[yikes6633]

Background on how the urge for owning a Motorbike restarted

After my last ride in 2002 on the first Pulsar 180 in Bangalore, I just stopped riding a motorbike and got myself a car.

I started focussing more on my career, job, money, travel and home.

18 years thereafter, joined a friend on his interceptor 650 on a weekend ride and the memories of the various motorbikes I owned were rekindled.

From an Enfield Explorer, a GT 50, BSA Spitfire, Ind- Suzuki, Yamaha RX 100, Yezdi Roadking, Hero Honda CD 100 and many more to finally a Bajaj pulsar 180 were all part of my biking years.

I was so smitten by the bikes, the bikers, the fancy biking gear, present day touring stories that the idea of owning a motorbike hatched in my heart again. This was in May 2020.

I checked out the deep waters at home by voicing my wish of buying a motorbike. My wife thought it must be a symptom of a mid life crisis that I may be experiencing and that it would fade away in a couple of weeks.

Nevertheless, the topic of owning a motorbike started cropping into our daily conversations and as the months passed the topic was more frequent and part of every conversation.

Zeroing in on the Motorbike

Though the market has a plentiful of offerings ranging from the Sports bikes to the Adventure bikes, from the Bobber style to retro classics, my mind was hooked on the retro touring bikes that are most suitable for long distance commute with a comfortable seating position, capable of maintaining high speeds with relaxed sounding engines and the ability for munching miles.

My highest priority was that the motorbike must have a simple well built air cooled engine, dual ABS, a pleasing exhaust note, must be smooth, easily serviceable, convenient to ride and handle in dense traffic.

My list, which started with over 10 bikes namely:
RE Bullet, RE Himalayan, RE Meteor, Bajaj Avenger, Bajaj Pulsar, Bajaj Dominar, Jawa 42, KTM 390, Honda Highness CB 350, Benelli etc. were all researched for, reviewed and test ridden.

By January 2021, there were only 2 bikes on my list, the RE Meteor 350 and the Honda Highness CB350 and I knew that one of these two would be part of my life. To check out my comfort levels with each of these 2 bikes further, I went ahead and rented these bikes a couple of times to test them over long rides and over a longer time span and in various city and highway conditions to make sure that the more worthy one of the two make it to being part of my life.

I went on a couple of weekend rides with each of these bikes and loved both of them. I wouldn't mind owning either of them as they were perfect in their own unique ways, however with the given financial situation and my desire to fulfill my rekindled passion, I had room for only one of them, else I would have loved making room for both of them in my life.

To zero in on one of these 2 perfect motorbikes, I thought to myself that inputs from my wifey dear will help with the final decision, so I took my wifey dear on a weekend ride with me, once on the CB 350 and the second time on the Meteor 350. She liked them both and felt that the pillion comfort on the CB 350 is slightly better than the comfort on the Meteor 350, tilting the scale in favour of the CB 350.

To detail out my decision for choosing the perfect motorbike, I created a comparison chart of these 2 motorbikes that took me a couple of months to chalk out and complete. The parameters considered as part of the decision making are as listed below:

Build quality - Winner CB 350
Ride quality - Winner Meteor 350
Engine Noise - Winner CB 350
Rider Comfort - Winner Meteor 350
Vibration level - Winner CB 350
Switch gear - Winner Meteor 350
Pillion comfort - Winner CB 350
Power availability - Winner Meteor 350
Ride Handling - Winner CB 350
Rideability - Winner Meteor 350
Seating posture - Winner CB 350
Meter Console - Winner Meteor 350
Lights & Electricals - Winner CB 350
Accessories - Winner Meteor 350
Engine Harshness - Winner CB 350
Mileage - Winner Meteor 350 (37kmpl)
Top Speed - Winner CB 350
After sales service - Winner Meteor 350
Weight Distribution - Winner CB 350
Resaleability - Winner Meteor 350
Exhaust note - Winner CB 350
Gear Shifting frequency - Winner Meteor 350
Offroading Capability - Winner CB 350
Highway Rides - Winner Meteor 350
Smoothness - Winner CB 350
Cost of maintenance - Winner Meteor 350

To sum it up, my heart shouted out the Highness CB 350 whilst my brain the Meteor 350. Both these bikes checked most of the boxes on my list and I also noted that the CB 350 was the perfect allrounder that my money could buy.

