Has the new Bullet 350 lost its soul in the process of removing the kick starter?
For decades, kick starters — with the toil and satisfaction of starting the bike manually — have been an iconic feature of Royal Enfield motorcycles. The new J-series engine on the Bullet 350 has seen Royal Enfield drop the kick starter in favour of electric start only. The debate among enthusiasts about this modernization has been heated about whether this modernization has stripped the Bullet of a key aspect of its experience. It's been long argued as a necessary evolution for reliability and ease of use, or a removal of a key element of the bike's character and connection between rider and machine. It's not as much of a nostalgia piece as a look at practicality and the comparative expectations of modern motorcycle riders as opposed to the contemporary options.
Good riddance to the kick starter, honestly. I don’t miss the arm workout every morning, but I love my Bullet. Especially in cold weather, the electric start is so much more reliable. Ride is the soul of the bike, not how you start it.
The Bullet has ripped out the heart! The rite of passage, a connection to the machine, was the kick start. It's just another push button bike now. Next, it's automatic transmission.
At first I was skeptical, but after a few weeks with the new Bullet, I don’t miss the kick starter. The bike still has plenty of character, and I spend more time riding, and less time fiddling with starting it. It's a fair trade-off.
I do miss the satisfaction of a perfect kick start as one who learnt to ride on an old Bullet. Did I mention I love electric start, when you're in a hurry, or in traffic, the convenience is tough to stop.
This is just progress, the removal of the kick starter. The Bullet is all about its design, its sound and the way it rides. For nostalgia's sake clinging to outdated technology doesn't make sense when the rest of the package is better now.
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Discussions and Questions Has The New Bullet 350 Lost Its Soul In The Process Of Removing The Kick Starter
Has the new Bullet 350 lost its soul in the process of removing the kick starter?
07 January 2025 11:25
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