Royal Enfield Hunter 350

The updated Royal Enfield Hunter 350 was spotted testing, along with the updated Interceptor 650 and the upcoming Bullet 650.

Royal Enfield has launched its new Factory Custom workshop, offering a ton of modification options to bring your imagination to reality straight from the factory.

How much does the Hunter 350 cost?

Prices for the Hunter 350 start at Rs 1,49,900 for the base Retro variant and go up to Rs 1,74,655 for the top Metro variant (both prices ex-showroom Chennai).

How many variants does the Hunter 350 have?

The Hunter 350 comes in two variants - Retro and Metro. The main difference between the two is that the Retro gets spoke wheels with tube-type tyres, a 153mm rear drum brake with single-channel ABS and a slightly simpler-looking semi-digital single-pod instrument cluster. The Metro, on the other hand, gets alloy wheels with tubeless tyres, a 270mm rear disc brake with dual-channel ABS and a smarter-looking semi-digital single-pod instrument cluster that displays more information such as gear position and a clock. The switchgear on the Retro variant is also more basic while the Metro gets the fancier old-school rotary switches.

Which is the best variant of the Hunter 350 to buy?

We would always recommend you get the Metro variant of the Hunter 350 for the added safety of dual-channel ABS on slippery road conditions and the convenience of tubeless tyres, which are more puncture-resistant and also make puncture repairs easier. Plus, you get many more colour options in the Metro variant.

What are the colour options available for the Hunter 350?

The Hunter 350 is currently offered in eight different colours. The Factory Black colour is the most affordable at Rs 1,49,900 but only comes on the base Retro variant. On the Metro variant, the Dapper Orange, Dapper Green, Dapper White and Dapper Grey colours are priced at Rs 1,69,656, while the Rebel Black, Rebel Blue and Rebel Red are priced at Rs 1,74,655 (all prices ex-showroom Chennai).

Our favourite colour option for the Hunter 350:

The Dapper Green on the Metro variant of the Hunter 350 is a particularly good-looking colour as it reminds us of the British Racing Green shade. Our other favourite is Rebel Blue (also on the Metro variant), which looks great thanks to its contrasting white and dark blue paint scheme.

How is the Hunter 350’s performance? (Key specs and tested figures)

Although the Hunter 350 uses the same J-platform 349cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine from the Classic 350 with the exact same output figures -  20.2PS @ 6100rpm and 27Nm @ 4000rpm, it offers quicker acceleration thanks to its smaller 17-inch rear wheel and lighter kerb weight of 181kg (for the Metro variant). In our tests, the Hunter 350 managed 0-60kmph acceleration in 5.24 seconds with 100kmph coming in 16.40 seconds. 

But just like the Classic 350, the Hunter 350 hasn’t been designed for outright performance. It will hit speeds of 110-120kmph (indicated) when pushed but feels happiest cruising at around 90kmph.

What is the mileage of the Hunter 350?

In our mileage test, the Hunter 350 delivered a city mileage of 40.19kmpl and a highway mileage of 35.98kmpl. In mixed real-world riding conditions, we believe you should be able to get 30-35kmpl from the Hunter 350 if ridden sensibly.

Is the Hunter 350’s weight easy to manage?

With a kerb weight of 181kg (for the Metro variant) and 178kg (for the Retro variant), the Hunter 350 isn’t exactly a light motorcycle. But it is 14 to 17kg lighter (depending on the variant) than the Classic 350. Plus the Hunter 350 is a very narrow motorcycle with a low seat height of just 790mm, making it much easier to manage when parking or while riding.

Is the Hunter 350 a good bike for first-time Royal Enfield buyers?

The Hunter 350 was specifically designed by Royal Enfield to attract new buyers. It is the most compact and lightest bike Royal Enfield currently makes. Plus it has a low seat height of just 790mm, which makes it easy for shorter riders to get both their feet on the ground easily. So it is suitable for newer and younger riders, as well as women riders.