However, the head interfered with my heart and hilighted 3 things that rang a loud buzzer in my head that shouted out - Resale value, After sales service and Cost of maintenance as being much more important than a bike being butter like smooth, better finished and more comfortable for the pillion. Besides, I would like to do some touring on the bike and it's important that a service center be accessible easily incase of a breakdown. So the scale, though tilted towards the CB 350 was forcibly tilted towards the Meteor 350.

Booking my Motorbike

Finally after a mind game of over a month or two and feeling so confused if it should be the CB 350 or the Meteor 350, it was the Meteor 350. It was interesting to note that the CB 350 has no waiting time and the dealership promises delivery within 5 days of making full payment and there's a waiting period of 90 days to 150 days in case of the Meteor 350.

Another point to note was that the Meteor 350 has higher sales volumes and longer waiting periods that clearly signified that the Meteor 350 is a more successful motorbike from a market standpoint. The Meteor 350 has also received the best motorcycle of the year 2021 award. I felt it's wise to wait through the booking period and buy the bike with more marketability than giving into the excitement of getting the motorbike in a span of 5 days.

After much push and pull between my head and heart I went ahead with the booking on 13th June 2021 for the Meteor 350. I chose the base variant called the fireball and chose the customised black color. The difference between each of the variants of the Meteor 350 are only cosmetic and in the colors that they are offered in. The base variant would help me fit it with the accessories that I tastefully choose rather than going ahead with the ones offered as standard on the top variant by RE. As my booking was for a customised color the booking amount was non refundable.

The booking said, delivery in 90 days, however the 90 days went by a long time ago. My wait was patient and not one of anxiety, until I started to lose my patience and called Royal Enfield Customer Care on 2nd Nov 2021 and asked about the status of my booking. I was requested to contact the dealership immediately as the status updated by them was 'In transit'.

Delivery and Dealership Experience

After receiving the status update from RE Customer Care, I headed out to the Dealership immediately and checked the status with them. They confirmed that the procedure would take about a week or two from the 'In Transit' to ' Ready for Delivery' status, so my wait had to continue.

To my surprise, the following morning I received an email from RE stating that my motorbike has arrived and is parked at the dealership for delivery. I again visited the dealership with the email and they acknowledged that the bike is at their stockyard. They requested that I complete formalities for documentation and finance to take it forward.

After completing all the formalities related to the finance and preliminary documentation, the dealership requested a 3 days window time frame for registration and delivery, however as I was particular that I take the delivery on 10th November it was arranged for, by the dealership with a letter of consent confirming that I am taking the delivery without registration at my own risk.

On the 10th of November I was excited and visited the dealership at 11am to take the delivery of my Meteor 350. Did a complete PDI as per the checklist and to my satisfaction. I hilighted a few issues during the PDI which were made note of and I was assured a resolution during the first service. The other formalities lasted about 25 minutes and I was assured registration within the next couple of days and handed over a RE helmet and the keys. I thanked the staff, started the motorbike and rode away.



First Ride Experience

After having ridden a few hundred meters away, I noticed something strange with the motorbike, the whole bike shook violently on pressing the front brake. I checked the odometer and it read 0.7 kms. I looked at the front disc and tried to inspect the brake pads. It all looked visually fine. I thought it may be nothing and continued the ride. It felt horrendous on pressing the front brakes. I decided to go back to the dealership and inform them about the issue and request them to fix it.

Issue Identification and Resolution

My excitement was short-lived and the dealership advised that I take the bike to the service center immediately to identify the cause of the issue and to have it fixed.

