Royal Enfield Hunter 350

Introduction

It’s been two years since Royal Enfield debuted its new-generation J series platform of 350 cc motorcycles. The company tells us that it’s already sold half a million motorcycles since, so clearly, customers are accepting these J platform bikes with open arms. However, the new age classic 350 and the Meteor 350 are still very much Royal Enfield sort of motorcycles, and that’s exactly where the new Hunter 350 comes in because the company is now trying to appeal to a broader range of customers with this bike. The whole idea here is to make this bike more accessible, whether for non-re fans or just newer riders in general; effectively, this is a smaller, lighter, easier, and more contemporary bike than we’re used to seeing.

Seat height and weight

From Royal Enfield, here are the figures that matter when discussing ease and accessibility. This bike is 800 MMC tight and nice and narrow near the fuel tank, so short riders will like that, but I’m six foot one, and I also fit very comfortably on this motorcycle. Then there’s the weight at 181 kilos. The Hunter is 14 kilos lighter than the classic 350, but riding this bike feels even lighter.

Chassis changes vs Classic 350

That’s because the Hunter has some significant changes with the chassis. This is the first modern re with 17-inch wheels at both ends, and that alone brings in a lot more agility; in addition, the wheelbase is 20 mm shorter than the classic and 30 mm less than the Meteor. The steering rake angle is now sharpened to 25 degrees, which is quite aggressive for a 350cc Royal Enfield. The chassis itself is different, with a slightly smaller rear section and a new subframe, and it doesn’t have the heavy metal footbed cradle underneath that usually holds the forward set pegs you get on the.

How it rides

Classic and meteor the result is a motorcycle that rides and handles almost like a typical 250cc naked now it is a little strange at first to feel that slow revving thump of an engine match with such a light and agile chassis but it’s something you quickly get used to and then start to enjoy we run through all sorts of bangkok roads ranging from jammed russia traffic to beautifully fast and open highways and even through some late night street markets the company even let us have a few laps around a big go-kart track where the bike was a whole lot of fun now the hunter has one degree more of cornering clearance at each side compared to the meteor which doesn’t sound like much but it actually makes a noticeable difference although you still don’t have to try too hard before the footpeg starts scraping for most real-world situations though there’s plenty of lean angle available this bike is also willing to change direction much faster and with considerably less effort than any modern day re and that makes it good fun whether you’re fooling around on a go-kart track or just navigating through traffic as for the brakes the hunter.

Braking performance, ABS

It has a new front master cylinder, which gives it a little more feel and progression. The rest of the setup is the same as the classic and the meteor, and like its siblings, these brakes need a strong Pulitzer lever for urgent stops. The top hunter metro variant we’re riding has dual channel abs as standard.

Suspension comfort, ground clearance

now Thailand has some beautifully smooth roads that put ours to shame, so we’ll have to ride the Hunter back home to see how it deals with potholes and broken roads and the usual sort of stuff we deal with, but the thing to consider is that the hunter has a slightly firmer setup in either the classic or the meteor, especially at the rear from what I could tell this bike will feel a little more firm than its siblings but I don’t think it’ll get to the point of being too much still that’ll have to wait until we can ride this bike on bad roads it’s also a little down on ground clearance compared to the classic 350. Still, I don’t think the 150 mm figure should be a serious problem, especially considering the firm rear shocks and the shorter ones. Wheelbase as for.

Riding position

the riding position is comfortable, and it reminds me a little of the Interceptor 650 because the footpegs are now underneath you rather than in front like the Interceptor. There’s also a slight stretch towards the handlebar, and the footpegs are slightly rear-set. It is comfortable, but it’s a much more connected riding position than the other 350s, which will appeal to many.

Engine, performance, efficiency

people overall the hunter chassis is nimble and playful but i wouldn’t go so fast to call this a sporty motorcycle fun yes but not sporty and the primary reason behind that is this engine which is pretty much almost exactly the same as what you’ll get in the classic and the meteor [Applause] while the power and torque figures are exactly the same ali says that they have mapped this engine slightly differently now they’ve already managed to make the classic and the meteor engine feel a little different to each other and the same applies to the hunter this motor feels a little more responsive and the sound from the shorter exhaust is a little more raspy nevertheless this is still a very similar riding experience and the company says that you can expect similar performance and fuel efficiency which is a claim 36.2 kpl on the highway the hunter feels wonderful at about 80 kph and it can hold 100 without stress anything above that comes quite slowly but even at its top speed of about 120 this engine feels smooth enough and has no significant vibration now that sort of performance is nothing special and if you care about 0-100 times or top speeds you should look elsewhere but if you like riding at a more calm and gentle pace this is one of the most characterful and enjoyable engines that you will find on any indian motorcycle just like the classic in the meteor it’s all about the low end and the mid-range and enjoying that strong talk along with a gentle beat that can be felt from the engine i really have been enjoying commuting on a long term classic 350 and this lighter feeling hunter should be even more enjoyable the only issue is that just like its siblings the hunter has a heavy clutch and this does get tiring when you invariably get stuck in a traffic jam so the hunter.

