Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has been in the making for over 5 years, and it has finally hit the Indian market. Royal Enfield has launched the Hunter 350 at a starting price of Rs. 1.50 lakh, making it a great value for money offering. The Hunter 350 arrives in two variants, and they vary considerably in the kit on offer and the overall appearance of the motorcycle.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Launched: Prices Start At Rs. 1.50 Lakh

Variants

Royal Enfield has launched the Hunter 350 in 2 variants, the Hunter Retro and the Hunter Metro. The Retro marks the entry point in the Hunter line up, and gets spoked wheels, a tubular grab rail behind the seat, a halogen tail-lamp, and rectangular turn indicators. On the other hand, the Metro gets 17” blacked out alloy wheels with tubeless tyres, modern looking twin grab rails a the back, an LED tail-lamp, and round turn indicators. Royal Enfield is also offering LED indicators amongst its long list of accessories, which are also circular in shape. The Metro variant is also split into two series, Metro Dapper and Metro Rebel, and the Rebel gets dual-tone liveries, which the Dapper misses out on.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Bookings Open

Hunter Retro (Left) misses out on alloy wheels, split grab rails, and liveries, making it distinctly different than the Metro (Right).

Design

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is based on a roadster form factor. The Hunter 350 gets a neo-retro design, as is the trend with many new bikes, right from the TVS Ronin to the Suzuki Katana. The two variants of the Hunter differ quite a bit from each other, thanks to difference in kit and the long list of liveries which Royal Enfield is offering. The Retro is available in only two solid colours, and has a rather ‘Retro’ look - as its name suggests - while the Metro - with its multiple liveries and alloy wheels - looks very youthful.

The Hunter 350 is based on the roadster form factor.

Chassis

The Hunter 350 gets a brand new chassis, and Royal Enfield has taken a lot of effort to give it a unique feel. The Hunter 350 is the smallest and the lightest motorcycle in the Royal Enfield line up, weighing in at just 181 kgs. That’s a full 14 kgs lighter than the Classic 350. The Hunter also has a 20 mm shorter wheelbase than the Classic, and seat height is a low 800 mm.

Royal Enfield has worked extensively on the chassis of the Hunter 350 to give it a unique feel.

Engine

Powering the Hunter is a familiar 349 cc J-series engine borrowed from the Classic 350 & the Meteor 350, and as is the case with both of those motorcycles, this long-stroke engine is re-tuned to give the Hunter its unique characteristic. Output remains the same at 20.2 bhp at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm torque at 4,000 rpm, but given the fact that this motorcycle is lighter, this engine should feel peppier in it. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a 5-speed transmission.

Powering the Hunter is the familiar 349 cc J-Series engine.

Tech

The Hunter Retro and Metro have varying levels of tech in many areas. Both the variants get an offset circular shaped speedometer which is part-analog part-digital, however the digital insert is much bigger on the Metro than on the Retro. The motorcycle is compatible with Royal Enfield’s tripper navigation pod, but it is only available as an accessory. The Metro gets disc brakes on both the ends, and gets a dual-channel ABS, while the Retro gets a drum brake at the rear and only a single-channel ABS.

The Hunter 350 gets an offset circular part-analog part-digital instrument cluster.

Pricing

The Royal Enfield Retro Factory series is priced at Rs. 1,49,900/-, and once the dated Bullet 350 makes way for the new version, it will be the most affordable Royal Enfield. Following it is the Hunter Metro Dapper series which gets all of the added features, but misses out on the dual-tone paint finishes. The Metro Dapper series is priced at Rs. 1,63,900/-. The Hunter 350 tops out at Rs. 1,68,900/- for the Metro Rebel series, which gets dual-tone paint finish and all the bells and whistles absent on the Retro.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 vs TVS Ronin vs Rivals: Price Comparison

Dual-tone paint finishes are only a part of the Hunter Metro Rebel series.

Rivals

Priced between Rs. 1.50 lakh to Rs. 1.69 lakh (Ex-Showroom), the Hunter 350 bears the exact same price range of the freshly launched TVS Ronin. In terms of the product itself, the Hunter 350 goes up against the likes of Honda CB 350 RS and the Jawa 42, while undercutting them in pricing.