No Competition

No Competition

No competition... Monopoly in everything I have owned a Royal Enfield Classic 350 for around 7 months now and have covered close to 6000 kilometres on it.

If you go by the manufacturer's recommendations then you have to go for an oil change in the first 500 km and then check it for discolouration at 3000 km, replace if need be and then replace it again at 6000 km. I have now replaced my engine oil 3 times which has cost me Rs. 3000. The engine oil filter needs to be replaced at 500km and 6000km respectively. That has come to around Rs. 200.

In the 7 months that I have owned this bike, the accelerator cable broke at 3500
km and set me back by around Rs. 300. On my last service I had the clutch cable replaced because it was worn out and the brake liner on the rear drum brakes replaced too. That set me back by around Rs. 400 more. The build quality I would say has come down a bit, from what my dad tells me of how these bikes were made previously and how quickly the cables and liners wore out for me. The bike is prone to rust very quickly and will stand out quickly in all the chrome and shiny metal parts.

So until now, even in the free services I have had to pay for oil changes and some unavoidable repairs which has come to a total of around Rs. 4000. This number too is likely to go up as the bike gets olds and other parts need replacements which have a longer life than basic oil and filter changes. Now you decide if that is expensive for you or not. But one thing that I can tell you, is that the joy of riding this bike is unparalleled. If even after spending a little more than other bikes on maintenance, if i can make ends meet, I wouldn't give this bike up! Go for a test ride, you will probably go for it despite what people tell you about the high maintenance costs