Royal Enfield Hunter 350 arrives
Following its global media launch in Thailand last August, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 started arriving at Australian dealerships in December, with a New Zealand release expected soon.
This all-new addition to the Royal Enfield range is LAMS legal and shares its engine and several mechanical components with the Classic 350 and Meteor 350, but is lighter, with revised geometry and modern styling.
As stated in JUST BIKES’ launch test of this model, the Hunter 350 is aimed at a younger market, toning down Royal Enfield’s heritage themes in favour of a more contemporary look, which includes the treatment of things like the fuel tank, wheels, headlight and seat, as well as the colour options and graphics.
Modernised, Revised, Reduced
Beyond colours and styling, the Hunter 350 has some more significant changes compared to Royal Enfield’s other 350 models. These include smaller wheels, a shorter and narrower frame, steeper rake and shorter wheelbase to make it nimbler in city traffic.
At the global launch, Royal Enfield described it as “a new geometry for a new geography”, reflecting the urban focus of this model, as opposed to the deliberately retro vibe of the Classic 350 and cruiser aesthetic of the Meteor 350.
The Hunter 350 also weighs less than its siblings – at 181kg, it’s 10kg lighter than the Meteor 350 and a full 14kg lighter than the Classic 350. This has been achieved through abandoning things like the traditional headlight casquette, trimming down the mudguards and shortening the exhaust system.
J Series Power
The Hunter 350 uses Royal Enfield’s ‘J Series’ engine; a 349cc single with air-oil cooling, digital electronic ignition and electronic fuel injection. The same engine powers the Classic 350 and Meteor 350.
Maximum outputs on the Hunter are unchanged, with 15kW (20.2hp) at 6100rpm and 27Nm at 4000rpm, but Royal Enfield has tweaked the power delivery, making it a little more aggressive on the throttle response compared to its siblings. Of course, the Hunter’s lighter weight also means there’s less bike to move, making it feel more rapid.
Offering enough power for city and suburban riding, the J Series engine also delivers a maximum speed of 114km/h, so it’ll be suitable for brief highway stints.
Fuel economy isn’t listed, but the air-oil cooled single is said to be frugal, aided by the bike’s lighter weight, allowing the 13-litre tank to deliver around 300km of riding range.
The engine is matched to a five-speed transmission and chain final drive that the Hunter 350 shares with the Classic and Meteor.
Suspension and Braking
To the Hunter 350’s unique frame, conventional 41mm forks are fitted at the front end, with dual coilover shocks at the rear. The latter benefits from newly-developed emulsion technology recently applied to other Royal Enfield models and features 6-stage preload adjustment.
Front and rear suspension travel is listed at 130mm and 102mm, respectively.
Braking consists of a single 300mm disc with two-piston caliper on the front end and a 270mm disc with single piston caliper at the rear. Dual-channel ABS is standard and non-switchable.
Wheels are 17-inch alloys front and rear (compared to the 19-inch front, 18-inch rear combination on the Classic 350 and a 19/17 combo on the Meteor 350), which plays a part in the Hunter’s reduced ground clearance and lower seat height of 790mm compared to the Classic’s 805mm.
Pure and Simple
Staying true to Royal Enfield’s ethos of ‘Pure Motorcycling’, the Hunter 350 isn’t loaded with tech. Beyond ABS, there’s an LED tail light, USB port under the handlebars and an LCD display in the analogue speedo that shows odometer, tripmeter, fuel level and gear indicator info.
The offset position of the instrument pod allows for Royal Enfield’s ‘Tripper’ app-based navigation system to be added, but this is an extra-cost option.
Other options include engine and sump guards, different seats, a pillion backrest, LED indicators, bar-end mirrors, a windscreen, panniers and various cosmetic accessories.
Style Six Pack
Overall, the Hunter 350 is available in a choice of six colours, split equally between ‘Dapper’ and ‘Rebel’ themes.
With a blackout treatment of the engine, frame, sidecovers, suspension, handlebars, headlight shell and other elements, each of the available colour options are largely limited to the fuel tank, with Dapper White, Dapper Grey and Dapper Ash each offering different graphic treatments, complemented by side cover decals and rim stickers.
It’s much the same for the three Rebel offerings – Red, Blue and Black – but the two-tone colour treatment and supporting graphics are bolder. It should also be noted that the Rebel options add $100 to the Hunter 350’s ride away price.
New Entry Point
To make the Hunter 350 viable for new, young riders in the LAMS market, it’s priced from $7,590 ride away (NZ$7,590 + ORCs), making it the cheapest new Royal Enfield you can buy - $400 cheaper than the Classic 350 and $600 under the Meteor 350, based on current pricing.
This is backed by a 3-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and 24/7 roadside assist for 3 years as standard.
To make purchasing the Hunter 350 easier, Royal Enfield have set-up an online pre-registration service for customers at www.royalenfield.com.au
At time of writing, it had not been confirmed when the Hunter 350 would arrive in New Zealand, but it's expected soon. Kiwi customers can pre-order their Hunter 350 at: www.royalenfieldmotorcycles.co.nz
All the specs, features, colourways and options available on the Hunter 350 for the Australian market also apply to New Zealand.
For more details, go to the respective websites or see your Royal Enfield dealer.