Is the Hunter 350 comfortable for tall riders?

The Hunter 350 is a compact motorcycle, specially designed for newer and smaller riders. But that doesn’t mean it’s uncomfortable for taller riders. Even if you’re about 6 feet tall, you shouldn’t have any comfort issues while riding it. But if you’re much taller - say 6’3” or above, then you might find the Hunter 350 a little cramped.

Is the Hunter 350 easy to ride in the city?

The Hunter 350’s lighter weight of 178-181kg, the low seat height of 790mm and smaller 17-inch wheels at both ends make the bike feel really compact and nimble when manoeuvring through city streets. If you’re looking for a bike mainly for city use, the Hunter 350 is a very good option.

Is the Hunter 350 a good bike for touring?

The Hunter 350 can easily maintain speeds of 90-100kmph (indicated) on the highway. If you’re a solo rider, the Hunter 350 isn’t a bad option for highway touring. But because of its compact size, you don’t get as much space for luggage or pillions. The other issue with the Hunter 350 is its stiff rear suspension. If you’re going to be touring on smooth highways, you won’t have any issues. But tackling bad roads or broken highways is a bit painful on the Hunter. Also, its lower ground clearance of 150mm isn’t the best option on really bumpy roads.

What features does the Hunter 350 get?

The Hunter 350 is pretty basic when it comes to features. The Retro variant gets single-channel ABS and an analogue speedometer pod with a digital inset for a fuel gauge, odometer and trip meter. The Metro variant, on the other hand, gets dual-channel ABS and an analogue speedometer pod with a digital inset for a fuel gauge, odometer, two trip meters, reserve meter, a clock and a gear position indicator. Of course, on either variant, if you want navigation, you can get the optional Tripper Navigation Pod that connects to the Royal Enfield app on your smartphone to give you turn-by-turn directions.

Which accessories should I get for the Hunter 350?

Royal Enfield offers plenty of genuine accessories for the Hunter 350. Our recommendations would be a centre strand, as it makes puncture repairs and maintenance much easier, as well as RE’s Compact Engine Guard which should keep your engine safe in case of a crash. If you’re on the taller side, we would also recommend the Signature Bench Seat, as it doesn’t have a deep scoop for the rider section, which increases the seat height a little bit. And if you plan on exploring new places with the Hunter 350, the Tripper Navigation Pod is a great addition.

What are the service intervals for the Hunter 350?

Royal Enfield recommends the first service of the Hunter 350 at 500km, followed by a regular service every 5000km after that.

What is the average service cost of the Hunter 350?

The first four services of the Hunter 350 are free, which means Royal Enfield will not charge you any labour costs, only for any consumables. However, the first service at 500km, and the third service at 10,000km require an oil change and would cost somewhere between Rs 1000 to Rs 3000. Following that, every other service which would happen at 10,000km intervals would also need an oil change along with some more consumables and would end up costing between Rs 2500 to Rs 3500.

Should you buy the Hunter 350?

If you’re thinking of buying your first Royal Enfield, or just want a neo-retro motorcycle, the Hunter 350 is a really good option. It feels reasonably nimble, it’s light enough to manage for most people, offers decent performance, and looks really good. If you’re going to be riding mostly in the city, we would highly recommend the Hunter 350. But if highway touring is a priority for you, while the Hunter 350 can do that well enough, there are better options from Royal Enfield you can consider such as the Classic 350 or the Meteor 350.

Are there any alternatives to the Hunter 350?

In the sub-2 lakh rupee, neo-retro motorcycle segment, you primarily only have two options - the Hunter 350 and the TVS Ronin. If you’re mainly going to be riding in the city and modern features are important to you, then you can consider the Ronin. For a slightly higher budget, you can also get the Jawa 42, another neo-retro bike. But the Jawa 42 has struggled with quality and service issues in the past, and until Jawa addresses those, we can’t recommend the 42. We believe the Hunter 350 is the best option in this segment thanks to its affordable price, good reliability and versatile nature.