Royal Enfield Meteor

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350, a successor to the Thunderbird series, is a modern take on the classic cruiser platform. With its traditional low-slung cruiser design, the Meteor 350 is meant for those who prefer a laid-back riding style. 

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is offered in multiple colour options across four variants: Fireball, Stellar, Aurora, and Supernova. The prices range between Rs 2,05,900 and Rs 2,29,900 (ex-showroom, Chennai).

Taking the legacy of the old Thunderbird 350 forward, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 features a teardrop-shaped fuel tank that slopes sharply downwards towards the rider's seat. This fuel tank gets chrome inserts on the Stellar, Aurora and Supernova variants. The lower-spec Fireball and Stellar variants have an old-school halogen headlamp with circular LED DRL. The Aurora and Supernova variants get a new-age full-LED headlamp. 

At the rear, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 sports an LED taillight, rounded turn indicators, and rounded front and rear fenders. Except for the Aurora variant which has spoked wheels, the remaining variants get alloy wheels.

The Meteor 350 was the first motorcycle from Royal Enfield to receive the new-generation single-cylinder, air-cooled, 349cc J-Series engine. This engine makes 20.4PS @ 6100rpm and a peak torque of 27Nm @ 4,000rpm. The engine is paired with a 5-speed gearbox.

While the numbers may appear modest for a 350cc engine, this engine packs in a strong mid-range, making city riding and highway cruising effortless at moderate speeds. The bike can easily maintain 80-100 kmph in its top gear without too many vibrations at higher revs. Compared to the previous-generation UCE engine of the Thunderbird 350, this new-generation J-Series engine feels much more refined. 

As for fuel efficiency of the Royal Enfield Meteor 350, the city mileage is about 41.89 kmpl, whereas, on the highway, it is around 38.77 kmpl. The Meteor 350 has a large 15-litre fuel tank and thus an impressive full-tank range.

Despite weighing around 191 kg, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is easy to handle in city traffic at low speeds. The all-new chassis and the low plush seats improve long-distance ride comfort too.

The tall windscreen at the front in Supernova and Aurora variants adds more stability and control at higher speeds. This windscreen effectively shields the rider from wind buffeting at higher speeds without obstructing their field of vision.

The large seat and its slightly-forward-set footpegs are able to guarantee the rider a comfortable experience. The top end Supernova variant and the new Aurora variant both come with a sizable front windscreen which does a good job of keeping the wind off to a great degree without affecting the rider’s field of vision. The windscreen can be adjusted to suit taller riders too, but that requires a hex key.

All Royal Enfield Meteor 350 variants come with a USB charger and a semi-digital instrument cluster: This comprises an analogue speedometer and an LCD screen for essential readouts like fuel level, time, gear position indicator, odometer, and trip meter. 

Additionally, the bike features Royal Enfield's Tripper navigation module for turn-by-turn navigation in the Aurora and Supernova variants as standard. These two higher-spec variants also come with a tall windscreen and a pillion backrest.

If you're searching for a traditional low-slung cruiser motorcycle that has modern features and offers comfortable riding, good handling, and decent performance, the Meteor 350 is an excellent choice. 

Expect calm and composed cruising on highways and agile handling for city rides. The Meteor 350 offers a nice blend and keeps the heritage of the Thunderbird intact with a touch of modernity.