I like both the Classic and the Meteor and couldn't decide which to buy...so I didn't...I bought both. I too love these machines. The 350s just have the best engine. I'm totally hooked.
RE recently launched new varient goan classic 350... between classic and meteor both are same except riding position and design aesthetics....if you're looking for comfort choose classic but if you like upright position then you can go for meteor take a test ride before buying it
As you know Steve I have a classic 350 Steve it always makes me smile when i ride and feel like i could ride it all day with out issue. As a big guy as well just love the bike
Another enjoyable opinion based on how you truly feel , I do love royal Enfield they definitely did the right thing bringing there R&D to the uk in 2012 with the way the bike market is Royal Enfield are definitely in a strong position to ride the storm that is upon us 😎👌
I was very impressed by that. "Bliss" is probably the term that best sums it up. The nearest I could come was "the pure essence of the joy of motorcycling" but I think "bliss" probably comes closest 👍 Clearly the schools in Exmouth must be very good for Dave to have such a way with words, such as vocabulary. Very impressive ! We yokels living in Cornwall and most rural France are at a real disadvantage in that regard. Kudos to the Exmouth education authority for their good work !
Sean and Susie are a great couple and love thier channel. I have an old n mean zzr1100d its great but big heavy n awkward in slow town traffic. The 350 Enfields do a real good job of every day motorcycling and do it with a charm thats hard to find these days .
Ah Bless you! Lovely to hear you reminiscing about the bikes you used to ride as a youth in the 50s and comparing them to the modern breed. 😉 I remember my grandad telling me what they were like and you appear to be saying the same things...... Good vid, Remember, Even nostalgia isn't what it used to be... 😜
"Even nostalgia isn't what it used to be" is very true when you think about it, generation after generation. My kids will look back on those wonderful time when thei ear muffs were strapped to their head looking at a poxy mobile phone screen one day...will they? Anyway, I may look like I'm from the 50s but all the best looking blokes were "so I'm told". Have a good week mate : )
Morning Dave, totally agree with all of that. I loved my Classic 350 but the Meteor somehow felt perfectly suited to that engine.The exhaust tune on the Meteor makes the engine sound lazier and the J Series engine in that form suits cruising so well. There was nothing wrong with the Classic 350 whatsoever and the red/chrome version that I had looked gorgeous but like you said, sitting in the Meteor, almost behind the tank and then using that heel and toe shifter, it is indeed a feeling of bliss. The Classic 350 always felt a bit more of a "normal motorcycle" to me, even though it had the same engine. The Meteor just has something magical about it that is so hard to define. I think what RE do really well, and better than most other manufacturers, is to realise the importance of the engine to the overall riding experience. If the engine has no character, no soul, then even if it can propel you to 200 mph, it won't be as much fun to ride. RE seem to really focus on the engines first and the bikes second. I think this is what makes them so enjoyable and rewarding to ride. I hope they never change their approach personally ! Thank you for flashing up my Metal Ruby and a couple of my thumbnails. Much appreciated. I still wouldn't rule out buying another Classic 350 at some point, as long as they have definitely cured that annoying speedo issue. But as you know, I think for now I probably have enough bikes, possibly one too many ( is that even possible ? ). Cheers Dave. We enjoyed this one over a bottle of vin rouge and a selection of fromages from the comfort of our French retreat. Love to you and the Exmouth crew as always ! Gaston et Charlotte 🐕
Yes I agree with the RE vibe. Where would we be without it!? I kno wwhat you mean with 3 bikes, it gets a bit mind boggling with which bike to take out. I have resigned to the fact that I love having 3 bikes but I know the Meatie will normally always win the day and I feel less of a draw to the other 2...if I could I'd even consider dumping the beemer but I still enjoy it and its worth bugger all really and noce to have in the collection. Thanks dude. catch you soon
