Test rode Super Meteor: Observations & few comparisons with Meteor 350

The engine is tuned differently than the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 & the exhaust sounds smooth, like that of the Triumph Speed Twin.

BHPian evil_grin recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I took a test ride of the Super Meteor today. I've been waiting for this bike for two years. The thing is, the Meteor is already such an awesome bike that it's hard to better it.

• The Super Meteor looks good. Has expensive Harley vibes. Is made with good quality material. Even the paint, a sore point on older Royal Enfields, is as good as European cars. Personally, I don't like any of the colour schemes except the single-tone black. The rest are too tacky.
• It's a heavy bike. Something that it doesn't let you forget when you're trying to manually move it. But it doesn't remind you of it on the move. It's not that difficult to turn.
• The tank doesn't slope upwards and gives you that big bike feeling when you're sitting on it like the Meteor does. But it is wide, which feels good. The handlebars are a little too high compared to the seat. So I had some aches in my shoulders after riding it for a while.
• The engine is differently tuned than the Interceptor. It's lazy at the low end but powerful at the top end. The higher weight reduces some of the performance but not by enough to be concerning. The vibrations are low enough to be premium but not high enough to feel like a cruiser. It loves to cruise at 80-90 but has enough grunt to take it to 120 easily without vibrating. The Meteor runs out of steam at 100.
• The exhaust sounds smooth. Like a Speed Twin. It's not a thumper. I'd rather have it sound like a cruiser. The note improves at higher speeds though. In this regard, the Intercepter sounds more like it means business.
• The ride quality is not as stiff as it's made out to be in the reviews. It'll take small potholes easily. It's only on the really broken roads that you'll feel that you should have gotten an adv.
• The seat is comfy. Slightly more than the Meteor. The pillion seat is too small but aids in making the bike look better.
• The ground clearance is barely acceptable for Indian roads. Only the obscene speed breakers will be needed to taken carefully.
• Compared to the Meteor, you'll have to compromise on suspension comfort, exhaust thump, ground clearance, tank range, relative ease of pushing around and the beautiful red and white and gray colours on the Meteor.
• What you'll gain is exclusivity, proper cruiser looks, better quality, higher top speed, better acceleration, more comfy seats, and one cylinder.

It's hard to fathom that after paying almost twice the price of a Meteor, you still have to contend with substantial disadvantages.

Overall, it's a good bike. But it doesn't tug my heartstrings the way the Meteor does.

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