a bullet with a knee rest??? WTF?
This information is pretty useful. I love how you will write the idea.
Hi. I bought a 2nd hand RE Mach 500 (2010 model) sometime in Mar’11 and have done almost a 5000 Kms. I get it a periodic maintenance @ RE service station, bannerghata road, once in 3 months. After the last service My battery seems to be dead. (it was fully charged). I took it to a mechanic @ JP Nagar and he says – the battery needs to be changed…
a. Does the battery of a bull get dead in less than 2 years ?
b. Does the new battery cost Rs 3500 (Exide 12MF 14Al A2)