At the service center I handed in the bike and hoped that it would be something minor and I would get going in 15 to 20 minutes.

I was sitting there clueless for more than an hour and I started getting very anxious. I reached out to the service advisor and the person in-charge. I was told that they are looking into it and will update me quickly. Another 20 minutes and I walked into the workshop and noticed that pictures were being taken of my bike and the workshop in-charge was having a serious discussion about the issue with the bike. My heart sank.

Seeing me in distress the workshop in-charge requested me to wait right there, with my bike, while they resolve the issue to my utmost satisfaction.

The issue was that the ABS sensor plate was damaged in transportation. The workshop in-charge arranged for the spare and had it replaced in the next one hour.





I was asked to test ride it and felt happy as the issue had been fixed. The workshop in-charge apologized for the delay and said it's the first time they've seen a transport damage of this nature. I put this experience behind me as the issue was resolved and the excitement overruled the short lived sadness.

Seeking Blessings of the Almighty and Thanksgiving

Once I reached home, my mom, my wifey dear and my daughter performed the pooja and prayed for the blessings of the Almighty.



Soon after the pooja my mother started the bike and everyone had a wide grin on their faces.

I took each one of them for a ride and every one was happy.

Follow up with the Dealership for completion of the vehicle Registration

After 3 days, I visited the dealership to check on the status of the completion of the Registration, as I am unable to take the bike any where without the registration number. Also, I am aware of the fact that the motor vehicles act prohibits the use of any vehicle on the roads with a temporary registration number written on a piece of paper and stuck on a vehicle.

The dealership informed me that the Registration cannot be completed for atleast another month as the RTO's in Bangalore are going through digitization. I was shocked and requested that they help me with any alternative to which they offered me 2 options. One option is to get a temporary registration for a month and the second option is to get the registration formalities completed at a different RTO.

After a quick thought, I requested the dealership to go ahead and register the bike at a different RTO. They again made me complete some documentation and said that it will be done within the next 3 days.

After the completion of 3 more days, I again visited the dealership and they had more excuses to share for the Registration being held up. They had misplaced my self attested documents and requested me to resubmit it . Feeling helpless, controlling all my anger and frustration on the attitude of the staff/dealership, I patiently fulfilled their request of resubmitting the documents again.

They assured me that they will complete the registration formalities the following day. The next day, I visited the dealership again and I was told that they were facing some payment issues at the RTO and will update me once it's done. As I hadn't received any update the next day too, I again visited the dealership and they said that the registration is further delayed due to some server issues at the RTO. They also said as it's 9 days past since the invoice had been raised of my bike, I will need to take the bike to the RTO for physical inspection, as per the registration procedure.

On 20th November 2021, I took the bike to the RTO for physical inspection for the completion of the registration formalities. I was advised that after 3 working days I will receive the road tax payment receipt and the registration number. Awaiting the same, for now.

Instrument Cluster

The Meteor 350 comes with a semi analogue meter console consisting of 2 parts.



The first part is the meter console that displays the speed, odometer, fuel guage, time, gear position, fuel indicator, battery indicator, high beam indicator, turn signal indicator, engine malfunction indicator and the Neutral indicator. The meter console can be controlled by an 'i' switch provided on the left hand side of the handle bar to switch the trip meter and set the time.



The second part is the tripper navigation console which facilitates the connection of your smart phone for navigation purposes. It's the first in this segment and comes with the amazing feature of providing directions as well as distance, speed and time analytics of your trip. The navigation meter lights up in daylight mode and night mode depending on the time of the day. The time on the navigation meter synchs with that of the connected smartphone automatically. The RE app is essential for setting up the connectivity between the phone and the navigation meter and may be downloaded from the Play Store.



User interface and Control Switches

The Meteor 350 has rotor switches that enhance the functionality and ease of usability of the switches and controls.

