Royal Enfield Meteor 350 India Launch Soon

You’ll have to wait a little longer to get your hands on Royal Enfield’s all-new cruiser

[Update: Royal Enfield has launched the Meteor 350 in India. Head here for the pricing and other details regarding the launch]

• Based on an all-new J platform.
• Packs a newly developed powertrain and a new double-cradle chassis. 
• Expect better highway cruising capability than the Thunderbird 350.

The CEO of Royal Enfield, Vinod K. Dasari, has confirmed that its upcoming all-new cruiser, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is all set to be launched by the end of June 2020. Speaking to a publication, he said the upcoming model is a “new 350cc motorcycle, which is considerably better in terms of ride and will be something to hope for, desire for.”

The motorcycle was initially slated to be launched a bit earlier, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the brand to postpone its plans. The price of the Meteor 350 was leaked online in April -- it will cost Rs 1.68 lakh (ex-showroom), including some accessories. This makes it around Rs 12,000 dearer than the Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350.

For the nominal premium, it gets an all-new BS6-compliant fuel-injected, air-cooled powertrain which is expected to be a lot more refined than the 346cc UCE unit. The engine is also likely to be more powerful than the older motor, which makes 19.3PS and 28Nm. It is expected to have a 6-speed transmission, which should really enhance the bike’s highway touring capabilities. 

The foundations are also new with a double-cradle frame as opposed to the single downtube unit in the Thunderbird 350. It is suspended on a telescopic front fork and twin rear shock absorbers. The alloy wheels are wrapped with tubeless tyres with disc brakes on both ends and dual-channel ABS as standard. Head here for more intricate details on what we can expect from the Meteor 350. It will primarily compete against the Bajaj Dominar 250 and the Jawa Forty Two.

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