It's been a while since there has been a proper ownership thread of the Standard 350 and since I got mine today, I thought I'd start off with my first impression. I am going to be as objective as possible and not get down to fanboy-isms of any sort. And do pardon the prose form. If this is approved, I will follow this up after crossing 1000KM.
You Don't Know What You've Got Until It's Gone.
I am no biker at all. To me a motorcycle has always been a mode of transportation to get from Point A to Point B. That's about it. I think this is because I learnt to drive a car before I got on to a motorbike, even if it was an RX100. With this philosophy in mind, I got by with a Yamaha CruxS for around 3 years and a Discover 125 for another 8 after that. So you can very well get a grasp of the kind of person I am with motorcycles. But with certain aspects of my life taking a completely different direction, I found myself bored with the usual choices I had in hand and decided to throw in some excitement in the mix.
After shortlisting the likes of Gixxers and FZs, I decided none of them really rang a bell and, with pure skepticism in my heart, headed to the RE showroom for a test-ride. I liked the Standard 350 the best and booked it two weeks later after much deliberation. There was a 30-day waiting period which seemed like eternity. (I know I am lucky because I have read about waiting periods going into months.) I think this period was more grueling because I kept getting confused between the Classic 350 and the Standard. Later between the Standard 350 and the 500. The latter, for someone like me, seemed like a death-wish after the first test-ride.
After much to and fro, I held fort and took delivery of my Standard 350 this morning.
One of the first things I noticed, when the bike was parked at the showroom, was the openness of the electrical components behind the headlights. This was absent in the bikes I test rode. I took a look at the other 350s that were out for delivery and they all seemed to have more or less the same exposure of electrical components. It tugged at me a little because I am used to bikes that are clad in plastic and carbon fibre. Worried, I asked the salesman who assured me it was okay.
Once I was off, I realized the foot peddle for the rare brake seemed to be angled lower than usual. I don't remember it being so in the test vehicles but I do remember the rear brakes being looser than usual. I assumed it was because it was a test vehicle. I am going to get this looked into over the weekend. The default rear-view mirrors are outright useless. They are so small in size that three-fourth of the mirror is covered by my body and only one-fourth covers the road behind me. I tried adjusting it but that's how far it would go.
After years of having beeps reminding me that the indicators were on, the lack of the nag didn't help in turning off the indicators on this one after nearly every turn. I suppose, that is something that will need getting used to. The neutral indicator is rather dim in the middle of the day the eye requires some training to figure out when it's glowing and when it's not. I don't know what will happen if I wear sunglasses and look at it. The horn also seemed to require a greater push of the thumb as compared to my usual choice of vehicles but this was something I got used to quite soon. And by God, no fuel indicator! Of course, I can't say I wasn't warned but who realizes the lack of something so basic during test rides? You are aware of its absence but it doesn't hit you that hard because your mind is preoccupied with other questions which seem far more important.
During my way to office and back, I did manage to stall the Bullet a few times but it came back to life after a kick or two. It was kind of hilarious but it also laced my mind with a little anxiety until I got moving again. I suppose this too shall pass with experience. As for the thump, there was none until I had completed 90KM on the odo. That's when the thump slowly started to kick in. I can only hope it gets better as I clock in more distance. Now, I know you CI engine chaps will feel smug and be more than happy to put the UCE down, but come on now. You know it was bound to happen. The vehicle is vibrating a bit and I can feel it in my fingers even after I get off. I hope this too gets better with time.
I am not going to comment on braking right now because I never crossed 40-50kmph owing to the running-in period.
As I chugged along happily, despite being reminded of everything that was not there, two things happened. One, the waiting period of 30 days had brought out the secret Bullet 350 fan in me and that hour-and-a-half ride back home was that secret fan's redemption for every single day's suppressed excitement during time of waiting. That retro look, those gold stripes on the tank and that regal feeling of just chugging along. It felt heavenly and I can't wait to get past the damn running-in period. Two, I realized that this motorcycle I was riding is more than just a nostalgia-tinted pair of glasses. It is a reminder that serves the adage going back to the rudimentary elevates your appreciation for all that's new and shiny. And for someone who is more than happy to take a step back from all the techno-wizardry that's happening these days, the Bullet 350 is the perfect getaway "car".
