Royal Enfield Hunter 350 will get 2 variants with the base model featuring rear drum brake unlike the Meteor 350
As Royal Enfield is gearing up to launch the much-awaited Hunter 350 in just about a month, the roader’s variants have now been revealed. And this time, the retro bike maker is back to basics. The Hunter 350 will reportedly get a base drum brake variant unlike the Meteor 350.
There will be 2 trims on offer – dual discs with dual channel ABS and single disc with single channel ABS. This is the same successful philosophy adopted with the Classic 350 whose base Redditch variants get 153 mm rear drum brakes, the same ones seen on Bullet 350s.
As far as the discs are concerned, at the front, the bike could either get the 300 mm unit from Classic/Meteor 350 or the 280 mm unit from Bullet 350. The stopping power would be from the regular 2-piston caliper. The rear disc will be the 270 mm unit with single piston caliper.
Royal Enfield has reportedly chosen the drum brake variant to keep the entry price point low. For example, the base Bullet 350 with the similar setup costs Rs. 1,47,999/- (ex-showroom).
The biggest gripe with the Bullet 350 is its huge dimensions which makes it completely inaccessible for short riders and women despite the lower price. If Hunter comes at around the same price, it would become a sure shot success.
The roadster shares many parts with the Meteor 350 including the double cradle chassis, y-shaped alloy wheels, headlight, levers, handgrips, engine, and even the twin-pod instrument console.
But it gets smaller and shorter swing arm, smaller wheels, new rear suspension, single-piece seat, tank, mudguards, grab handles, and tail light. The fork rake seems lower and this aided by the shorter swing arm, flat handlebar, and sticky tires should help the Hunter handle well.
Coming to the looks, the 350 cc bike gets a retro styling like all other Royal Enfields and takes design inspiration from Triumph’s Bonneville series. The rear gets a tidy tail with round tail light and indicators.
The compact profile will help the bike glide through traffic. It could also weigh less than than all the Royal Enfields and this aided by the high torque motor could make it a hoot to ride in the city. There are rear set foot pegs for a perfect street fighter ergonomics.
The 350 cc engine on the Meteor, which the Hunter will get, is mated to a 5-speed transmission. It puts out 20.1 HP at 6100 RPM and 27 Nm at 4000 RPM. The mill can hit a top speed of 120 km/hr.
The Meteor’s twin-pod cluster, which might find its way to the Hunter, gets an analogue speedometer with a digital readout for other essential data. There’s also a tripper navigation that offers turn-by-turn navigation using Bluetooth connectivity.
The upcoming Hunter will compete against the likes of the Jawa Forty Two 2.1 and the Honda CB350RS.
