[rahulcmoulee]

Saw around 6-7 Hunters lined up for delivery at the Bellandur RE Showroom with quite a lot of crowd inside the showroom as well. The bike is definitely increasing footfall at the dealerships.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Hello All!

Visited the RE Company Store in Jayanagar, BLR today along with a couple of my friends as one of them is considering getting the Hunter. He has already TD'd the Ronin and is gaga over it, but since the Hunter launched recently, he thought he'd give it a go. All of us (Three of us) test rode the Hunter and since we were there, the Continental as well just to..well put a smile on our faces

We reached the showroom at 11:00 am, and we waited for about 10 mins before the sole sales rep at the showroom came over (was busy with another customer) and gave us an overview of the vehicle, the store was pretty small though but the staff were friendly. We all took turns riding the hunter, both solo and with a pillion and here were our observations.


Picture of my friend on the Hunter


Proportion wise, the bike is relatively compact, just like the Ronin. Fairly short wheelbase and tight rake. Keep in mind my friend and I both are about the same height, 176 cms tall and the bike felt a little compact for both of us.

The Positives

T

1. he Engine is smooth and pulls fairly well
2. The Bike feels extremely light and is very easy to manouver in city traffic and tight spaces
3. The Exhaust sounds glorious IMO
4. Looks great IMO
5. Great Low End Torque, next to impossible to stall this bike

The Negatives

1. The suspension was a little too stiff for our liking and we could feel almost every bump on the road
2. The pillion seat wasn't the most comfortable and felt stiff in just a couple kms. The bumps were prevalent here as well
3. The proportions were a little too compact for two people

The waiting period quoted by the salesperson was 1 month for a non customised bike and 15 days if you ordered an accesorized bike via RE's Make it Yours Portal on their website. My friend was looking at the Dapper Variant which came upto Rs 199900 On Road Bangalore.

P.S another point to note is that all the colour variants of the Hunter claim a Rs 5000 booking amount which is fully refundable upon cancellation except for the Dapper grey which requires a Rs 20000 non refundable booking amount. Their rationale was that this colour is made to order and hence is non refundable.

Overall, felt like a solid bike and has a lot going its way when compared to the Ronin. Not sure what my friend will choose now but it surely was fun riding the bike. Cheers!

[M-Roc]

Hello All ,

I test drove both Hunter 350 and Ronin back to back today, Below are my observations

Hunter 350 -

Pros -
1. Feels very light
2. Looks Stunning
3. I could plant my foot comfortably (Height = 167 cm) .
4. Feels more connected while riding.
5. Adequate power delivery

Cons -
1. I'm used to upright handle bar position, Hence the slight sportier stance was not comfortable for me. (As suggested by some fellow BHPians using angle risers could solve this issue)
2. I could see some panel gaps

Ronin -

Pros -
1. Fit and Finish is top notch.
2. Engine seems to be very refined.
3. Seems a perfect bike for city commute.
4. Feature rich (Like Slipper clutch assist, ride modes etc.,)

Cons -
1. The design seems to be very confusing, When we look from certain angles it looks great but the overall look is not that impressive.

2. Surprisingly I felt it heavier than Hunter, Despite weighing 18kgs (approx.) less than hunter.

If the riding posture was up to my liking I would have booked the hunter by now, Will take some time before I make the decision.

Thanks

[tirumalavoleti]

Excellent product especially the build and ergonomics for average Indian physic.

Many of my friends, relatives wanted RE but could not manage the heavy build. To summarize , this is the young brat of the classic and meteor.

Well done RE

[josephilip]

I test rode the hunter 350 last day and it was just what i expected.
A lighter more agile bike from RE. It felt familiar the second i swung my leg over the bike. I nipped in and out of traffic which is something i never do on any bike. The bike felt very light and the front end had much better feel when compared to other RE's due to the 17 inch wheel.
The metro variant has enough features and the pricing is killer.

Now, I test rode the CB350 highness just 5 mins after i test rode the hunter 350.

