1. Sportiest Royal Enfield yet
The Hunter 350 which weighs in at 177 kg isn’t the lightest of the mid-segment motorcycles, however, this is the most lightweight bike in Royal Enfield’s lineup. During our experience riding the motorcycle around on the streets of Bangkok and also on a go-kart track, we found the Hunter 350 to be a very composed machine at high speeds, delivering a sporty disposition through corners. This is thanks to a potent chassis, lower weight, and a suspension setup that’s not too soft.
2. Impressive low and mid-end response
It is the same 349cc single-cylinder engine from the Meteor 350 and Classic 350 powering the Hunter 350. This means it makes the same 20 hp and 27 Nm of torque. These power figures on a motorcycle that weighs a full 18 kg less than the Classic 350, deliver improved performance in the low and mid-range of the RPMs. Plus, Royal Enfield have tweaked the fuel mapping so as to give it a more sprightly throttle response.
3. Price
The Hunter 350 offers a host of benefits over the likes of the Classic 350 in the form of better handling, better exhaust note, and ease of handling. Plus, all of this has been introduced at a price of Rs 1.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base variant (of the Retro, Metro and Rebel). This gives a buyer an entry-level Royal Enfield that is fresh to look at and also to ride.
“The younger demographic is increasing in the country and they look for compact, agile, lightweight motorcycles. The motorcycle should look cool (for them)”, Royal Enfield chief commercial officer Yadvinder Singh Guleria told reporters.
“This model has got the higher number of bookings, apples to apples…” he said, without revealing the figures.
“The Hunter 350 is an outcome of several years of insight gathering and consumer studies from across the world. It is a motorcycle that feels right at home in big metropolises and is exciting for the experienced rider, and easy and accessible for a new rider” he said.