The video describes what changes and improvements have been made on Meteor 350 over the older Thunderbird 350
Biking enthusiasts, especially Royal Enfield fans had been waiting for Meteor 350 with bated breath and its launch earlier last week sent the automotive industry into a frenzy. The cruiser replaces the outgoing Thunderbird model from Royal Enfield’s portfolio and has generally received a positive response from across the industry.
While everyone is singing praises for the new bike, it is important for readers to know what went into development of the mid-segment cruiser. A team of leading technicians and engineers explain in a video released by Royal Enfield on its official Youtube channel, the development process and special attributes of Meteor 350.
Updates on Meteor 350
Meteor 350 has rightly been described as a progression and evolution from the outgoing Thunderbird as the Royal Enfield team had the exact thing in mind while developing the Meteor 350. Essentially Meteor 350 is the next generation of Thunderbird 350 with a brand new engine, chassis and subtle updates to design. This fact can also be established when one rides the Meteor and Thunderbird back to back.
The development team consists of technicians, engineers and designers from various countries, with the new bike jointly developed and tested in Spain, the United Kingdom and India. Take a look at the video below.
The video features inputs from following people;
– Mark Wells, Head, Product Strategy & Development
– Simon Warburton, Head, Product Strategy & Development
– Chittaranjan Gogoi, Industrial Design
– Anuj Dua, Product Strategy
– James Young, Engine Development
– Takashi Yamamoto, Head, Electronic Management System
– Martin Neczaj, Chassis Design
– S Sivakumar, Head, Industrial Design
– Matthew Cardenas, Product Manager, Tripper Navigation
Improvements made
Even though most of its components are brand new and designed from scratch, it still retains most of Royal Enfield’s signature elements such as its characteristic exhaust thump and its road presence. The new engine though slightly low on torque than the previous generation 350cc engine has a wider torque band of 1000 rpm which makes it provides the essential low-end and mid-range thrust thus providing a comfortable ride in city as well as highway conditions.
What the extra 1000 rpm of peak torque also does is reduce vibrations on the bike considerably which makes it easier to cruise at slightly higher speeds. The rake angle incorporated is optimised both for city commute as well as long-distance cruising.
For the first time, Royal Enfield is also providing mass customisation for its customers through the brand’s ‘Make It Yours’ program from where the owners can choose from thousands of components and accessories to make their Meteor look exclusive.
Other Details
Royal Meteor 350 is the first bike from the retro classic motorcycle brand to be based on an all-new J platform which is set to underpin future models as well. The company also incorporated a brand new 349cc single-cylinder, air-cooled, long-stroke engine which makes 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of peak torque. It is available in three variants namely- Fireball, Stellar and Supernova and is offered at a starting price of Rs 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom).
