It was a classic example of shock and awe strategy as Eicher Motors MD, Siddhartha Lal took the wraps off the all-new Royal Enfield Hunter 350 just hours before it was actually scheduled to be revealed at its global debut! Breaking the oft-irritating embargo on his own product, Lal gave a quick walkthrough of the new RE motorcycle and treated us to the exhaust note of the Hunter 350 as well. He said that the product was in development for over 5 years, with special attention paid to the chassis, saving weight and offering a riding experience that was never offered before on a modern classic from Royal Enfield, or so was the aim. While our colleague Preetam Bora is out riding the Hunter 350 in Bangkok, Thailand, raring to bring you the review of the motorcycle, we figured why not get you familiarised with the Hunter 350 already, so that you know what to expect, or not, when the review drops.
Also Read: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Revealed: First Look
So, starting off with the name itself! RE never had a 'Hunter' in its model line-up, even from the yesteryears. But, there was an aircraft, which saw a lot of action in the 1940s' and the 50s', the Hawker Hunter. It was a part of the Indian Airforce too at the time. So Royal Enfield tells us that's where the name was taken from. And the fact that 'Hunter 350' had a nice ring to it! Sometimes, you just go with the vibes when it comes to a new RE motorcycle! Pun definitely intended!
Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Why?
The very fact that the Hunter 350 was in development for over 5 years says something about RE wanting to get it right, the very first time. Whether it does or not, is something that will become clear later, as and when our Hunter 350 review goes live. RE says that it targets a whole new set of audience, people who are young, new to motorcycling, people who are stepping up from smaller motorcycles and most importantly, women riders, because there have been more women riders now than ever before and also, why should boys have all the fun?
Also Read: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Revealed By MD Siddhartha Lal
So, the Hunter has to be accessible, fun, practical and look good while doing it all. Our first impression on the design sure is positive. Lots of colours, quintessential modern classic design and a very likeable retro charm is what the Hunter offers. So yes, a definite thumbs up as far as looks go.
Royal Enfield Hunter 350: How?
Yes, the Hunter 350 gets the same engine as the Meteor and the Classic but that's where the similarity ends. The frame is new too, a twin downtube spine unit, which is designed to offer agile handling, better cornering and stability at high speeds too. The suspension has been tuned differently for the Hunter as well. The 41 mm front forks have a travel of 130 mm while the rear suspension consists of twin-tube emulsion shock absorbers which gets 6-step adjustable preload and travel of 102 mm. Surprisingly or not, at 181 kg kerb weight, the Hunter 350 is 14 kg lighter than the Classic 350. Does that mean sprightly performance? We sure hope so! The fuelling and the injection is different too which means that the character of the engine will be different as well.
Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Engine
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 gets the same 349 cc single-cylinder motor that does duty on the Meteor 350 and the Classic 350. The engine puts out the same 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of torque as it does in the other 350 models but is likely to feel peppier on Hunter. The engine will be paired to a 5-speed gearbox getting only a toe shifter. RE says that the engine will have a long stroke character along with a flat torque curve. The throttle has been calibrated for a lively and sporty demeanour.
Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Design 
A glance at the Hunter 350 reminds you of the Triumph Speed Twin 900, formerly known as the Street Twin. In typical RE fashion, the styling and design is unmistakeably that of a modern classic. Circular lights all around, sculpted fuel tank, bright and funky colour options and a decent fit and finish makes the Hunter 350 quite the attractive package. There will be two variants of the Hunter 350 - Metro and Retro. The Metro will be the top-spec model, with 17-inch cast alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, LED indicators, disc brakes up front and the rear, split Aluminium grab rails, a different seat, dual-channel ABS, digi-analogue instrument cluster. The Retro, on the other hand, gets a tubular grab rail, a retro seat, spoked wheels, a drum brake at the rear, single channel ABS, regular bulb taillight and a retro instrument cluster. Of course, both models will have different colours as well.
Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Pricing and Positioning
We expect the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 to be priced at between Rs. 1.5 lakh and Rs. 1.6 lakh and is likely to be positioned below the Classic 350 and the Meteor 350 if it is actually the most affordable model from the company in its portfolio. The aim is to have a model in every sub-category of the 350 cc segment. The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 will go up against the Honda CB 350 RS, TVS Ronin and the Jawa Forty-Two.