The Left hand controls include the headlight dim/dip and pass switches with the indicator switches just below that and then the horn switch under it.



There is a USB charging port right under the clutch lever and the Left Hand control has an 'I' button to control the trip meter and for setting the time on the meter console.



The Right hand controls include an engine cutoff switch, On switch and the electric start. It has the hazard switch right below this.



Ride Experience

Having ridden my Meteor 350 for over 10 days now, it brightens me and brings a smile to my face each time I ride it. The placement of the feet are forward pegged which may require a few weeks to get used to. The low seat with forward pegged seating make it difficult for the rider to stand over rough roads making it most suitable for highway cruising over long distances.

Between 50 - 80kms/hr is its sweetest spot and this bike feels best in this speed range. The availability of power at lower gears is excellent and you can cruise from 20kms/hr to 80 kms/hr in 3rd gear, thereby making it a much more relaxed bike to ride on without the need of having to frequently change the gears making it a comfortable bike to ride in dense traffic too.

The bike feels comfortable and relaxed. It is not vibration free, you can feel the vibrations from idling to its top Speed with the vibrations being minimal between 40-90kms/hr. The only drawback is that this bike feels heavy in dense traffic.

Given the continuous rains over the past 3 weeks in Bangalore, I decided to ride the motorbike in the rains. During the heavy down pours, the bike felt confident to ride on the wet roads. It did very well in terms of handling, however I noticed that due to the forward pegged seating position, the rain water from the roads is exactly directed to the feet (shoes) from the front wheel, thereby the shoes get absolutely soaked. Need to look at changing the design of the front mud flap to avoid this discomfort.

The rear wheel fender and the low slung design of the number plate ensures minimum water spray at the rear of the vehicle.

What I like about the Meteor 350

* Riding posture
* Broad wide rear tyres
* Styling
* Ability to cruise at high speeds (90-100 kms/hr) for longer durations
* Navigation trip meter
* Console lighting
* Riders seat
* Availability of vast accessories
* Vast Service network
* Rear tail light set up
* Low seating
* Acceleration
* User interface switches
* Relaxed highway cruiser
* Does not require frequent gear changes
* Simplistic air cooled engine
* Easily customisable
* Global product
* Solid feel of the side stand
* Smooth gear Shifting
* Exhaust sound

What I dislike about the Meteor 350

* Shaky mirrors
* Vibrations
* Halogen headlight
* Electrical wiring and loose wire conduits
* Exposed master cylinder
* Plastic built petrol cap key-lid
* The need to dismantle the seats and petrol tank to access the engine for general servicing
* Engine/Exhaust heat
* Dealership experience
* Feels heavy
* No presence of exhaust pipe guard near the foot
* Fiber front mud guard & side panels
* Small sized pillion seat
* Overall fit and finish
* Restricted ability to off-road
* Inability to move in the seat during long rides due to the cruiser styled forward foot pegged seating

Customisation and Accessories

Having overcome the not so pleasant experience at the dealership I decided to proceed with customising and fitting accessories on my motorbike that would make it unique in a way that best suits my taste and my liking. So the first thing I did is removed the saree guard.



The next thing on my list was to fit a seat cover. I looked up many options and felt that the seat cover offered by RE was far better than the ones available in the market. So, got the seat cover fitted.



Thereafter I visited a local accessories outlet and purchased a seat back rest with carrier. The seat back rest offered by RE restricts the space availability of the pillion seat and doesn't come with a carrier.



Over the coming weeks I shall add a few more essential accessories that will include the sump guard, leg guard, wind screen etc. and share the details of the ownership with the associated costs of maintenance.

I shall also share many more details about the bike as I discover it over the coming few weeks and it's riding characteristics in detail.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[Bigzero]

Lovely write-up! Happy owner of a Silver Supernova that is just touching around 2000km. My son already had a longish Pune-Nashik-Pune already done on this, which helped get it settled down very nicely as far as the engine is concerned.

