Battle Of The Affordable Retros: Kawasaki W175 vs Royal Enfield Hunter 350 In Pics

Here’s how the latest Kawasaki fares against the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Retro

Over the past few months, we have seen numerous bikemakers launch affordable retro-themed bikes to satiate the ever-growing thirst of classic bike enthusiasts. Kawasaki recently debuted its most affordable bike, the W175, and here’s how it stacks up visually against the Retro variant of the Royal Enfield Hunter 350.

Kawasaki has nailed the retro aesthetics of the W175 from every aspect and considering we are pitting this against a Royal Enfield bike, Kawasaki designers can give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done. From the headlamp, to the teardrop-shape tank and even the peashooter exhaust, every element of the W175 screams retro.

That being said, no points are taken away from the Hunter 350 Retro, as it stands true to its name. However it is slightly pipped by the W175 in the looks department.

Powering the W175 is a 177cc single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine producing a measly 13PS and 13.3Nm. This motor comes paired to a five-speed gearbox. The Hunter 350, on the other hand, features a 349cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine borrowed from the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Meteor 350. This mill produces the same 20.2PS and 27Nm, but gets revised ignition timing and other small tweaks for a sportier power delivery.

Underpinnings on the W175 consist of a 30mm telescopic fork with dual shock absorbers having five step pre-load adjustability. The Hunter 350 also features a telescopic fork and dual shock absorber suspension setup, along with pre-load adjustability. 

Braking duties on the Kawasaki W175 are shared between a 270mm disc up front and a drum brake at the rear, paired with the safety net of single-channel ABS, while the Hunter 350 gets a 300mm disc with a dual-piston floating calliper up front and a 153mm rear drum along with single-channel ABS.

Both bikes get 17-inch spoke wheels shod on Ceat Zoom Plus tube tyres. While the W175 gets 80/100-section tyres, the Hunter 350 Retro gets chunkier 100/120-section rubber.

Both retro-style bikes feature an offset instrument console. However, the W175 gets a simple analogue instrument cluster with a small digital insert which shows the fuel level, odometer and a clock, while the Hunter 350 gets a semi-digital instrument cluster that looks slightly better, which also has a gear position indicator, but misses out on a clock.

While the Hunter 350 is the most compact bike in Royal Enfield’s portfolio, the W175 weighs only 135kg, which is a massive 46kg lighter than the Hunter 350 Retro.

The Kawasaki W175 is priced at Rs 1,47,000 for the Standard variant, while the Hunter 350 Retro costs Rs 1,49,900. While they both have the same visual theme, the Hunter 350 offers much more performance than the W175, while costing around the same as the Kawasaki. 

What remains to be seen is how this baby Kawasaki retro-style bike feels to ride and that’s something we will bring to you soon. Stay tuned.