@@exeterrider True. Some bikes are worth more to you in the garage than if you sold them. Same with my 50cc scooter. It is superfluous and I might get €600 for it if I sold it. But if I keep it, it costs me next to nothing and I'd rather have it there than an extra €600 in my hand. On that basis, keep the Beemer for as long as it keeps working. When it gets expensive, either you decide it's worth repairing or you get what you can by selling it on as a "project". As long as it's not draining your bank account at the moment, no harm in keeping it for the odd blast, I quite agree. My silly pullover arrived today (!) and the egg nog is scheduled for delivery on Monday, so I should be nicely set for the show on Thursday 🤞 Take care dude and hugs to the crew, Garry & Ruby
Morning Steve two years on the on the classic 350 and agree with your summing up of the 350 classic and the 350 range in general, I have hiatus on occasions when I think I need more but then go for a ride and I’m in my happy place again on my classic, it’s amazing how many people buy a RE 350 as a second bike and how quickly it becomes their favourite. So I’ll stick with the classic as it’s a keeper like the my old Vespa PX, looking forward to your next session with Garry, have enjoyed watching Sean and suzie for a while, 👍 ….. Pete 🇫🇷
Bonjour Peter, Yes the REs put you in a state of "zen" I find like not many other new bikes can...I'm so pleased with my meteor. For the money its a no brainer : )
That’s weird then cos I’m pretty brain LESS 😳 So how did I manage that let alone wait what seemed like forever for the classic to come to France instead of jumping with my test ride of the meteor which I liked, I must have going through my adult stage just before I slipped into senility 😂…. Pete 🇫🇷 a pint of eggnog just told Garry it would have been a night of horror like the omen if it had been me but projectile yellow instead of green 🤮
Note to self:- Test ride more bikes at ABR'25 than 1 x BMW who didn't let me film my ride! 🤬🤣👍 Great vid Steve & a great number of likes,which is well deserved mate! 😎✌️
I still have mine with the sidecar, don’t think I’ll ever part with it. Doing a camping trip with all the kit and my dog in the sidecar is a whole different experience to riding all my other bikes, just lovely and it makes other people smile too.
I so want to meet still Tony and have a chat about your bike...I thought it was going to happen this summer but it disappeared quick! If your ever in Exeter on the bike. and can free up and hour give me a shout. Hope your well mate.
Lovely Sunny ride wow, god miss that sun ☀️ and good bikes not the fastest but yes very smooth when I took one out tho I do like the meteor that was gorgeous to ride😊 Good one steve!! All the best Phil
As you know, ER, simplicity in a motorcycle is the essence for me and the Enfield range slot into that class. I've got all the tee shirts for the screaming V4's, etc. They are good in their own right but maintenance and running costs are becoming ridiculous.
I'm glad I have been able to appreciate the simplicity that's needed and not got tied up with 200hp traction modes etc etc. Engine, seat bike is all we want. I felt it go through me when I gently flicked the throttle on yours last time I saw you. What you have is a special. Its now my favourite classic, I would like to invest in one some day. Have a good week Jim. 👍
@@exeterrider Thanks, ER. It is a special bike for me and definitely a keeper. They were hand made and only 5721 were made between 1955 and 1970. Mine was made in 1958. More than half of them are still around worldwide. Unfortunately the bottom has dropped out of the classic market at the moment but I'm sure it will recover.
@@jimsadler8704 Yes it has...Good time to buy perhaps not that I will at the moment . what a honour to own that bike....I'm so pleased for you and you deserve it.
I love the bronze colour Classic 350. As I've mentioned before, I do wonder how they'd get on carting my fat arse around up the hills of Dorset. Although, it looked as if it was pulling ok in this vid. The difference in quality in them these days is fantastic too, seem to have come on leaps and bounds over the last few years. Cheers Steve
They would be fine, just a matter of settling into it. Once you "get it" then everything changes, but we all like different things I guess. Have a good week Toj👍
My bronze one does just fine on the Dorset hills. Sometimes you need to think about your run-up and choose your gears wisely but that's half the fun. It takes me to places I wouldn't be happy to go on my other bikes. Make sure it's bronze though. The other colours are slower.