Excellent bike if one is looking for a relaxed cruiser. You will miss a bit of extra zip on open highways at 90+ kph, but I think its ok, since the bike is not about that.

Lovely smooth ride at around 90-100 kph , and you are right, you can cruise for long distances on this bike.

We bought the bike with touring seats, which I guess was a bit of a mistake. I have a feeling that the regular seats are a bit better for longer rides. We have now fixed an air seat, but haven't taken it out for longer drives after that.

One issue that we face is some low frequency groan from the rear discs. This happens usually only during the first 15 min of run, after which it goes away ( I guess after the brake pad warms up? ). We checked it with the service centre a couple of times, but it hasn't gone away fully.

We had taken delivery of the bike without the front glass ( they gave it us separately as it was standard for the model ), but we now plan to fix it before our next long drive just to understand what difference it makes.

Overall this is one for keeps. Easy bike for youngsters to pick up their riding skills ( I have this firm belief that RE bikes, because of its weight and relaxed nature, gently pushes the driver to stick to safer riding habits , especially when it comes to unnecessary lane cuts, swerving through traffic etc . ).

I have used the earlier gen REs a lot when I was in my twenties ( that is a while back ) , and am amazed by how far RE has evolved with their bikes. Much better put together, less vibrations ( though some may miss the older engine which I guess is still available in the Bullet ), and a lovely variety of models available to appeal to all types of customers.

My son and I had debated quite a bit between the new Classic and Meteor, and we settled for the Meteor after many test rides. its hard to explain why, but we connected a bit better with the Meteor. On second thoughts, the relaxed riding position definitely had its bit of influence!

Some additional notes ( no specific pluses or minuses, but just some pointers that's all )

- the novelty factor of the tripper wears away quite soon. It is still quite useful, but we find us using the mobile mounted on the handlebar more. One challenge with the tripper ( that we found ) was that the RE app was a drain on the mobile battery.

- the Fuel gauge is quite unpredictable. It gives a pessimistic outlook, so I would say one would still get around 100km or so once it touches the last bar.

- I miss the kicker!!

- My wife and I take it for a spin on most days , for some stupid reason or the other , much to my sons amusement.

- I had not used a two wheeler regularly after 2008 or so - This is a new lease of life for me as a rider, and I am enjoying it! with my not so great back I won't venture out into long rides, but I guess this is a nice toy to have!

- We also had Honda 350 lined up, but Meteor somehow connected with us better. Bike purchases are mostly done with the heart I guess!

I will add more in later, just thought I will ramble in with some thoughts.

Great buy, and have a great time with her!

[rahulcmoulee]

First of all congrats on the beautiful bike!
This was a great read for a Meteor owner in waiting. I was in the same boat as you and was choosing between Meteor, CB350 and the new Classic. Ended up going for the Meteor and now have to wait (impatiently) till Jan 22 at least.
Wishing you many happy miles to come on your bike.

[silverstreakcbe]

Completed my 3rd Free Service. No issues or niggles till except for the Fuel Level indicator that was addressed earlier in 1st service. The vehicle ticks all the boxes for me except for touring seats which i am still getting used to. Overall, happy with the bike.

[Palio_2005]

Congrats on the delivery of the new bike. Sorry to note the problem you faced and glad that it was addressed effectively. Wish you many kms on the Meteor.

I am waiting for the delivery of my Green fireball model. I just added the front crash guard and the back rest, but considering your feedback, maybe I should have got it fixed outside. Will purchase the mobile holder as it will be definitely more convenient. There is a rynox rain cover available for the mobile which I intend to purchase.

[yikes6633]

As I continue riding the Meteor 350, through various road and traffic conditions, I am getting to know more of it. Here are some more interesting things about this motorbike that would give a more detailed insight into the experience of owning one. Some of these facts may be favorable and some not so much.

Headlight

The motorbike though being a modern retro classic in style could have come with LED headlights, however RE chose to stick with the age old halogens.



