Royal Enfield is riding on the success wave of Hunter 350 – We can say it by looking at its sales numbers. When we first reviewed the motorcycle in 2022, we declared it a “Masterpiece”. You can read the full review of Hunter 350 where we have ridden the first gen Hunter to Ramnagara. After riding the recently launched Yamaha XSR 155 to Udupi and enjoying the 1000 kms, we felt Yamaha did a great job both in the performance ( thanks to liquid cooled engine + 6 gears) and also the fuel efficiency department. You can check our review of new XSR 155 to understand our immersive experience of the motorcycle on long stretches which had mix of intense Shiradi ghat section and long well paved Hassan highway. Is it a fair job to compare a 155cc engine capacity motorcycle with a 350cc bike? Let us do it – as both motorcycle share the same form factor.
First Impressions
The new generation Hunter 350 is a very stylish looking roadster motorcycle – Royal Enfield has got some beautiful collection of colors and every color way is distinct from the other with its own graphics and artwork. The one which we reviewed here is Rio White – the cream white color body in the front in combination with greenish blue color scheme compliments really well with the bike. It looks fresh, youthful, simple and bold. Hunter 350 is a bulky motorcycle and also has got a bigger fuel tank ( 13 litres ). Royal Enfield has kept the front console very engaging – The round dial features an analog speedometer needle that moves smoothly with elegance as you increase your speed. The other information like odometer, fuel, trip meter etc can be digitally seen. It is well-readable , although we felt the font size could have been bigger. The Hunter 350 is also equipped by a tripper console on right – which shows the navigation map on the go when synced with Royal Enfield app on your phone. There is also USB type C port on motorcycle’s handlebar (on your left) which is quite handy to charge your devices on the go.
Hunter 350 features a dual spring suspension at the rear. Gets round stop light and LED indicators at the back. The branding of Hunter 350 is really cool which can be seen on side panels.
Tech Specs and Dimensions
When it comes to heart of the motorcycle – the engine – Hunter 350 is powered by a 349cc air-cooled, single cylinder engine which is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Hunter 350 is powerful in its category – it can easily churn 20.2 bhp of peak power and delivers peak torque of 27 Nm. The engine noise and exhaust is very very soothing to hear (of course for motorcycle lovers). The signature loud thump when you increase your throttle input reminds everyone around that its a Royal Enfield. It is so original and its a pure pleasure to listen to it and feel the motorcycle on the go.
Talking about the dimensions, Hunter 350 offers a very low seat height of 790mm which is good for short riders, The motorcycle measures 2055 mm in length, 810 mm in width and 1080 mm in height. The wheelbase of new Hunter 350 is 1370 mm – it is so perfect for cornering, slides and supports the rider really well. As told earlier, the new Hunter 350 weighs 181 kgs (Kerb weight), you will not feel the weight when you are cruising at highway speeds like 70 or above 80 Kmph. The weight of the motorcycle is only felt when you are struggling at city traffic signals etc – so you should be aware of this. Going past a speed breaker is easy as the Hunter 350 features a good ample ground clearance of 160mm.
About the Trip
The reason for this trip was strange – we wanted to check if Hunter 350 is suitable for long rides, and at the same time how fuel efficient the motorcycle is – whether it leaves a large whole in your pocket? we wanted to validate these. In the back of our mind, having ridden the Yamaha XSR 155 for 1000 Kms with mileage as high as 50 kmpl, we knew Hunter cannot achieve such figures as it is powered by a high capacity 350cc engine. Still, we wanted to check what is the best it can do, and if it is a good motorcycle for long rides.
The Destination which we chose for this trip was a bit challenging – It is the Kolli Hills, a place closer to Salem, Tamil Nadu, about 300 Kms from Bangalore. It was not about reaching the vicinity of Kolli Hills, it was all about riding those notoriously challenging 70 hairpin curves on the hill. The hairpin curves were challenging, the motorcycle did a great job to accomplish that “Uphill” task – cornering curve after the curve one by one. We did take some breaks in between, as we felt Royal Enfield’s “Air-cooled” engine needed some rest. We also made it to a point called “Aakaya Gange” – A hidden water falls which is deep within the Kolli Hills. The trip was worth discovering the Kolli Hills waterfalls, and also to indulge ourselves well with those amazing corners.
We give Hunter 350 full points for what it offered for us.
What we liked in New Hunter 350?
- The new Hunter 350 has got a very good road presence and has a variety of color options to choose from.
- Rides really well on highways and also decently on city roads. Thanks to the loud thumping sound – keeps the motorcyclist well-engaged
- Hunter 350 features a dual-channel ABS, the braking response is very intuitive and responsive
- The practical options like Tripper console featuring maps/navigation, USB Type-C charging on handlebar, a very large fuel tank of 13 liters is appreciable
What we didn’t like in Hunter 350?
- The Pillion seat is highly uncomfortable to sit. Do not be surprised if it ruins your trip when going with a pillion rider. Royal Enfield has done a massive mistake by offering sub-par experience by intentionally reducing the seat length and width for the pillion. Even for an average person with less weight and height shall also struggle to sit for few hours. This makes Hunter 350 a really bad choice for long distance rides with a pillion.
- Air-cooled engine and 5-speed engine gearbox feels limited. For the same money one could choose motorcycles like Yamaha XSR 155
- The fuel economy is not bad, it is around 28 to 30 kmpl on mixed highway and city conditions. However, it cannot beat the practicality and fuel efficiency of Yamaha XSR 155
Variants and Colors on offer
Royal Enfield’s Hunter 350 is offered in multiple attractive color options with unique graphics. Check all color options of Hunter 350 below:
- Moonshot White
- Mumbai Yellow
- Tarmac Black
- Graphite Grey
- Tokyo Black
- London Red
- Rebel Blue
- Dapper Grey
- Rio White ( the one featured here)
- Factory Black
Price Details
The Factory Black colored Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is priced at Rs 1,37,400 (ex-showroom Chennai). The one reviewed here (Rio White) is priced at Rs 1,65,133 (ex-showroom Chennai) – this also features a tripper.
Photos
Check out the full photo gallery of Royal Enfield Hunter 350 from the ride:
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