All perfectly said 👌I wouldn't swap mine. Although some people don't get it, the guy I work with won't entertain much less than 200 hp with a lean angle indicator 😟 but each to there own. 👍👍👍
I know a few 200hp folk too... But in time they start to see that 20hp is just as much fun and easier to ride not carrying the big ego😂 Yours is lovely Mark, a very good example 👌😎
@exeterrider thanks Steve, yours is a beaut too. I rode to Jolly's last week with a huge teddy bear strapped to my back, they are collecting for a Xmas children's hospice and childrens hospital wards run nearer to Xmas. We got alot of attention and beeps on the way there 👍
Pity about the bad quality of the spokes though. I've only done 100 miles on my Classic in the dry and the spokes and nipples are starting to corrode already. Apart from that the build quality is generally ok. I'll be making a warranty claim at my local dealer. Hopefully it'll get sorted out soon.
Thats a common theme with spokes on many brands I think. At least your not paying huge money for it, I guess thats the rub there ,but I feel your pain there.
Totally naff pastiche of a bike. How come? Those mirrors. You could see what was behind you! A proper Bullet gives proper blurred images! Seriously now… it looks like it doesn’t need lots of gear changes. Probably less than some big stuff. A lovely bike to just…..ride and enjoy. Lovely as usual.
You should have gone to specsavers and its all OK then . Yes they are cool bikes....the 500 is kinda more raw and nostalgic but both bikes tick the right boxes... Have a good week mate
@ yeah the 500 is a bit too much of an acquired taste for many. The 350’s are the much better choice for most! I’m back home and adjusting to getting back into a routine. Have a cracking week 👍
I like both the Classic and the Meteor and couldn't decide which to buy...so I didn't...I bought both. I too love these machines. The 350s just have the best engine. I'm totally hooked.
Yeap I'm with you on that, owning both is perfect!
RE recently launched new varient goan classic 350... between classic and meteor both are same except riding position and design aesthetics....if you're looking for comfort choose classic but if you like upright position then you can go for meteor take a test ride before buying it
I love my Hunter 350 but there's something about the classic which is just right😎👌
I know what you mean there 👍
I bloody love Royal Enfield bikes.
100% mate 😎👍
I fully agree had my classic 350 over two years absolutely love it real world motorcycling at its best
If you get it, you get it and when you do its brill!
Had the pleasure of meeting Sean & Suzi at the bike show. A really nice couple.
Beautiful little bike at the right money
Yeap top people and down to earth much like your good selves. I do like an Enfield : )
Excellent job in explaining the Royal Enfield experience and how it makes you feel.
Thanks Jerry, Good to see you tonight on the LIve...I hoped I would....Yes you know what that experience is all about too. : )
As you know Steve I have a classic 350 Steve it always makes me smile when i ride and feel like i could ride it all day with out issue. As a big guy as well just love the bike
Yeap , I thought of you when I released this, but was filmed before we joined the chapter😂
Nice video ER and thank you for the mention 😊😊. Was lovely to meet you and look forward to next year!
Another enjoyable opinion based on how you truly feel , I do love royal Enfield they definitely did the right thing bringing there R&D to the uk in 2012 with the way the bike market is Royal Enfield are definitely in a strong position to ride the storm that is upon us 😎👌
Thanks, you get huge value for money out of these bikes I think.
“Essence of bliss” & “Authentic aura”
Wow! Big claims, ER, but I don’t doubt you 🙂
Always good to see you enjoying the ride 👍🏼
I know , pretty good for me, Normally I can't get any words out then these just flowed!😂🙏😎
🤣
I was very impressed by that. "Bliss" is probably the term that best sums it up. The nearest I could come was "the pure essence of the joy of motorcycling" but I think "bliss" probably comes closest 👍 Clearly the schools in Exmouth must be very good for Dave to have such a way with words, such as vocabulary. Very impressive !
