Royal Enfield Hunter 350

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 design 

The Hunter 350 is styled to look like your typical retro roadster, and it does look quite nice. It gets a round halogen headlamp, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a flat seat, a small side panel with the Hunter 350 branding and a neat tail section with a round tail-lamp. Many will appreciate the Hunter for its simplistic styling.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 features

Features wise, the Hunter keeps it simple with no fancy toys, but it's not poorly equipped either. There's a neatly designed USB charging port as standard and you can option the Tripper navigation display if you like. The Metro variant also gets hazard lights and both models run a halogen headlamp that works quite well. Riding this bike is just a reminder that it’s better to have a good halogen bulb over a poor LED any day of the week. 

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Engine and performance 

While the power and torque figures are exactly the same (20hp and 27Nm), RE says they have mapped the engine slightly differently. They've already managed to make the Classic and Meteor engine feel a little different to each other by doing this, and the same applies to the Hunter. This motor feels a little more responsive and the sound from the shorter exhaust is a little more raspy. 

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Ride and handling

On the move, the Hunter 350 feels light on its feet, which doesn’t come as a surprise, given that it’s lost 14kg over the Classic 350 with which it shares its platform. However, the ride quality of the Hunter 350 is a mixed bag. Suspension hardware isn't the issue, it’s the set-up. While the front end feels nice and absorbent, the rear feels unusually stiff. It can feel quite uncomfortable going over a broken patch of road and uneven expansion joints, be it at slow or high speeds.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Price and Verdict 

The Hunter 350 is not for Royal Enfield traditionalists and they will probably prefer the bigger, heavier and slower responding feeling of the Classic and Meteor. But that's exactly the point, and if you're someone who likes the idea of the impressive new age Royal Enfields, but haven't been able to gel with the existing bikes so far, or if you simply think they're too intimidating, this motorcycle might change your mind.

I pulled the trigger on the Falco Lennox riding shoes for the same reason that I purchased the excellent Viaterra Holeshot mid-cuff gloves. My daily commute to the office is a mere 6km and wearing the other full-length boots I have was proving to be too cumbersome (and too shouty for me) to the office. 

One of the main reasons I was drawn to the Lennox shoe was its subtle, almost casual shoe-like appearance. I believe in keeping a low profile, on and off the bike, and these boots were right up my alley. My neighbour once asked me why I was wearing full gear while leaving for the office, except for the footwear, and was surprised to know these are protective, two-wheeler-specific shoes. 

And while they may appear similar in height to a normal sneaker, these go well above your ankle. The closure is also quite secure with the added benefit of velcro at the top of the zip (both of which are quite unique in this class). In fact, it is a little tough for me to slide my right foot in/out of these shoes. This could be down to the fact that my lower right appendage is longer than the left due to a childhood cycling accident (there’s clearly a pattern to my behaviour), but it is still worth keeping in mind.

The Lennox may look like normal sneakers, but are definitely tougher than that. While the heel, toe and ankle areas all have hard, protective inserts, Falco has ensured you don’t feel them when you’re off the bike.

Normally, the Falco Lennox boots will cost you Rs 13,000, but I got my pair for Rs 9,000 on sale. That is a reasonable price for these shoes, and in my time with them, aside from the above issue, there haven’t been any complaints. If you’re looking for a pair of comfortable riding shoes, then these fit the bill quite well without being too costly.

Where: www.6kiom.com
Price: Rs 13,000

Also See:
2024 Alpinestars Supertech R vented boots review
SW Motech Drybag 350 tail bag review