Review Royal Enfield Hunter 350 | Motorcycle check

Review Royal Enfield Hunter 350

Bike review by Kris Hodgson

I recently went to Melbourne to see the newest Royal Enfield model coming out – not the Super Meteor 650 – the Hunter 350, which builds on their 350-only platform and offers an entry-level classic roadster at a premium competitive price.

This bike has already hit the market in Thailand, but this marks the first time the Hunter 350 has run in Australia, with the suburb of Melbourne being the ideal hunting ground and a glimpse of the fun ride. in the afternoon of like-minded racers will look like affordable Royal Enfield.

The Hunter starts at $7,590 in a package that’s perfect for beginners or maybe old riders, but as the styling suggests, the Hunter 350 isn’t a performance machine, even by standards. LAMS. For those after performing in the LAMS package, they will need to look to the RE 650s or neoclassical elsewhere.

That reflects how Royal Enfield has captured this particular niche and they appear to have entered the top 5 best selling motorcycle brands in Australia, where competition in classic performance models is low. more have disappeared.

The highlight of the Hunter 350 is the updated chassis with the engine being load-bearing components, revised geometry and ergonomics plus a model-specific transmission. In contrast, the current Meteor or Classic 350 is more of a cruiser than the Hunter’s roadster theme.

Looking over the bike, it looks good, the blacked out engine as well as the overall parts is a winner for me. There’s a comfortable-looking seat, solid tubeless tires on the 17-inch rims, a nice digital/analog dashboard (no tacho) and a nice finish on the fuel tank and paint panels. The bike has a presence.

The switch block looks a bit cheap, which is not common on LAMS bikes, but gives a good tactile feel. The headlights are halogen, where I appreciate modern LEDs.

Starting the bike and hitting the start button will get it back on track, although on a windy Melbourne day when idle, you could be forgiven for not realizing the bike was running. So quiet but also quite smooth.

Turning around for the bike, there was a slight growl from the little 350 that I found myself testing at every traffic light throughout the afternoon.

The combined notes of the exhaust pipes of pride, aka the squeal of the Hunter 350s, have a number of timbres and our parade is sure to grab attention on the ordinary streets. people of Melbourne.

Departing towards Docklands, there’s an easy throttle action that evolves into a punch if you’re aggressive enough. Of course, keep in mind that with 20 hp and 27 Nm of torque, you won’t be able to stretch your arms. Getting past bored and distracted drivers when the lights are on, it doesn’t matter, ignore anyone else who doesn’t want you… less likely. Fortunately, the majority of drivers fall into the old category.

Restart that engine and there’s a natural progression through the five-speed box. The Thursday is like an overdrive, making up for the lack of sixth gear and the bike travels at 80 or 90 km/h on the freeway.

You can hit the limiter but you’re probably driving by mistake if it’s happening continuously it’s obvious when gearshifts are needed and peak torque is much lower than peak power, just at 4000 rpm. Sure, you’ll work on feeling to determine where you are in the range of rotation, but that’s not rocket science.

That gearbox is a bit complicated and I’m not in the habit of zeroing at stops because it takes a bit of fiddling to get back into gear sometimes, even when zeroing is easy. Of course, these bikes are basically brand new and only have a few miles on them, so not running in is an understatement. They also have the new bike smell of parts going through the first few heat cycles, which always feels like a privilege to be experienced.

Of course, being caught in traffic stopping on the freeway and needing to merge with traffic traveling at 80 km/h+ requires a little more caution (and greater distance) for me. compared to before, although my daily ride is still under 500 cc. I usually open the throttle wide and accelerate for short periods of time, but there’s no denying that the Hunter is more sluggish than a 40- or 50-horsepower bike, as you’d expect.

In contrast, the riding position is comfortable, upright and natural, and for my 180 cm frame with a 32 inch inner seam, a seat height of 800 mm ensures easy ground access with lots of space. That is whether we were running on the highway at slightly higher speeds and wind resistance, or in urban conditions. The dash is simple and clearly visible, and although I missed having a tacho, it wasn’t necessary.

The handling feels natural, wherever the bike goes I look there, leaning around urban corners shows stability and a good feel. The front end feels a bit heavy when stopped, but once in motion, the Hunter moves along with ease. We did avoid the rain, so I’m not sure about the tire’s performance there, but for dry weather I certainly can’t complain.

We did no knee-jerk riding with the loop, but then again, this will never be the machine I choose for that ride. Fun through some bends at 80-90 km/h? Shouldn’t be an issue. Want to be a racer? Wrong bike.

The 41mm fork and dual shock absorbers seem to be set up for my 70kg weight, without even affecting that rear preload, easily swallowing potholes and manhole covers.

I would probably describe that handling and suspension package as unremarkable, but not in a bad way, everything worked, I didn’t have to think about anything and I actually found no errors whatever, it only worked for the short time that i used it on the bike.

The front and rear disc brakes are aided by ABS, which aren’t strong enough to upset the bike’s balance, and a decent portion of your stopping power lies in the strong shifting in second and first gears. You’re simply never going to pull a Hunter 350 up from 150 km/h in a hurry (good luck getting there so quickly), so the setup will do the job, with a sense of urgency. more limited at the front than at the rear.

For me, going it alone is a package I’m happy with, in that I’d rather have more power and more braking, unless twice is purely for trips to the cafe. Which can be good for some riders…

It’s clear that spending the afternoon cruising around Melbourne with a few stops for food will always be an enjoyable experience, especially with a group of riders on the same machine, as there is no difference in terms of performance. performance and that adds to the camaraderie of the trip.

It’s not all bikes, of course, but the Royal Enfield seems to be the ideal steed for this kind of outing. Remember that this is basically the exact use case of this machine. 50-80 km/h commuting and flying around.

What I’ve learned is that despite the evolution of the 350 model line, the Hunter 350 remains iconic to Royal Enfield. That engine is definitely smoother, and while it’s lower power on paper than the old Classic 500, it’s a step up for me, with the roadster theme a bit more appealing to me personally when start up. This mirrors my thinking when I tested the Rumbler 350 years ago, though again the Hunter seems to be a natural evolution from there.

The bike is stable, the throttle is easy to control, there won’t be any strong surprises, the suspension and brakes work well, the clutch works smoothly, it’s comfortable and it looks business.

For me, I’d say the Hunter 350 competes with old classic motorcycles, in that it offers similar characteristics, but with more modern reliability, comprehensive warranties and a good range of accessories. will catch up, will definitely be more developed as the market for these bikes in India is huge.

If this is the style you’re after, you can pick one up and just drive it, as maintenance and spare parts will be cheap.

Again, the obvious caveat is, this bike is not for the spinsters. I’d say it’s a limited modern classic, with a vintage emphasis. Ideal for new riders and those looking to have fun around town.

If you like the look of the Hunter 350 and this is like you, check out one.

Strengths of Royal Enfield Hunter 350:

• Affordable buy-in, three-year warranty
• The saddle height is quite low 800 mm, the sitting position is comfortable and comfortable
• Offers authentic classic character
• Don’t threaten new riders
• Moving away from cruiser style

I would rather Hunter 350 if…

• Full LED lighting system
• Note a little more emissions in standby mode

For more information, see Royal Enfield Australia website (link).

Specifications Royal Enfield Hunter 350 2023

Images of Jason Lau, Tommaso Fossati, Mathew Hayman