Bristol Classic 400i

The Bristol Classic 400i has a silhouette like any other retro roadster available in the market right now, however, it is quite praiseworthy of Bristol to instill some differentiating aspects in the design of the Classic 400i, which manages to make it look unique and have its own personality.

At the front, the Bristol Classic 400i has got a traditional round halogen headlamp, which is surrounded by chrome, with the round turn indicators flanking it getting chrome surrounds as well. The inclusion of upside-down forks at the front is a nice modern touch for a retro roadster, however, the front fender with its rounded design looks old school and goes well with the overall design.

Move towards the sides, and there are some other aspects that try to make the Bristol Classic 400i look unique. The fuel tank looks long and has good comfortable carved knee recesses for even taller riders. The entire engine is finished in a theme of black, with the golden finish for the entire exhaust pipe giving it a very nice look. The side cowls of the motorcycle with the slightly bulging design are tucked in between the tubular frame and gets three-dotted design on them. 

Moving towards the rear, the Bristol Classic 400i gets a minimalist look, with the chopped fender at the back getting chrome finished rounded tail lamp as well as amber-colored turn indicators. The number plate holder is mounted on the rear tire hugger, as seen in many new-generation scramblers and cruisers. 

The rounded theme is well executed for the rearview mirrors as well as the dual pod instrument console as well. Talking about the instrument console, the unit gets analog dials for speedometer and tachometer in each of the two pods, with the left one having a small rectangular LCD screen for fuel gauge, odometer, and trip meter and the left one having various tell-tale indicators. The alloy finished levers again impart a modern touch to the otherwise old school motorcycle which the Bristol Classic 400i is.

Though the Bristol Classic 400i has an old school retro design, the mechanicals under the skin and certainly not old-fashioned. Riding on 17-inch wheels shod with 100/80x17” tire at the front and 130/70x17” tire at the rear, the motorcycle gets upside down hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and gas-charged hydraulic twin coil springs at the back, which are tuned sportily to give an agile riding experience. The braking setup, with dual discs at the front and a single disc brake at the rear, also feels quite advanced for a motorcycle of this category. 

The Bristol Classic 400i gets a four-stroke, single-cylinder, oil-cooled, four-valve, 400cc engine, which here is married to a 5-speed gearbox. The engine is capable of putting up 28.1 PS of maximum power and 33 Nm of maximum torque output, which makes it one of the most powerful sub-500cc retro roadsters in the country right now. The motorcycle is capable of hitting a top speed of 145 kmph, and has a fuel tank range of 13.5 liters.

The brake setup of the Bristol Classic 400i is equipped with a dual-channel ABS, which alone is enough for a retro roadster of this category. However, more safety features would have been made it an even more appreciable motorcycle.

Banking on a cool retro design and top notch mechanical fitments in terms of suspension and brakes, the Bristol Classic 400i feels like a coming-of-age motorcycle which feels quite involving to ride. Keeping minor niggles aside, the Bristol Classic 400i feels like a tough competitor for the established players in the market right now.