So here are some of the drawbacks of the hunter.
1) The suspension is very stiff. Which is the opposite of what you expect from a Royal Enfield. The rear suspension didn't absorb most of the sharp bumps i encountered on our Kerala Roads.
2) The clutch is pretty heavy. This became more apparent when i rode the highness. Also slipper clutch would have been a nice addition for beginner riders.
3) Brakes are adequate. They do require some pull from the lever to stop. Nothing to write home about. I expected it to perform better due to the lighter weight.
4)The accessories even though good quality have a higher than reasonable price in my eyes.
5) Clutch is on the heavier side. It might get tiresome after riding through heavy traffic.

Now for the positives.
1) The sound. Oh boy does it sound good. Especially while rev matching to go down a gear. Much better than other J series REs and Cb350s.
2) Feels very light. Even an absolute beginner will not feel intimidated.
3) Better throttle response when compared to the meteor and classic. Feels much more eager to go.
4) Low seat height is a boon for shorter and inexperienced riders.
5) The price is just hard to ignore. It will take some market share from a lot of segments.

Overall the hunter is a good bike. It's a no brainer for a lot of people.

[tharian]

Perfect RE for city and traffic riding. It is quite small to look at and sit on, but once on the go, it feels nimble and not small. And with that torquey 350cc engine, it is perfect combo for using in traffic. You can remain in 3rd and 4th gears most of the times.
I liked the exhaust note of the Honda CB 350 compared to this. The one on the Meteor sounds better.
I am tall and the bike felt fine when riding. The seating position is comfortable too although the foot rest is rear set. That seat is nice and wide too.

Had a thought of replacing my 20 year Bullet with this for use in city, but then knew that would be a stupid decision given how rare a 4 speed wrong side gear shift Bullet is today.

[MaheshY1]

Originally Posted by AtheK

...
Also yes just like Mahindra does, RE regularly organize rides and you can regiter for them on RE app. They have an upcoming 10 day ride in Leh from 20th August, these rides were on hold during covid but they are back now.

RE is definitely ticking all the boxes and are getting stronger by the day as a brand.

From what I know, Royal Enfield are the only brand with an in-house ride/event team. Even KTM Orange Days events are outsourced. The RE team is just great. They ride day and night to find places and routes for a new experience. For example, an Unroad event in the western region and an Unroad event in the southern region will offer completely different experiences. Some of the skills are certainly transferrable, but the experience is vastly different. And they also pick some challenging routes to demonstrate what the motorcycle can do and build camaraderie at the same time.

I have been on one of their rides, and I can say that even if I booked the same hotel, rode the same path, and ate at the same cafes, doing it with RE would cost me either less or the same. Plus, there's the backup van, mechanic, spares, doctor, no recce or planning required and just enough challenge to make us keep coming back. I'm sure they're not making any direct profits out of their ride events. It's a long-term, brand-building thing.

This is my #1 reason for recommending Royal Enfields in my circle. Money can't buy the experience I had on one of their 3-day group ride events.

I'm seeing the Hunter as the one bike you can have in the household for both partners. It's certainly less intimidating than the Classic, Bullet, and Meteor. I'm guessing that the Hunter will help with balancing the gender scales at these group ride events. The Hunter is an affordable ticket into the RE experience and an invitation to non-RE people, like myself, who otherwise don't like traditional RE motorcycles all that much. I'm a rare Royal Enfield customer who has 10 of their products at home and none of them is a motorcycle. Only apparel, riding gear, and spares.

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

The Retro in Black looks brilliant. Does anybody know if this variant comes with tubeless tyres or tubed? Haven't been able to locate this info anywhere.

Tube. At this price point, there are no motorcycles with wire spokes and a tubeless combo.

[comfortablynumb]

The Retro in Black looks brilliant. Does anybody know if this variant comes with tubeless tyres or tubed? Haven't been able to locate this info anywhere.

[SkylineGTR]

To those who've seen the Hunter in person, how big is it really? I keep seeing everyone saying it's small but in videos it doesn't seem abnormally small. Is it going to look strange on average heighted people, say 5'8" or 5'9" ?

