In 6 Pics: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 vs Harley-Davidson X350 Differences

Two heritage brands offering two very inviting entry-level bikes

The one thing both Royal Enfield and Harley-Davidson have in common is -heritage. But heritage alone is not enough to get more customers walking through the door, hence like most international brands, Harley-Davidson too has gone the downsizing way by introducing the X350. But Harley-Davidson cannot set foot in the 350 territory without taking on Royal Enfield, a brand best known for their 350cc offerings!

Here’s a quick look at differences between the new X350 and the Hunter 350 in 6 pics:

Design:

Both bikes are looking to rock a look that strays away from their respective brand’s traditional design theme. The X350 looks similar to Harley-Davidson’s sportster family but with a strong flat-tracker theme. Alternatively, Royal Enfield has gone for a neo-retro look on the Hunter 350.

Headlight:

Both bikes are meant to be accessible and hence some elements on the bike are very basic. That said, despite being the most affordable Harley money can buy, it sports a modern LED headlight. Whereas, the Hunter 350 packs a basic halogen headlight. 

Instrument cluster:

While both motorcycles feature only a semi-digital instrument cluster to better suit their retro theme, between the two units, the one on the X350 is most basic. It only offers the basic readouts like trip, odo, fuel indicator and speed. There’s no optional extra instrument cluster on either. Whereas, the Hunter 350 offers all that along with clock and a gear position indicator. For stuff like bluetooth connectivity and navigation, Enfield is also offering the tripper as an optional extra.

Engine:

The X350 is powered by a 353cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor which puts out 36.7PS and 31Nm and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. Alternatively, the Hunter 350 is powered by the same 349cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled motor as on the Meteor 350 and the Classic 350 producing the same 20.2PS and 27Nm. Unlike the X350, the Hunter is paired to a five-speed gearbox.

Underpinning: 

The X350 features a 41mm upside-down fork with rebound adjustability, and a monoshock at the rear which are both, preload and rebound adjustable.In terms of braking, it sports twin petal discs at the front and a single petal disc at the rear secured together with dual-channel ABS. In comparison the Hunter 350 gets a less sophisticated telescopic fork and twin coils at the back. Braking is managed by a single 300mm disc up front and a 270mm disc at the rear. Dual channel ABS is offered only on the top end Metro variant.

• Checkout Royal Enfield Classic 350 Price

• Here Are The Upcoming Royal Enfield Bikes

• Highlights Of The Harley-Davidson X350 In 8 Pics 

Verdict:

Both bike makers are trying to rope in new buyers with these two motorcycles. In fact, the Hunter has been pretty successful at doing so as it’s posting healthy sales numbers since its launch, and is in fact, the best selling Royal Enfield bike after the Classic. The 350X is currently for sale only in China, and hopefully soon reach select international markets where brand Harley-Davidson has considerable fan following.