Bobber Motorcycles In India: Do They Make Any Sense?

Royal Enfield has been on a spree of launching and showcasing new motorcycles. They have launched the highly anticipated Classic 650 and showcased the production avatar of its first electric motorcycle, the Flying Flea at the EICMA 2024. They also showcased an electric adventure motorcycle concept.

If you thought this was enough by the brand for this year, boy you are mistaken!

Before the year ends, Royal Enfield is all set to return to the stage with a bobber. Yes, a Royal Enfield bobber and this one will be based on the popular 350cc J-series platform. The industry has been referring to it as the Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350. 

Based on a report, this new motorcycle will launch before the end of this month and it will be based on the Classic 350 with cosmetic alterations to define its new character. The Goan Classic 350 will become the fifth motorcycle to utilise the J-series engine platform after the mighty Classic 350 and the fan-favourite Bullet 350. This platform also underpins the agile (and stiff) Hunter 350 and the comfy cruiser that is the Meteor 350.

But Royal Enfield already has a bobber motorcycle in their lineup, the Shotgun 650. The Shotgun 650, despite being a retro-styled bobber, is meant for customisation and tags along an eye-watering price tag.

Hence, to make the bobber more accessible, it seems Royal Enfield is basing its next one on the humble Classic 350.

However, it all raises a question in our minds…

Are bobbers worth it in India?

The first bobbers were seen on American roads in the early 1920s and the trend caught on with the world. Bobbers are usually custom-built motorcycles made by removing the front fender, cutting down the rear fender and removing the rear seat -- all for the purpose of aesthetical pleasure. In fact, modders stripped these motorcycles of all unnecessary parts to make them lighter in pursuit of extracting more performance. 

In India though, bobbers make little sense. Why?

It all boils down to the low ground clearance and long wheelbase along with stiff suspension, all of which make the ride quality go for a toss. Motorcycles like these hate the idea of potholes and bulbous speed breakers -- a common occurrence on Indian roads. Hence, motorcycles like the Jawa 42 Bobber and Perak suffer, especially on our poorly built roads.

However, Royal Enfield's choice of the Classic 350 as the base for the Goan Classic 350 might make bobbers suitable for our atrocious roads. The relatively higher ground clearance along with the softly sprung suspension and the taller handlebar (as teased in the leaked images) may make it easy for the average Indian rider.  

Advantages and disadvantages of bobbers

Advantages

Bobber motorcycles are all about being an attention magnet. These motorcycles have a low centre of gravity and long wheelbase, which also makes them stable at higher speeds. The seat height of bobbers is significantly lower than most other roadsters, hence making them ideal for short heighted riders. 

Disadvantages

The low ground clearance, which makes bobbers appealing, also make them impractical or our roads that are laden with potholes and speed breakers. Passing them on a motorcycle with a low-sprung setup and ground clearance is anything but comfortable.

The stiff suspension setups could also make life hard on the road. 

Affordable bobbers in India 

The Indian market has a very limited number of bobber motorcycles. Classic Legends-owned Jawa tops this chart, thanks to its affordable offerings like Perak and 42 Bobber being the favourite amongst the masses.

Royal Enfield sells the Shotgun 650 which is a bobber. Additionally, the brand also offers its Classic 350 and 650 in a single-seat configuration to achieve bobber aesthetics. Now the new Goan Classic will further expand the brand’s portfolio.

In the premium segment, Triumph offers their Bonneville Bobber in the Indian market. This is priced at INR 12,35,000 (ex-showroom), making it a very niche product. 

Where does the Goan Classic 350 stand?

The Goan Classic 350 seems like a stretched-out version of the Classic 350. Based on the leaked image, the motorcycle gets taller handlebars compared to the standard Classic 350. It is expected to use the same J-series 349cc engine as the Classic 350 too. The performance figures of the motorcycle are expected to be the same as the Classic 350 at 20 hp of peak power and 27 Nm of peak torque.

Other than this, the motorcycle is expected to arrive with whitewall tyres, wire-spoke wheels and attractive colourways to enhance its retro charm. In terms of features, it is expected to get LED headlamps, semi-digital instrumentation and dual-channel ABS as standard, as seen previously on the 2024 Classic 350.