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

To those who've seen the Hunter in person, how big is it really? I keep seeing everyone saying it's small but in videos it doesn't seem abnormally small. Is it going to look strange on average heighted people, say 5'8" or 5'9" ?

My comparison comes from Riding an Interceptor and also seeing other bikes from RE stable, it looks very small. As a standalone bike for the height you mentioned it should look just fine. Again, this is probably the best bike you can have from RE stable, exclusively for city riding.

[Dressellian]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Does anybody know if this variant comes with tubeless tyres or tubed?

The Retro has spoke wheels with tubed tyres.
The Metro has alloy wheels with tubeless tyres.

[DriverNo.420]

I'm a fan of roadsters. And this is yet another extremely well priced and attractive offering from the house of Royal Enfield. The J is a gem of an engine. The linear torque delivery coupled with lot's of heavy bits removed make for a one peppy city bike. And considering meteor with the same engine is so good on the highway, one is getting an all rounder bike at an affordable(for these crazy times) price.

It will surely turn lot's of heads too. In my opinion it is a much better product than TVS Ronin. You simply cannot beat the low end of an Enfield. The J platform and engine has earned a lot of acclaim in the overseas markets too. Had this been launched an year ago, I wouldn't have even looked at the new Classic.

[sreejithkk]

I did test rode hunter again today and also did test ride of classic 350 and Ronin. I liked the feel of hunter more than that of Ronin. I am 188 cms tall, and with my riding position, I felt the seat of hunter is more accommodating than that of Ronin. Also did not find significant difference in the ride quality of Hunter and Ronin. And in terms of weight, felt hunter more light/balanced than that of Ronin, Ronin some how felt front heavy. However Ronin has far lighter clutch and more precise gear shift quality and more upright riding position. I almost decided on hunter, however my wife insisted a test ride of Classic 350 also, and after that more inclined towards classic 350, as she felt pillion seat of classic 350 far better than that of Hunter. The riding position is also more relaxed in classic 350, but some how, I felt the engine characteristics is better in hunter, may be because of the exhaust and lighter weight.

[GreyNomad]

Took back to back TDs of the Hunter and Interceptor today. The Hunter had 90kms on the odo, while the Inty had 2050kms. Surprisingly the Hunter left me more impressed! It was sprightly and very well put together. However, the ride quality was definitely much firmer, as has been highlighted by people here. The Inty, comparatively, felt much more plush. I dont know if it was the TD vehicle but the Inty gearbox felt very hesitant to shift up and down. The Hunter felt butter smooth in comparison.

I own a C350 and am looking to upgrade to a multi-cylinder within a month. My long rides are restricted to 250-300km per day. That too this happens twice a month, except during monsoons when biking is limited to city rides. The Inty definitely is the most VFM bike for my purpose out there, even taking pre-owned ones into account. But today’s TD definitely left me a bit underwhelmed. My regular RE Showroom (from who I purchased the C350) has promised me a TD vehicle for a day during weekdays. Hopefully, work schedule permitting, I’ll be availing of it within the next 2 weeks. Will take a final call post that.

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by sreejithkk

I almost decided on hunter, however my wife insisted a test ride of Classic 350 also, and after that more inclined towards classic 350, as she felt pillion seat of classic 350 far better than that of Hunter. The riding position is also more relaxed in classic 350, but some how, I felt the engine characteristics is better in hunter, may be because of the exhaust and lighter weight.

Hunter is probably the best bike for the city based on my limited experience. The riding position and dimensions are spot on for the job it has been cut out to do. If I were looking primarily for a city runabout with short scoots from one part of the city to another then Hunter would be the obvious choice. It would not hurt if it came in a few sober colors but it's not a deal breaker.
(You do have the the option of customising the Hunter with different seats, back rest etc. Also you may want to check if you rode the Retro version for your TD. They have different seats compared to the Metro).

Classic 350 is definitely not agile or chuckable like the Hunter but definitely more relaxed and comfortable. Guess it boils down to what one's use case for the bike is.