Why didn't they warn us about this?

Do motojournalists warn us about problems with motorcycles?

 Oh, sure, NOW they tell us. 

A year ago, or so, the critics praised the new Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Maybe it had a drawback or two, but you should BUY one now anyway, they seemed to conclude. 

And what do they say now? The recent YouTube review by AutoCar India welcomed improvements for 2025 models, improvements you might have wished you'd waited for. 

The video introduces itself this way: 

"The Hunter 350 has been a runaway success for Royal Enfield ever since it came out in 2022 but that's not to say it was a perfect machine. Recently, Royal Enfield updated the Hunter with changes that kept customer feedback in mind. So, are the Hunter’s drawbacks a thing of the past now? Dinshaw Magol has the answer." 

I could not find a 2022 review of the Hunter by Dinshaw Magol but, to be fair, his AutoCar colleague Rishaad Mody was honest about the Hunter in his 2023 comparison of it with the Triumph Speed 400.

"The rear dual shocks are too firm for this bike’s own good," he wrote. "The result is a stiff and jittery ride on anything but smooth and well-made roads."

Dinshaw Magol was happy to report the good news for 2025: Royal Enfield has replaced the linear rear shock absorbers with progressive units and "the effect they've had on ride quality is landmark," he announces.

You're no longer getting "tossed out of the seat" over road imperfections, he enthuses.

And -- this really is good news -- he states that it is possible to retrofit the progressive shocks to earlier Hunters. That's the kind of reporting readers appreciate.

Dinshaw goes on to report other improvements: lighter clutch action, handlebars closer to the rider, more foam in the seat, and slightly more ground clearance.

As for the new LED headlamp, it looks good, he allows, but, frankly the old halogen bulb was actually better.

Oh well.

What he really applauds is the fact that Royal Enfield was willing to listen to user feedback, and improve the Hunter as needed.

Motojournalists like Dinshaw and Rishaad deserve thanks for pointing out problems, where they exist. Watch the video.

Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350 is hot/cool

White wall tires and ape-hanger handlebars come to Royal Enfield.

 Royal Enfield's newest addition to its line-up of U.S. models is the Goan Classic 350. 

It's named for Goa, the hot/cool tourist and festival destination in India. And it's plenty hot/cool itself. 

For one, it is magnificently and courageously retro: white wall tires come with one of the two color schemes available in the U.S. It has retro looking wire wheels, but these are designed for tubeless tires, which many riders prefer. Nice. 

For two, it's a "bobber," a designation that originally referred to a motorcycle crudely "customized" by hacking off any bits that were bent or rusted. 

In Royal Enfield's hands, this bobber is bright and shiny, but definitely customized. 

This includes having a rear fender that rides close to the rear wheel, because it is sprung with the wheel. This is a custom touch that adds weight to the rear suspension, negatively affecting ride and handling. But it sure looks hot/cool. 

It also addresses one of the complaints about the other Classic 350 models: that their rear fender, attached to the frame, not the suspension, is ugly because it leaves too much visual space between it and the tire.

Determinably retro Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350 in "Trip Teal."

The semi-ape hanger handlebars of the Goan Classic 350 are another feature that may appeal to Americans. They're a typical feature of "choppers" (another reference to cutting things up to customize them).

True ape-hangers are tall enough to get in your face, and are part of the outlaw look Americans seem to have invented.

The cute little ape hangers of the Goan Classic 350 don't deliberately convey disdain to quite the outlaw degree. But they hint at it.

Projecting obnoxious attitude isn't something the Royal Enfield 350s can do very well anyway. Their single-cylinder motors don't put out the power to shut down anybody. The Goan Classic 350 packs only 20 horsepower to move its 434 pounds.

The motor is shared with the other Royal Enfield 350s already in the U.S. These are the Bullet 350, the Meteor 350, the Classic 350 and the Hunter 350. Pick your flavor.

The Goan Classic 350 is closest in appearance to the Classic 350.

The Goan Classic 350 is the most expensive of the bunch, but even it is surprisingly affordable at $4,999 MSRP (you will, of course, pay more than that, in line with SOP in the USA).

Reviewers in India seemed to like riding the Goan Classic 350, calling it relaxing.

"In my opinion, this bike is for the easy rider out there who enjoys watching the scenery go by at a leisurely pace," wrote Abhinav Jakhar in MSN.

Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350 in Rave Red. Website photo emphasizes India, almost to the point of hiding the motorcycle.

Reviewers typically relate the mild mannered Goan 350 to Goa itself, as laid back and fun. Royal Enfield's website for America unreservedly picks up on India-specific cues.

Americans may not fully understand these. But they may, nevertheless, like what they see in the motorcycle.

Specifications from TopSpeed.

Funny ads for used Royal Enfields

What a lovely photo this would have been if the motorcycle had been pulled another few feet out of the garage!

 Goofy CraigsList ads for Royal Enfield motorcycles don't bother me. 

I enjoy the amusement of reading advertisements from sellers who don't know, don't care, or who -- sometimes -- deliberately exaggerate what they have. 

In the course of a few days of watching Royal Enfield motorcycles advertised for sale, I'll certainly come across examples like these: 

1. So-called "cafe racers" that have ape-hanger handlebars.

It's a "cafe" the advertisement claimed.

2. "Like new" bikes with "only a few" scratches.

3. "Used bikes" not even a year old with single-digit mileage and low prices. Can these be real? Did the seller research asking prices before listing the ad? Is there a catch?

4. "Restored" bikes with enormous asking prices: $10,000 for an old Bullet?

5. Over-restored "1965" Bullets with front license plates from India and zero miles on the (obviously brand new) odometers.

6. Bikes with broken electric start, described as an "easy fix." (It's not.)

What is the seller trying to suggest by including the garbage can?

7. "Always garaged" bikes posed next to a seller's garbage cans.

8. An INT 650 described as a "650 International."

9. A beautiful bike posed with a messy garage.

10. Too much information: "Been dropped twice both. First owner was in there garage and 2nd was my wife in our drive way. She is to short to put her foot down hahaha."

11. Royal Enfield described as originally a maker of military weapons.

(Royal Enfield courted this distinction, with its "Made Like a Gun" motto and the "Enfield" association with the royal armory, but it was barely true. During the world wars the UK company made armaments aplenty, but these were not the original products of a firm that started as a maker of needles and grew up as a bicycle business.)

12. And my all-time favorite: Royal Enfields described as "Infields." This is certainly a mistake caused by Americans' familiarity with baseball infields.

"Infield" is probably not a deliberate attempt to describe a Royal Enfield made in India. Thus "In-Field."

That would almost make sense.

And here's one contributed by a reader, and boy, is he ever right:

13. You forgot- "ran when parked." These listings are generally for bikes that have sat at least 30 years. LOL

And here it is, a CraigsList ad that I recall I listed here on my blog back when I first started it, almost two decades ago. With this EXACT SAME PHOTO.

The seller states, in his most recent ad, that it "Ran fine last time I started it ten years ago."