Royal Enfield has unveiled the all-new Hunter 350 motorcycle ahead of its official launch in India. Although the motorcycle is based on the same J platform as the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and the Meteor 350, the Hunter 350 gets all-new styling and slightly different hardware.

Design

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is a roadster bike that is available in two variants – Metro and Retro. The motorcycle gets a round-shaped headlamp, fork cover gaiters, asymmetrically-mounted instrument cluster with the optional Tripper navigation system, round rear-view mirrors, tear-drop-shaped fuel tank, tall single-piece seat, bulb-type taillight and a stubbier exhaust.

The two variants are distinguished through their respective colours. While the former gets a dual-tone finish, the latter features a single-tone paint scheme. Royal Enfield will also offer a bunch of optional accessories like a flyscreen, bar-end mirrors, a flat seat, side pannier, pillion backrest, and engine crash protectors.  The Hunter 350 will be offered in a total of six colour shades.

Engine and Gearbox

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is powered by the same 349cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected counterbalanced engine as the Classic 350 but tweaked slightly differently. The motor delivers the same 20.2 PS at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox. RE claims a top speed of 114 kmph and an economical mileage of 36.2 kmpl, considering its displacement. The bike gets a 13-litre fuel tank.

Suspension and Braking

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 sits on a twin downtube spine frame. Suspension duties are performed by a 41mm telescopic front fork with 130mm of travel and twin 6-step preload-adjustable twin emulsion read shock absorbers with 102mm of travel. The Hunter 350’s seat height is 800mm, making it as tall as the Royal Enfield Himalayan. The ground clearance is a good 150.5mm.

The motorcycle gets 17-inch cash alloy rims/spoke wheels depending on the variant. While the top-end Metro Rebel and mid-spec Metro variants get a 300mm front disc and a 270mm rear disc with dual-channel ABS for braking duties, the base Retro variant gets a 156mm rear drum with single-channel ABS. At 181kg, the Hunter 350 is 10kg and 14kg lighter than the Meteor 350 and Classic 350 respectively.

Rivals

Upon launch, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 will go head to head against the likes of the Honda H’ness CB350, Jawa Forty-Two 2.1 and Yezdi Scrambler, etc.

Photos: Express Drives & Zigwheels