The headlight comes with a DRL which isn't as bright. It's only a namesake feature offered and RE needs to work on this. Once the motorbike is fired up the AHO comes on and the presence of the DRL is just negligible.



Rear view mirrors

The motorbike has well blended rear view mirrors that serve the purpose, however RE could have provided better build and better quality rear view mirrors. The present set up of the mirrors vibrate so much that it impairs it's functionality.



Handle bar

The handle bar is wide and needs a stretch to turn at low speeds or while taking a U turn. I also, noticed that while riding on a straight road the arms are stretched out due to the seating posture with forward set foot pegs. Handle raisers would definitely help increase the comfort levels and the feeling at the handle bars.



Clutch and Brake levers

The clutch and brake levers feel well built. One has to stretch the fingers a bit to effectively use them. In heavy traffic conditions the frequent use of the clutch lever definitely would cause some discomfort in the fingers. RE could have provided a slipper clutch set up to enhance the comfort levels and the ease of riding as well.





Disc Brakes

The Meteor 350 comes with one of the largest disc brakes offered in this segment. The brakes feel good and enhance the confidence of the rider. The set up used by RE is that of Bybre which are one of the best available disc brakes available industry wide.



There is definitely a vague kind of sound heard when engaging the brakes. I have tested this on a few other motorbikes as well and is nothing unique to the Meteor.



Front Mudgaurd/Fender

The Meteor comes with a not so well built fiber front mudguard which feels flimsy and I feel it will get damaged if used off-road or may not be able to withstand the high pressure of water on water logged roads during and after the rains.



The other thing I did not like at all is that the water from the front wheels is directed straight on to the feet after the drains and it would drench your shoes on any wet roads. RE needs to work on a better design of the front mudguard and better it's build quality.

Wiring, Cables and Electrical Conduits

The Meteor's fit and finish, when it comes to the management of the cables, wires and conduits is not the best. You will notice haphazardly wrapped wires, cables and conduits. Some of these would make you feel it's not worthy of its price and also may give you a feeling that they are out of place. Nevertheless, they do their job well.





Fuel tank

The fuel tank is tear drop shaped and looks smart from the side. When seated it feels wide and large for the it's capacity of 15 litres which includes 5 litres of reserve.





Seating posture & Seat height

The Meteor 350 is a cruiser styled motorbike and the seating posture is upright with the feet stretched forward. This is definitely a comfortable position to be seated on the highway and over long rides. The discomfort arises out of the fact that our indian roads are filled with pot holes and speed breakers that make one feel uncomfortable as the potholes can be felt directly on the lower back. The forward set foot pegs also limit the movement of our lower backs on the seat as well as limits our ability to stand up on the foot pegs on rough roads.



The foot pegs are of good quality and do their jobs well. They are comfortably placed for the pillion rider as well. RE does offer deluxe foot pegs at additional costs, however for now I am happy with these.





The seat height would suit most short riders having a height of just 5'1'' as well as tall riders, so it definitely is a one size fits all. Through some standar low ride customisations offered by RE the seat height can be lowered further based on personal choice and requirement.

Silencer, Rear brake pedal & Gear lever

The Meteor 350 has a fairly long and wide silencer which is designed such that it is in close proximity to the legs of the rider and in very close proximity to the rear brake pedal. If one is not careful then it can lead to burns. I strongly suggest that riders at all times atleast wear full pants and shoes while riding this bike.



Due to the forward set pegs as in any other cruiser the rear brake pedal is very close to the silencer and the only thing that saves our foot from touching the silencer is a tiny toe guard fixed on the brake pedal. It would have been good if RE would have designed the silencer with a heat resistant guard upfront like they have done for the pillion rider.





The gear shift lever is well designed with a heel and toe shifter. It feels comfortable and well designed.



