ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET ELECTRA 5S
List price Rs 69,250
(ex-showroom, Delhi)
Top speed 108kph 0-60kph 6.73sec Kpl 32.1 (overall)
For Complete retro experience, classic style
Against Poor gearshift, build quality

The latest Electra iteration is equipped with a fifth gear on the left. Will the new machine appeal to Bullet riders who till now preferred shifting from the right?

It’s been a Bullet-riddled couple of months. Last month we got astride the relatively high-velocity Hurricane, while in July 2005 we rode the Bullet 500 ES, following quick on the heels of March 2005 where we brought you India’s first-ever Bullet comparison test between the Electra, Thunderbird and Machismo. Just when you thought the dust had died down and we were done writing about Royal Enfield, the company has gone to town announcing its 50th anniversary of making motorcycles in India. What’s creditable is the fact that the company has achieved this milestone riding the crest of a wave firmly astride the saddle of one basic model — the barely changed classic that to us Indians is a household name. The Bullet is today a world record holder, becoming the oldest motorcycle brand in production. Enough celebratory reason for the Chennai-based factory to roll out a new Electra variant that comes equipped with a five-speed gearbox. We scythe through the marketing hype and give the newcomer the Autocar India road test treatment.