For the first time, Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has been leaked in full, it will be the cheapest Royal Enfield
Ahead of its launch in just about a month, Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has been leaked in full revealing its overall design for the first time. Other than the leaked pictures, the biggest revelation now is its price tag.
Reports say Hunter will become the cheapest bike in Royal Enfield’s portfolio commanding an ex-showroom price somewhere between Rs. 1.3 to 1.4 lakhs, that’s lower than the price of the current cheapest Royal Enfield Bullet series by around Rs. 10,000/-.
The roadster is underpinned by the brand’s, now mainstream, J series platform and has been codenamed JIC1. Earlier, we told you that the Hunter will also get a cheaper variant. And, now, more details are out. The cheaper variant has been codenamed J1C2.
J1C2 is expected to get single disc with single channel ABS, same as the Bullet 350s and Royal Enfield Classic 350 Redditch series. The rear wheel will sport 153 mm drum brake. The J1C1, on the other hand, will get proper rear disc and dual-channel ABS.
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.
The biggest gripe with the entry-level Bullet 350 is its huge dimensions which makes it completely inaccessible for short riders and women despite the lower price. The upcoming Hunter expected to address this issue.
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, different 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.
