[shancz]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

Am I the only one who thinks the Hunter is basically a half Interceptor 650?

You're not alone and that's a good thing in my books
I have my reservations about other things but RE have been acing the retro game for some time now. All that was needed was them to focus on urban friendly and lighter retros and the Hunter(not a fan of the name though) is a positive start.

Design wise the Hunter is exactly what the Ronin isn't.
The J series engines are quite refined and efficient but will reserve any further thoughts until I ride one to see how it all comes together in the Hunter 350.

Looking at the competition, RE is providing the most satisfying motorcycle experience in this segment for the price, IMHO.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by aniketi

the Bullet is all set to receive an update of its own very soon, which will also be accompanied by a price hike (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi)..

I guess you are referring to the UCE engine being replaced by the J series engine in the Bullets.

Doesn't make sense using the old UCE engine when there is a modern 350 engine already doing duty on other models.

This will be the third variant of a 350cc engine the Bullets will be receiving. The Standard and Electra didn't get the AVL engine.

[sreejithkk]

As part of the weight reduction, the hunter do not have the twin down tube cradle that runs below the engine as seen in other J series bikes (classic and meteor) and looks like the engine is mounted as stressed member. So what is the advantage/disadvantage of having engine as 'stressed member' over engine that is mounted on the cradle? I think the Honda 350 twins also have the engine is mounted on the twin tube cradle.

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by sreejithkk

So what is the advantage/disadvantage of having engine as 'stressed member' over engine that is mounted on the cradle?

As you mentioned weight reduction is one of the advantages. Also bringing the weight to the center of the vehicle, in other words, having CoG close to the engine and low is another advantage.

Some disadvantages might be the mount points are rigidly mounted to engine as it has to withstand not only engine weight and drive torque, but also the stress and strain acting on the chassis. This passes engine vibrations directly to chassis. Also some items need to be directly screwed to the engine casing/ parts of engine, which might damage the threads on the engine if overtorqued. Also, most of the times this construction limits the chassis to be used for other applications.

Most older RE bullets have engine as stressed member. I had one such Bullet too and didn’t find anything strange. They have all been workhorses for decades. Per se it is neither a bad nor a good thing. Everything depends on the quality of the chassis and how the bike is made.

I wish RE sorted out the frame braking issues they had in Himalayan and let those things not creep into Hunter.

Originally Posted by shancz

All that was needed was them to focus on urban friendly and lighter retros and the Hunter(not a fan of the name though) is a positive start.

Also at first glance, I didn’t like the name hunter when the rest of the line up had some better names. But looking at it from the positioning of the model in the lineup standpoint, it sort of makes sense that this model is the most basic of all. A basic mobility tool which satisfies the need for a small, light, urban retro commuter motorcycle. One of the basic things our forefathers did: Hunting

[shancz]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

Hunter hunts Ronin. Immediate price correction needed else Ronin will need to be BTO

Good One
The first learning lesson and a wake up call for the folks at TVS entering the "lifestyle" segment.
Personally I feel sorry for them, even though the competition might not match them in engineering, attention to detail and technicalities(they're not that far behind either) but they sure do beat them in desirability and sales.

Originally Posted by carthick1000

One of the basic things our forefathers did: Hunting

True and also symbolises the raw and simple motorcycling that RE has been actively promoting since their 650 twins.
The Hunter will not only contribute significantly to the drop in Ronin's sales as aptly put by SchumiFan but will also be staring down the likes of the Dominars(250 and 400) too.
In a way a payback to Bajaj with the Hunter weighing less than the Dominar ?
This is what I call healthy competition

OT :
Just taking a look at Triumph's website I get a feeling that the as of today RE seems to have completely covered their retro design catalogue except the bobber(next RE?).
I rode a Continental 650 recently and for a normal use case I didn't think I would need anything more than that. The bike honestly felt well built and well priced with the fun factor intact. I fail to reason why would I spend 3-4x more to get something more powerful and probably better polished from Triumph even if I had the option.

[Engine_Roars]

One of my relatives cancelled their booking of Fz-x and have paid the deposit for Hunter top end. Hunter is out there to hunt and hunt it shall. Had it been a little bigger, I would have booked it too, I am 6'1 and it looks smallish on me. I am totally digging the way it looks.

[amvj]

This bike looks cool

https://youtu.be/BkE9alNeWDM

[Sebring]

Other showrooms may not have them on display but the bikes are in Jayanagar showroom. Feels truly value for money. Will this spell doom for the Honda CB 350? Remains to be seen

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

One of my relatives cancelled their booking of Fz-x and have paid the deposit for Hunter top end. Hunter is out there to hunt and hunt it shall. Had it been a little bigger, I would have booked it too, I am 6'1 and it looks smallish on me. I am totally digging the way it looks.