We yokels living in Cornwall and most rural France are at a real disadvantage in that regard. Kudos to the Exmouth education authority for their good work !
I have the exact same bike and after a few mods including hagon rear shocks I can’t imagine a better bike for country lanes. It’s perfect 👌.
Couldn't agree more!
Good one ER - Almost didnt watch as youve reviewed it before, though glad I did as you know and love these bikes like I do, cheers mate !
Thanks Tom , Yes ...I am still after one so I can do a proper review but RE have been very slow this year compared to the year before sadly!
Great music to end with ER.👍🏻
Thanks mate, I enjoyed it too👌🙏👍
Sean and Susie are a great couple and love thier channel. I have an old n mean zzr1100d its great but big heavy n awkward in slow town traffic. The 350 Enfields do a real good job of every day motorcycling and do it with a charm thats hard to find these days .
If like to see the zzr, you never see them now.
Yes genuinely nice people they are 👍
Ah Bless you! Lovely to hear you reminiscing about the bikes you used to ride as a youth in the 50s and comparing them to the modern breed. 😉 I remember my grandad telling me what they were like and you appear to be saying the same things...... Good vid, Remember, Even nostalgia isn't what it used to be... 😜
@@kenbrooks7794 🤣🤣🤣
"Even nostalgia isn't what it used to be" is very true when you think about it, generation after generation. My kids will look back on those wonderful time when thei ear muffs were strapped to their head looking at a poxy mobile phone screen one day...will they?
Anyway, I may look like I'm from the 50s but all the best looking blokes were "so I'm told".
Have a good week mate : )
@ Nostalgia will always be a worn, brown leather armchair next to bookshelves in a room that smells of piss and biscuits 😬
@@Saddlebags73 you been to my place then? 🤔🫣😁
@@Saddlebags73 Bloody hell it was tough in Cornwall in the 80s....not my idea of nostalgia!🤣
Morning Dave,
totally agree with all of that. I loved my Classic 350 but the Meteor somehow felt perfectly suited to that engine.The exhaust tune on the Meteor makes the engine sound lazier and the J Series engine in that form suits cruising so well. There was nothing wrong with the Classic 350 whatsoever and the red/chrome version that I had looked gorgeous but like you said, sitting in the Meteor, almost behind the tank and then using that heel and toe shifter, it is indeed a feeling of bliss. The Classic 350 always felt a bit more of a "normal motorcycle" to me, even though it had the same engine. The Meteor just has something magical about it that is so hard to define.
I think what RE do really well, and better than most other manufacturers, is to realise the importance of the engine to the overall riding experience. If the engine has no character, no soul, then even if it can propel you to 200 mph, it won't be as much fun to ride. RE seem to really focus on the engines first and the bikes second. I think this is what makes them so enjoyable and rewarding to ride. I hope they never change their approach personally !
Thank you for flashing up my Metal Ruby and a couple of my thumbnails. Much appreciated. I still wouldn't rule out buying another Classic 350 at some point, as long as they have definitely cured that annoying speedo issue. But as you know, I think for now I probably have enough bikes, possibly one too many ( is that even possible ? ).
Cheers Dave. We enjoyed this one over a bottle of vin rouge and a selection of fromages from the comfort of our French retreat.
Love to you and the Exmouth crew as always !
Gaston et Charlotte 🐕
Yes I agree with the RE vibe. Where would we be without it!?
I kno wwhat you mean with 3 bikes, it gets a bit mind boggling with which bike to take out.
I have resigned to the fact that I love having 3 bikes but I know the Meatie will normally always win the day and I feel less of a draw to the other 2...if I could I'd even consider dumping the beemer but I still enjoy it and its worth bugger all really and noce to have in the collection.
Thanks dude. catch you soon
@@exeterrider True. Some bikes are worth more to you in the garage than if you sold them. Same with my 50cc scooter. It is superfluous and I might get €600 for it if I sold it. But if I keep it, it costs me next to nothing and I'd rather have it there than an extra €600 in my hand.