You Don't Know What You've Got Until It's Gone.
I am no biker at all. To me a motorcycle has always been a mode of transportation to get from Point A to Point B. That's about it. I think this is because I learnt to drive a car before I got on to a motorbike, even if it was an RX100. With this philosophy in mind, I got by with a Yamaha CruxS for around 3 years and a Discover 125 for another 8 after that. So you can very well get a grasp of the kind of person I am with motorcycles. But with certain aspects of my life taking a completely different direction, I found myself bored with the usual choices I had in hand and decided to throw in some excitement in the mix.
After shortlisting the likes of Gixxers and FZs, I decided none of them really rang a bell and, with pure skepticism in my heart, headed to the RE showroom for a test-ride. I liked the Standard 350 the best and booked it two weeks later after much deliberation. There was a 30-day waiting period which seemed like eternity. (I know I am lucky because I have read about waiting periods going into months.) I think this period was more grueling because I kept getting confused between the Classic 350 and the Standard. Later between the Standard 350 and the 500. The latter, for someone like me, seemed like a death-wish after the first test-ride.
After much to and fro, I held fort and took delivery of my Standard 350 this morning.
One of the first things I noticed, when the bike was parked at the showroom, was the openness of the electrical components behind the headlights. This was absent in the bikes I test rode. I took a look at the other 350s that were out for delivery and they all seemed to have more or less the same exposure of electrical components. It tugged at me a little because I am used to bikes that are clad in plastic and carbon fibre. Worried, I asked the salesman who assured me it was okay.
Once I was off, I realized the foot peddle for the rare brake seemed to be angled lower than usual. I don't remember it being so in the test vehicles but I do remember the rear brakes being looser than usual. I assumed it was because it was a test vehicle. I am going to get this looked into over the weekend. The default rear-view mirrors are outright useless. They are so small in size that three-fourth of the mirror is covered by my body and only one-fourth covers the road behind me. I tried adjusting it but that's how far it would go.
After years of having beeps reminding me that the indicators were on, the lack of the nag didn't help in turning off the indicators on this one after nearly every turn. I suppose, that is something that will need getting used to. The neutral indicator is rather dim in the middle of the day the eye requires some training to figure out when it's glowing and when it's not. I don't know what will happen if I wear sunglasses and look at it. The horn also seemed to require a greater push of the thumb as compared to my usual choice of vehicles but this was something I got used to quite soon. And by God, no fuel indicator! Of course, I can't say I wasn't warned but who realizes the lack of something so basic during test rides? You are aware of its absence but it doesn't hit you that hard because your mind is preoccupied with other questions which seem far more important.
During my way to office and back, I did manage to stall the Bullet a few times but it came back to life after a kick or two. It was kind of hilarious but it also laced my mind with a little anxiety until I got moving again. I suppose this too shall pass with experience. As for the thump, there was none until I had completed 90KM on the odo. That's when the thump slowly started to kick in. I can only hope it gets better as I clock in more distance. Now, I know you CI engine chaps will feel smug and be more than happy to put the UCE down, but come on now. You know it was bound to happen. The vehicle is vibrating a bit and I can feel it in my fingers even after I get off. I hope this too gets better with time.
I am not going to comment on braking right now because I never crossed 40-50kmph owing to the running-in period.
As I chugged along happily, despite being reminded of everything that was not there, two things happened. One, the waiting period of 30 days had brought out the secret Bullet 350 fan in me and that hour-and-a-half ride back home was that secret fan's redemption for every single day's suppressed excitement during time of waiting. That retro look, those gold stripes on the tank and that regal feeling of just chugging along. It felt heavenly and I can't wait to get past the damn running-in period. Two, I realized that this motorcycle I was riding is more than just a nostalgia-tinted pair of glasses. It is a reminder that serves the adage going back to the rudimentary elevates your appreciation for all that's new and shiny. And for someone who is more than happy to take a step back from all the techno-wizardry that's happening these days, the Bullet 350 is the perfect getaway "car".