Tail light & Rear mudguard

The tail light of the Meteor 350 enhances its overall retro look. It lights up with a similar design of the headlight DRL. The tail light gives it a premium look and looks wonderful on this motorbike.



The rear mudguard is made of metal. It's wide stance gives it a big bike look. It is well built and prevents water spray that flies out due to the rotating wheels on wet roads.



Wheels & Ground clearance

The Meteor 350 comes with large 19 inch wheels at the front that soaks up the potholes and uneven roads very well. They offer a confident grip and comfortable ride.





The rear wheel is an 18 inch wide tyre that enhances its premium look. It perfectly suits the styling of this motorbike and offers good grip.





The tyres clearly showcase that this bike is designed to much miles on highways rather than for high grip or off-road purposes.

The Meteor being a low slung bike with cruiser styling offers a good ground clearance of 170mm. I rode the motorbike through potholes and many speed breakers with no complaints so far.



More on the riding experience and features noticed

The Meteor 350 inspires confidence as you keep riding it. It feels quite easy to manouver and handle. Other than the few cosmetic shortcomings this bike is one of the best built RE motorcycles though there is room for improvement.

A feature I noticed of the navigation trip meter is that it has 2 modes of lighting up. One is the daylight mode from 7am to 7pm and another the night light mode from 7pm to 7am.

In the past few days I have ridden this motorbike through congested Bangalore roads and in very heavy traffic, it feels comfortable, well balanced and very easy to control, except for the strain being caused to the fingers for continuously using the clutch.

There is absolutely no space on either side of the side panels to store any documents or additional tools.

This motorbike is definitely nice if one can overlook some of its shortcomings.

If any of you are considering to purchase the Meteor 350 then be rest assured that you will never regret it if you accept it's shortcomings. However for those of you looking for a flawless smooth motorbike, please stay away.

[A_Abhiraam]

Congratulations on buying the meteor.
It's an absolutely beautiful bike and like yourself, I had the cb350 on my mind too but the looks of the meteor made me fall for it. After 3 months of owning it and only 700 later, I'm still in awe of how beautiful a machine this is. My experience with the dealer was even worse and had to email the head CRM to sort things out as I had booked the bike in 'stellar red' even though it was not my first preference because they 'claimed' to have ready stock.
As I'm a student and couldn't take long rides during the covid times I haven't clocked much on the odo.
I am looking forward to longer rides because the ride is so comfortable and Royal Enfield has done quite a commendable job with the bike.

[PrideRed]

Congratulations on the Meteor, the bike just left me wow! I was on a vacation, and wanted to hire a bike as I was riding Bike after almost 10 years gap! Jawa always fascinated me and picked it up. The owner insisted me to pickup a Meteor for same price, which I rejected. Jawa was ok, had decent grunt but looked great especially when you like Retro bikes. Not that Meteor looked bad, but Jawa has a legacy. On returning Jawa, Owner insisted me to ride Meteor for some distance. It was brand new and had just about 600KM in ODO. Man oh man, this was super refined, comfortable, handled well and felt like anything but RE350 of the past. I don't plan to go back riding bike anytime, but if I do and need something for city commute, Meteor is no brainer!

[amay1283]

Congratulations on the Meteor. Really good review of the bike. I own a 2014 Thunderbird 350 and have enjoyed every moment of ownership. Though I must say your post and pics are making me think of exchanging my TB for a Meteor

Wish you many happy miles cruising!

[yikes6633]

It's been a wonderful experience riding around on the Meteor 350 over the past few days. The motorbike doesn't fail to bring a smile on my heart each time I accelerate from 20kms/hr to 60kms/hr. It feels awesome!

RE recommends that we do not exceed 70kms/hr during the running in period and I am doing exactly that with quick gear changes to ensure I keep the RPM low.

As I am getting to know the motorbike more with each passing day, here are a few features I found to be very helpful to each of the Meteor 350 owners. I am mentioning them below, just incase you didn't know about them.

