Hitchcocks Forum

Was going through a stack of Marshal Cavendish "Road Bike" magazines from 1979 and found a review of the Enfield 350, so decided to scan and upload it for your viewing pleasure :-



Enfield 350 review

An interesting read, I hadn't seen the article before. I'm pleased that it seems to agree with my own recollections of the older Enfields as being quicker, lighter, better made and more reliable than later machines. I brought one of these back from India c.1980 and it was superbly reliable, there were no breakdowns or issues over the several thousand mile trip, much of it through what could at best be described as 'bandit country'. I kept that machine for a couple of years once back in England before selling it to am elderly chap to plod round the lanes in Somerset. Incidentally the one I brought from India still sported an advance/retard lever on the left handlebar which is gone on the test model.

Thanks for posting that review which I too had not previously seen. My experience with Indian Enfields was,I guess, similar to 'a.l. Eddies' in that I experienced Enfields in India in the 1970's & planned to ride one home which I eventually 'chickened out of' due to the very unstable conditions in some of the countries along my proposed route. (I hitch-hiked home in the end). For anyone who may be interested my bike (in messages as 'lovely old silver bullet for sale), is pretty much the same as the one tested. Though the early ones did tend to get though their original main bearings fairly swiftly they were very robust old bikes as Eddie found. REgards, Mick

Really good article, thanks, and one which genuinely describes the 350 and all of its foibles and quirks. At the risk of offending those owners of 500s, I'd say that the 350 is a much sweeter machine. Cheers.

I think many of us here would agree that the 350 was a nicer machine.

350 Bullet, Standing in the Enfield showroom in 1983 the dealer advised me not to buy the 500 model but to go for the 350. Took his word for it that day in Bombay and still glad i did. Bike still runs well with many trips to France Spain and the longest down to Greece via Italy.Long may she run(and me).