On that basis, keep the Beemer for as long as it keeps working. When it gets expensive, either you decide it's worth repairing or you get what you can by selling it on as a "project". As long as it's not draining your bank account at the moment, no harm in keeping it for the odd blast, I quite agree.
My silly pullover arrived today (!) and the egg nog is scheduled for delivery on Monday, so I should be nicely set for the show on Thursday 🤞
Take care dude and hugs to the crew,
Garry & Ruby
Morning Steve two years on the on the classic 350 and agree with your summing up of the 350 classic and the 350 range in general, I have hiatus on occasions when I think I need more but then go for a ride and I’m in my happy place again on my classic, it’s amazing how many people buy a RE 350 as a second bike and how quickly it becomes their favourite.
So I’ll stick with the classic as it’s a keeper like the my old Vespa PX, looking forward to your next session with Garry, have enjoyed watching Sean and suzie for a while, 👍 ….. Pete 🇫🇷
Bonjour Peter, Yes the REs put you in a state of "zen" I find like not many other new bikes can...I'm so pleased with my meteor. For the money its a no brainer : )
That’s weird then cos I’m pretty brain LESS 😳 So how did I manage that let alone wait what seemed like forever for the classic to come to France instead of jumping with my test ride of the meteor which I liked, I must have going through my adult stage just before I slipped into senility 😂…. Pete 🇫🇷 a pint of eggnog just told Garry it would have been a night of horror like the omen if it had been me but projectile yellow instead of green 🤮
Note to self:- Test ride more bikes at ABR'25 than 1 x BMW who didn't let me film my ride! 🤬🤣👍
Great vid Steve & a great number of likes,which is well deserved mate! 😎✌️
Thanks 👍Thanks - Yes BMW are a pain like that at the show!
I still have mine with the sidecar, don’t think I’ll ever part with it. Doing a camping trip with all the kit and my dog in the sidecar is a whole different experience to riding all my other bikes, just lovely and it makes other people smile too.
I so want to meet still Tony and have a chat about your bike...I thought it was going to happen this summer but it disappeared quick!
If your ever in Exeter on the bike. and can free up and hour give me a shout.
Hope your well mate.
@@exeterrider Yes, it would be nice to meet up when we are the other side of the winter.👍
@@tonymann8215 I really hope so mate. your bike is stunning and I want a ride in the side car : )
Another enjoyable review, keep it up Steve
Thank you kindly👍😎
Lovely Sunny ride wow, god miss that sun ☀️ and good bikes not the fastest but yes very smooth when I took one out tho I do like the meteor that was gorgeous to ride😊
Good one steve!!
All the best Phil
Yes considering they have all the mod cons, they still keep alot of what it's all about in there bikes.
Have a good week Phil👍
Nice ride along 👍
Thanks 👍
I really do fancy a Royal Enfield bike. Good review as normal mate.
Thankyou sir, I'm an RE fan boy for sure.
They have made biking affordable again 👍
@haggiswhisperer. Haggiswhisperer has to be the best TH-cam handle I've ever heard.
Stevie boy, ya nailed the RE feel.
Loves it mate, it's what it's all about innit 👍👍😎
As you know, ER, simplicity in a motorcycle is the essence for me and the Enfield range slot into that class. I've got all the tee shirts for the screaming V4's, etc. They are good in their own right but maintenance and running costs are becoming ridiculous.
I'm glad I have been able to appreciate the simplicity that's needed and not got tied up with 200hp traction modes etc etc.
Engine, seat bike is all we want.
I felt it go through me when I gently flicked the throttle on yours last time I saw you.
What you have is a special. Its now my favourite classic, I would like to invest in one some day.
Have a good week Jim. 👍
@@exeterrider Thanks, ER.
It is a special bike for me and definitely a keeper. They were hand made and only 5721 were made between 1955 and 1970. Mine was made in 1958. More than half of them are still around worldwide.
