The changes have now made the bike BS4 compliant, as well as brought with itself a marginal increase in power and torque figures.
The recent ruling by the Supreme Court effectively banning the sale of BS3 compliant vehicles has changed the Indian automotive scenario in a significant way. The traditionally lax automakers are now racing against time to introduce changes in their workhorses so that they do not become obsolete in one stroke. Therefore, the grand old gun of the Indian two-wheeler market called Royal Enfield has now shoehorned fuel-injection technology into its Bullet 500 motorcycle in order to make it BS4 compliant. To entice things further, Royal Enfield has also added new colour options to the thumping motorcycle which had not long-ago single-handedly helped the company rise from financial ashes.
The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 has long been the favourite of the Indian crowd due to its imposing street presence and trademark thumping engine. The bike owes its fame and uber-cool yet retro vibe to its ruggedness and cruising ability as well as its Army heritage. Thus to bring it into 2017, Royal Enfield has replaced the carburettor of the bike with a long-overdue fuel injection unit. The size of the engine continues to be 499cc and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The air-cooled, fuel-injected mill is capable of producing 27.2 BHP of power and 41.3 Nm of peak torque. Both power and torque figures have experienced a minor increase due to the adoption of new technology.
Along with the major change in powerplant, the Bullet 500 FI also gets some minor upgrades in form of a new grab-rail and MRF Zapper tyres. The new colour options include Marsh Grey, Forest Green and Black. The international version of the bike though is equipped with rear disc brakes and ABS. The Indian version makes do with 280 mm disc up front and a 153 mm drum brake at the rear. Suspension duties is done by standard 35 mm telescopic forks up front and twin shocks at the rear with 5-step adjustable preload. The 2017 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 tips the scales at 194 kgs and can store 13.5-litres of petrol.
Bullet 500 FI
– Following the Supreme Court’s order, the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 has been made BS4 compliant
– The 2017 bike is now equipped with a fuel-injected engine and some more colours
– Fuel injection technology also results in a slight bump in power and torque figures
