The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 is a cruiser motorcycle from Royal Enfield. It has been discontinued (production ended around 2020). Mechiee still services it at your doorstep. Cruisers are built for relaxed riding, typically with a low seat, a laid-back posture and an engine that pulls from low revs. With a 499 cc engine it sits in the middleweight 450–800 cc class.
Power comes from a 499 cc single-cylinder air-cooled fuel-injected engine that makes 27.57 PS at 5,250 rpm and 41.3 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Peak torque arrives low in the rev range, at 4,000 rpm, which makes it relaxed to ride in traffic. Its stroke is longer than its bore (84 mm x 90 mm), a long-stroke layout that generally favours low-down pulling power. Divide power by kerb weight and it has about 141 PS per tonne; by that measure, it is lively, with easy overtakes and relaxed highway speeds. The claimed top speed is 110 km/h. It has both electric and kick start.
It has a 5-speed manual gearbox, and a chain carries drive to the rear wheel. It uses a wet multi-plate clutch.
Its frame is single downtube, using engine as stressed member. Suspension is by telescopic forks at the front and twin gas charged shock absorbers with 5-step adjustable preload at the rear. Braking is by a 280 mm disc at the front and a 240 mm disc at the rear, with dual-channel ABS. ABS on both wheels keeps either tyre from locking under hard braking. It rides on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels — 90/90-19 at the front and 120/80-18 at the rear.
The seat is 800 mm off the ground, which is about average and suits most riders. It weighs 196 kg ready to ride, which is on the heavy side, so moving it by hand takes some effort. Ground clearance is 135 mm — low, so take speed breakers and steep ramps slowly. It is 2,140 mm long, with 1,380 mm between the axles. Its 13.5 L fuel tank and claimed mileage of 30 Kmpl work out to roughly 405 km per tankful on paper; real-world range is usually lower.
Equipment includes an analogue instrument console, a halogen headlamp, low oil indicator, low battery indicator and pillion backrest. Safety equipment includes low fuel indicator.
The manufacturer's warranty is 1 year or 10,000 km. For the Royal Enfield Bullet 500, Mechiee offers a fixed ₹2,799 doorstep service.
It is best suited to relaxed riding and unhurried weekend trips.
Its chain drive needs regular cleaning, lubrication and slack adjustment.