Being the smallest Royal Enfield 350cc bike, Hunter 350 will have better capabilities across city streets
While Royal Enfield bikes continue to be bestsellers in their respective segments, it appears that evolutionary tendencies have started giving shape to what future products from the company could look like. The first among these is Hunter 350, which has shed a lot of bulk in comparison to Meteor and Classic 350.
With Hunter 350, Royal Enfield will be targeting an entirely new segment of users. It can work for folks who are looking for a nimble-footed machine with retro profile. Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Spied Undisguised for the first time, credit to Surendar Jayavelu via Rushlane Spylane. There are multiple units seen in the photo. It looks like at a dealer yard. Colour options include monotone silver, dual tone white and blue, etc.
Royal Enfield Hunter 350 dimensions
As revealed in Type Approval certificate, Hunter 350 is 2,055 mm long, 800 mm wide, 1,055 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 1,370 mm. It is smaller and shorter in comparison to Classic and Meteor. Wheelbase is also smaller whereas width is more than Classis and less than Meteor. Gross volume weight is 360 kg, in comparison to 375 kg of Classic and 371 kg of Meteor. Hunter is likely to have a smaller fuel tank, as compared to 13-litre and 15-litre of Classic and Meteor, respectively.
While Hunter’s kerb weight is not known at this point of time, it is likely to be around 160-170 kg. That’s a good 20-25 kg less than Classic (195 kg) and Meteor (191 kg). Being lightweight and using the same J-series 349.34 cc engine, Hunter 350 will have higher power-to-weight ratio. This will boost its capabilities in an urban environment. Opportunities for some high-speed fun on open roads and highways can also be explored.
Hunter 350 features
Hunter 350 has retro styling with features such as round headlamp and rear view mirrors. Other key highlights include fork gaiters, multi-spoke alloy wheels, compact seat design and stubby exhaust. The bike will have relaxed ergonomics with centrally placed footpegs and slightly raised handlebar.
It is likely that Hunter 350 will have a semi-digital instrument console. As Royal Enfield will be aiming to make Hunter its most affordable bike, some premium features will not be offered as standard. For example, Tripper navigation could be offered as an option.
In terms of hardware, Hunter 350 will be borrowing most of the equipment from Meteor. It includes the twin downtube spine frame, suspended on telescopic front forks and twin tube emulsion shock absorbers at rear. The bike could get 300 mm and 270 mm disc at front and rear, respectively. Hunter 350 is likely to get same-sized wheels at both ends, as compared to 19-inch front and 17-inch rear used with Meteor.
Powering the bike will be the 349cc motor that generates 20.2 bhp of max power at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh transmission. There are unlikely to be any performance tweaks for Hunter 350. Hunter 350 is scheduled to debut on August 7. It could be priced in the range of Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1.7 lakh (ex-sh). In terms of pricing, it will take on rivals like TVS Ronin, Bajaj Dominar 250 and Yamaha FZ25.