Unfortunately the bottom has dropped out of the classic market at the moment but I'm sure it will recover.
@@jimsadler8704 Yes it has...Good time to buy perhaps not that I will at the moment . what a honour to own that bike....I'm so pleased for you and you deserve it.
glad you like it , ,, it is flat as a strap though , so won't please everyone ,, , but they are a subtantial bike for the money ;;
Spot on there. Good looking bikes for the money as well.
I liked the Exeter DJ at the end eh.
Can you write me a note to wife as I need a good excuse to buy one?!
Plenty more dj stuff coming mate 😂
And no, I struggle with my own wife let alone taking on your ruddy problems😜🤣👍
100+mpg, chickenfeed insurance, easy to work on, low maintenance costs. a beautiful thing to ride
@@richardcrighton8079 BOOM! : )
I love the bronze colour Classic 350. As I've mentioned before, I do wonder how they'd get on carting my fat arse around up the hills of Dorset. Although, it looked as if it was pulling ok in this vid. The difference in quality in them these days is fantastic too, seem to have come on leaps and bounds over the last few years.
Cheers Steve
They would be fine, just a matter of settling into it. Once you "get it" then everything changes, but we all like different things I guess.
Have a good week Toj👍
My bronze one does just fine on the Dorset hills. Sometimes you need to think about your run-up and choose your gears wisely but that's half the fun. It takes me to places I wouldn't be happy to go on my other bikes. Make sure it's bronze though. The other colours are slower.
@paulstredwick 🤣🤣🤣🤣Love it
@@paulstredwick 🤣I'll make a note of that and will mention it next time!
Is that Sandy from Wiltshire Man TH-cam channel at 11:41 on the new Himalayan?
No its not but I had to double take on that one as well!
I have the same 350 with same colour.
Great bike👍
All perfectly said 👌I wouldn't swap mine. Although some people don't get it, the guy I work with won't entertain much less than 200 hp with a lean angle indicator 😟 but each to there own.
👍👍👍
I know a few 200hp folk too... But in time they start to see that 20hp is just as much fun and easier to ride not carrying the big ego😂
Yours is lovely Mark, a very good example 👌😎
@exeterrider thanks Steve, yours is a beaut too. I rode to Jolly's last week with a huge teddy bear strapped to my back, they are collecting for a Xmas children's hospice and childrens hospital wards run nearer to Xmas. We got alot of attention and beeps on the way there 👍
@exeterrider ps big shame about Plymouth triumph, harley and yamaha 😢
@marktorbay good news, see I said it was good for pillions😂👍
It’s got a good lean indicator… the sound of scraping metal😉
If you replace the ECU throttle body with one of the Hunter 350, it gives it approx an extra 10mph
I've heard that, it could be well worth doing for sure
Pity about the bad quality of the spokes though. I've only done 100 miles on my Classic in the dry and the spokes and nipples are starting to corrode already. Apart from that the build quality is generally ok. I'll be making a warranty claim at my local dealer. Hopefully it'll get sorted out soon.
Thats a common theme with spokes on many brands I think. At least your not paying huge money for it, I guess thats the rub there ,but I feel your pain there.
I like the bikes I sun from kime to go
Yeap, hes a top bloke, Thankyou
RE interceptor 750 spotted in India with dual disc brakes
👍
Clor gun metal grey
👌👍
😃👍🏼
🙂
Totally naff pastiche of a bike. How come? Those mirrors. You could see what was behind you! A proper Bullet gives proper blurred images!
Seriously now… it looks like it doesn’t need lots of gear changes. Probably less than some big stuff. A lovely bike to just…..ride and enjoy. Lovely as usual.
You should have gone to specsavers and its all OK then .
Yes they are cool bikes....the 500 is kinda more raw and nostalgic but both bikes tick the right boxes...
Have a good week mate
@ yeah the 500 is a bit too much of an acquired taste for many. The 350’s are the much better choice for most! I’m back home and adjusting to getting back into a routine. Have a cracking week 👍