Design

It is a cheerful bike, and I think it looks quite nice now. The challenge with a modern retro design is following a standard silhouette. You need the standard elements like a round headlamp, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, minimal side panels, and a nicely done tail section. Within that, I think Royal Enfield has managed to find a bit of identity without doing things that feel too weird or fast; for example, the shape of this nearest s is quite unusual. These side panels look nice, and I think some accessories look good on this motorcycle. One is a flat bench seat, and the other is a neatly designed tail.

Size of the bike

this is most certainly a compact bike by re standards, and it’s dimensionally smaller than the classic in every way. However, it is still a 180-kilogram motorcycle, so it’s not small and even fits a pillion rider quite comfortably.

Colour options

Hunter has a nice set of proportions even though it’s running on smaller 17-inch wheels, but I think the color pattern plays a significant role here. I like the dapper ash color scheme on our bike because it lets you appreciate the lines on the fuel tank better, and some of the other schemes on the metro models have quite a bit of bold lettering that is a bit distracting to my eyes the lower retro models have much simpler and cleaner looking paint schemes.

Features and Retro model

features: the hunter keeps it simple with no fancy toys, but it’s not poorly equipped either. There’s a neatly designed USB charging port as standard on all the variants, and you can option the tripper navigation display. If you like, the metro variant also gets hazard lights, and both models run a halogen headlamp that works quite well while riding this bike in the dark. It was just a reminder that I’d rather have a good halogen bulb over a poor LED any day of the week. The retro model is much simpler. Its cost-saving features include spoked wheels, slimmer tires, a rear drum brake single channel, a more basic switch gear, a simpler instrument console, a tubular rear grab handle, a halogen brake lamp, and old-school rectangular indicators. Despite its simplicity, the retro looks charming; some may prefer it over the metro.

Is it a true RE?

Now the question arises whether these bikes are authentic royal enfields. I think it will take some getting used to the combination of that slow and gentle engine in such a quick-responding chassis, but beyond that, the Hunter certainly meets the expectations we have of modern-day royal Enfield. It’s a well-designed, well-engineered motorcycle with a good sense of character, and it comes with plenty of customization options, including different seats, mirror luggage, and more. Still, the real temptation for this motorcycle comes as a surprise.

Pricing

Aggressive pricing with a starting price of 1.5 lakh rupees for the retro, the Hunter 350 is priced as low as the basic previous generation bullet model, which is soon to be replaced by the higher-end metro model with a single tone color scheme, will cost you 1.64 lakhs. In contrast, the dual tone colors are priced at 1.69 lakhs, which puts the hunter on power with the new TVs and makes it as much as 53 000 rupees less than the Honda cb350rs. The Royal Enfield hasn’t mentioned anything about these being introductory prices, so we don’t know how long they will stay this low, but for now, the Hunter 350 is an amazing value-for-money deal. It’s going to give the competition a lot to think about.

Verdict

So, to sum up, I don’t think this new motorcycle is for Royal Enfield traditionalists. They will probably prefer the bigger, bulkier, slower responding feel of the classic and the meteor, and that’s exactly the point if you’re someone who likes the idea of the new and improved Royal Enfield but doesn’t really gel with any of their existing motorcycles or if you’re simply someone who thinks that these bikes are too big and intimidating the hunter 350 might change your mind.

conclusion

In conclusion, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 embodies the brand’s heritage of timeless design and rugged performance while introducing modern features and technology. With its classic styling, powerful engine, and versatile capabilities, the Hunter 350 is poised to attract riders seeking a blend of tradition and innovation in their motorcycle experience. Whether cruising through city streets or exploring off-road trails, the Hunter 350 promises an exhilarating ride and an enduring connection to the Royal Enfield legacy.

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