Royal Enfield fans can look forward to some exciting times ahead, as the company will soon be launching its next-gen products under the ‘UCE 350’ range
The first of these will be Meteor 350, which has already generated immense interest among auto enthusiasts. A replacement for Thunderbird and Thunderbird X 350, Royal Enfield Meteor will have a new engine, an entirely new platform and a range of other upgrades. Sources tell us that the new RE will be officially launched in India next month, between 25-30th Sep.
Meteor new details
The latest info on Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is that the motorcycle will be utilizing Ceat and Ace tyres. Front and rear tyres will be 100/90-19 and 140/70-17 units, respectively. The motorcycle’s fuel tank can store 15 litres of fuel.
Various other details about Meteor have been revealed in the past few weeks. The motorcycle will be offered in three variants, namely, Fireball, Stellar and Supernova. Each of these will come with their own set of unique features and components. For example, Fireball will have blacked-out components, single colour fuel tank, graphics with decal and coloured rim tape.
In comparison, Stellar variant will have premium badges, body colour components, back rest and chrome finishing on the handle bar, EFI cover and exhaust system. Top-spec Supernova variant will have premium dual-tone colour theme, wind screen, chrome indicators, premium seat finishes and machined wheels.
All three Meteor variants will have dual-pod semi digital instrument console. It will have Bluetooth connectivity, which will be a first for Royal Enfield motorcycles. Meteor will also be equipped with an inbuilt turn-by-turn navigation system called ‘Tripper Navigation’. The visuals will be displayed on the digital instrument pod.
Meteor’s speedometer will be an advanced unit that displays a lot more information, as compared to current-gen Royal Enfield motorcycles. It will display information such as service reminder, odometer, trip meter, low fuel, low battery, gear, drive mode, indicator lights, high beam, ABS MIL, and fuel bar graph.
Meteor engine
The engines of current generation Royal Enfield BS6 motorcycles have the archaic tappet-valve (push rod) arrangement, which will be replaced with OHC (overhead cam) system in next-gen bikes, such as Meteor. This will help reduce the vibrations hugely. Engine responsiveness will also improve, and so will acceleration and top speed.
Power and torque output is also expected to improve, even though the engine displacement remains the same. But don’t expect a huge improvement. Expect a minimal improvement in power and torque numbers. Most likely power and torque numbers will remain in the same region as the current RE 350cc engine. The existing Royal Enfield 350 cc BS6 engine delivers 20 bhp of max power and 28 Nm of max torque. Transmission will be the same 5-speed gearbox setup, as earlier.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 will go up against rivals such as Jawa and Bajaj Dominar 400. It is expected to be launched at a starting price of Rs 1.65 lakh (ex-showroom).
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