Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350: The Sussegado!

Susegad in Konkani refers to a relaxed, content and fulfilled way of life. It means not taking life too seriously and living in the moment. It means everything that a big city therapist would prescribe you to do when you're burning out and edging on the D word. It's often mistaken as a lazy way of life. It is instead, a mindful way of life. 

Why am I talking about being Susegad in a motorcycle review you ask? It is because of the newly launched Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350. A motorcycle that pays homage to the hippy culture that once flourished in extreme North Goa. If you've been to that part of Goa prior to 2020, I'm sure you would've come across chopped up REs with funky colour schemes, being ridden by topless male or bikini clad female expats with wind in their hair and stuff in their pockets. It is this rave culture that RE has decided to pay homage to. Don't believe me? Check out the names of the colours on offer: Shack Black, Trip Teal, Purple Haze and Rave Red. Talk about Bollywood stereotyping Goa as a place for parties and drugs, I guess corporate India is not too far behind. Well, I'm not complaining. It all goes well with the overall vibe that RE are trying to replicate here. So what exactly is this Goan Classic 350 (lets call it just the Goan from now on)? Is it just another Classic 350 with minor changes here and there? Or is there more to this motorcycle? Lets find out.

Visually, the Goan is a Bobber with a bolt on, very compact removable rear seat. It's got tall, ape style handlebars, a low seat and slightly stretched out pegs to give you that king of the road riding posture. Taller riders may find this uncomfortable but for my frame, the Goan fits like a charm. Loud as they may be, I really loved all the colourways, the Trip Teal being my favourite. The Goan gets 19 inch front and 16 inch rear tyres. The tyres are white walled and look really Classic and Trippy. The rims are either black, red or orange, depending on your colourway and all variants of the Goan get tubeless spoked rims. Yes, the first and only RE to get tubeless spoked rims right out of the box. The rear 16 incher is a thick sidewalled one so the rolling circumference of the wheel remains the same as the 18 incher that you get in the Classic. So how do these little changes translate to the actual riding experience? Lets find out.

Spoiler alert: I am a sucker for motorcycles with a low centre of gravity and just by that metric alone, the Goan scores in a big way in my books. Take it off the sidestand and it doesn't feel as heavy as a Classic or a Honda CB 350 for that matter. Reason? Low seat height. Your legs get more leverage tilting the motorcycle around. Turn the handlebars from side to side and the front end doesn't seem heavy at all. Reason? The ape style handlebars. Your hands get more leverage while turning them. Start the motorcycle and you immediately notice the different exhaust note. It doesn't have more bass nor rasp as compared to any other RE 350 and yet it has a much more pronounced rumble.

Slot it in gear, give a little throttle, feather the clutch and life around you slows down. There is immediately a bubble around you. You can't hear the din and chaos around. Your engine's humming it's sweet melodic solo. Each beat can be felt in the pegs much like the bass when you're tripping next to the woofer at a music festival. You start seeing the sea waves from between the handlebars. The air around you becomes lighter, you can smell the salt in it. People around you are hustling to reach where they got to reach, but not you. You are in a different state of mind. A susegad state of mind. Somewhere in your head you start humming the song Ya Ya Mayaya, start sipping on a feni cocktail while aunty Flavia in the kitchen is frying some amazing nuste for you. You can do this forever! 

Try to hustle the Goan and it obliges, only to lure you back into slowing down and being Susegad once again. Part of it is also due to the ride quality which is on the harsher side. I felt my internals clashing with each other through some of the rough patches. With the pegs being stretched out, saddling is not an option. So if you see a bad patch of road, there's no option but to slow right down to take it. The Goan also has a longer wheelbase as compared to the Classic and this shows in the handling department. In corners, it is slower steering and lesser surefooted as compared to the Classic. The brakes are on the money and full marks to RE there. 

All in all, I've come back smitten by the Goan experience. Impractical as the motorcycle is, it tugs at your heart strings like nothing else. It would be hard to commute in full office formals, riding a Purple Haze motorcycle. It would be harder to mount luggage on it and take it cross country touring. Your back won't survive the harsh roads that our country has to offer. Your girlfriend may dump you, your wife may divorce you, your parents may disown you, your boss may fire you, but when you start the Goan Classic and hit the road at that sweet chilling speed, it will all be worth it!

#BeSusegad

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