Headlight Adjustment

On one of my evening rides I noticed that the high beam on the Meteor wasn't focussed and was directed up on the trees. I thought that it would be a complex process of having to loosen the bolts of the headlight dome to adjust the focus of the beam.

On exploring in and around the headlight dome, I noticed a screw with a spring. I gently applied pressure on the headlight dome and noticed that the spring on this screw got compressed, this clearly signified that the focus may be easily adjusted by turning this screw to adjust the focus of the beam in a manner that best suits each rider.





This screw is below the headlight dome and can be reached easily with a small star screw driver. You will need to turn this screw clockwise to raise the focus and anticlockwise to lower the focus.

Eco Mode Indicator

While riding at optimal speeds in that perfect gear and with gentle acceleration, the Eco Mode gets activated and lightens up on the digital meter.



This is an interesting feature on the Meteor as I noticed that it increases the mileage and also promotes good riding habits.

Side Stand Engine Cut Off

When any of the gears are engaged other than when it is in Neutral/0 Gear and the side stand is lowered, the engine goes off.



It was interesting to note that if we try to start the bike in Neutral with the side stand lowered, it fires up, however on engaging any gear it goes off. Also, the bike does not start if we try starting it, when any gear is engaged and the side stand is in the lowered position.

Engine Kill Sensor on Tilting the Motorbike Down

God forbid if the bike were to fall down the engine would shut down. Thanks to the roll over sensors that this motorbike is equipped with that enhances the safety by cutting out the engine incase of a fall.

Owning the Meteor 350 makes me feel good, as my connect with this motorbike keeps increasing with each passing day. Will continue sharing my journey with the Meteor 350 with you

[SafeDrive0107]

Loved your write up and also how you have been adding to it as you find out additional features and experiences.

Have you completed the registration process? I am hearing from a few others as well that registration is getting delayed? Which dealer in Bangalore did you pick it up from?

[2500cc]

Congrats on the new ride! The meteor in black looks dashing.

I too got my new classic last month in stealth black color. This iteration of the REs are more matured and well put together compared to the older gens.

Could you please let me know where you picked up the carrier ? It looks very practical and classy. I'd like to get one for my ride.

[yikes6633]

Originally Posted by SafeDrive0107

Have you completed the registration process? I am hearing from a few others as well that registration is getting delayed? Which dealer in Bangalore did you pick it up from?

The registration process is work in progress, I'm hopeful that it will be completed by this weekend. The registration in a few RTO's within Bangalore are on hold due to system upgrades and changing the present manual process to a completely digital one enabled by eCommerce.

From what I understand, the dealers will no longer have to go about visiting the RTO's for registration of new vehicles. They will be required to upload the invoice, insurance and other forms online with the Chasis number. The registration fees and road tax will need to be paid through net banking instead of the present DD system. Once the payment is accepted the registration number for your vehicle will be system generated immediately.

As the registration process is on hold, the RTO's have recommended taking temporary registration by paying 400/- having a validity of 30 days.

The other work around is to get the bike registration done at any of the RTO's within Bangalore still accepting the DD and following the manual process. (I've opted for this).

Due to the confusion and minimal clarity that the dealer's had since 1st Nov 2021, in this regards, the registration of new vehicles has been delayed all over Bangalore.

At this point, due to the issues faced with the dealership, and with the delivery concerns thai I have been through, I would like to keep the name of this dealership confidential for now. I will however share the name of the dealer in a few weeks from now.

[yikes6633]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

Could you please let me know where you picked up the carrier ? It looks very practical and classy. I'd like to get one for my ride.

Please contact the following number on whatsapp or just do a voice call . They ship all over India. You may share the picture of my bike with the carrier so that they ship you the exact same one as they have a couple of designs.

Whatsapp/Phone: 7019623878

Also, if you live in Bangalore, then you will get this carrier at the first bike spares part shop on the left side on JC road (when you enter JC road from the Minerva circle signal light junction).

It costed me 2650/-