I cancelled an FZX booking too but decided to opt for a more mature bike than the Hunter. But yes Hunter will hunt down anything in the 1.5L onwards all the way to the Yezdis and Jawas (feel sorry for them with their existing problems and their 2.5+ OTR pricing).. am guessing the CB 350 will be safer and have its relatively older target segment that wont be too enamoured by the looks of the Hunter.

Only if the Hunter had some neutral color options and a slightly forward set foot pegs, I may have been hunted down by the Hunter.

[MaheshY1]

During times of inflation, this is a breath of fresh air. This is crazy good pricing. Plus, in my opinion, this bike does a few things better than a typical RE.

1. Lighter - I'd pay to make the 'bullets' lighter. This one is lighter and cheaper. This should also improve its torque to weight ratio; although REs have plenty of bottom-end torque to begin with. But, it's possible that because of about 10% weight reduction, this one could use some taller gearing for relaxed riding even at 100kmph. I think Classic/Bullet 350's sweet spot is 80kmph with some performance in buffer for overtakes. The 500 can cruise at 100kmph.
2. 17-inch wheels - smaller wheels should make it more agile compared to 18-inchers, which require some effort to tip into corners. This one will make a better city companion than the 18-incher REs, which prefer staying upright.
3. Compact (but not small) - While people usually prefer bigger bikes, I like smaller motorcycles, which are easier to manage and don't attract attention. This one walks the fine line between compact and small. The TVS Ronin failed big time in this area. And with this pricing for Hunter, the Ronin is dead on arrival.
4. New engine and frame - I haven't ridden this new engine but heard from friends who upgraded to the Meteor that this one is smoother than the older 350. While this is a new engine, it's not all new. Since this has been around for a few years, I'm more open to recommending this one. Otherwise, I strongly advice against buying all-new products or products with critical all-new technology. By now, RE must have sorted out most of the issues using feedback from Meteor owners.

With this pricing, I'd strongly recommend even a used RE buyer to instead consider this one. I think the Hunter could affect the used RE market. This Hunter is a far safer choice for long-term ownership of say 7 years or so. If you ride mostly in the city, then this is the best product RE have in the portfolio. Compact size, lighter curb weight and 17-inch wheels make it a great city motorcycle with highway cruising potential.

[ManneAtWheelz]

Ride reviews are out, checkout what is inside the Hunter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxdxTao7NCM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF4Qh1gsD68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn0ESLuyWx0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVp1sfxZ6DY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJYgSc4fAEA

[neil.jericho]

Royal Enfield seems to have knocked it out of the park with the new Hunter 350. On paper, everything looks good. 17 inch alloys open up a whole new world of possibilities. The colours are smashing! The advertisement continues Royal Enfield's legacy of fantastic commercials.

Im not a fan of the single channel ABS offering in the base version and would hence not recommend the Factory series bikes at Rs 1.5 L (ex showroom). In 2022, there is no reason for most buyers to opt for a single channel ABS bike unless they are really strapped for cash.

That said, with the Dapper and Rebel series bikes priced at Rs 1.64 L and Rs 1.69 L, it is going to be hard for the new TVS Ronin and the Honda CB350 twins to carry a lot of sales momentum. No wonder Honda had to launch the new CB300F.

I know of one potential Ronin buyer who made a pre-booking for the Hunter. Currently he is waiting for a test ride of the Hunter, before he takes delivery of his new bike. Once the test rides start, it wouldnt surprise me if more buyers headed to their nearest Royal Enfield showroom, with a cheque book in hand.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

https://youtu.be/LVp1sfxZ6DY

Watch the video and suddenly they show the TVS Ronin at 07:03 and it just hits you how bad the Ronin looks in comparison to the Hunter 350

[rajshenoy]

I like what I see here. Bike is made youthful to appeal to the target segment which mostly settle for the 250cc segment. With the customisations, the bike can easily made to look like scrambler(ish) and the 350cc will be a natural upgrade to many 150cc buyers. They can skip and directly jump to this.

Will it eat into the sales of Classic 350 ? not sure but price definitely is tempting here. My personal pick would be the "retro" theme as it looks more neat and like a triumph. However the cost cutting is evident. Wish they offer the metro in simpler single tone colors too

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

Compact size, lighter curb weight and 17-inch wheels make it a great city motorcycle with highway cruising potential.

Yet to ride the bike but seeing the videos I wonder if the riding ergonomics are suited for highway cruising.. Forward lean with some weight on the arms and the position of the foot pegs seems like the rider is a little cramped with bent knees - not sure how it would be on long rides. Thoughts welcome.

It is sportier and looks cool for the city.