Upgrading from a Honda Activa: Confused between RE Meteor & H'ness 350

I learnt to ride on my father's 1974 Yezdi, which was in use until the mid-2000s, after which we shifted to scooters.

BHPian asmr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear TeamBHPians!

I don't think I can thank you folks and the forum here enough for the support and guidance I received from here during the time I was shopping for my car in 2021. I ended up buying a Taigun, which has gotten my family saying "Well, why don't we just take the car instead?" on more than a couple of occasions. That by itself is a win for me! The car will complete 10,000 km on the odo next week for sure!

And now comes the need to upgrade my 2-wheeler.

I learned how to drive a motorbike when I was in the school itself, on my father's 1974 Yezdi, which he purchased second-hand in the late 70s. It was a wonderful machine, with a nice, ringing dual exhaust note. It was refurbished extensively once we moved to Chennai in the 90s and used even until about mid early 2000s. We had these big horns mounted on the leg guards and I still remember the startled faces all around when I use it. Still have those horns but not planning to use them, obviously.

After the Yezdi, the bike stable of our home has played host to a Scooty pep+ (my sister's), a 2009 Activa (mine) and then a 2014 Activa (my sister's). The former 2 have been disposed of and I drive the current Activa mostly on errands within a 10km radius.

My wife has been dropping hints about bikes, and bike rides for a decade now and I have somehow weaselled my way out by saying one thing or another. But in the past few months, riding in Chennai localities on a scooter has become painful due to horrible roads which has deteriorated the scooter also very much. Squeaks start in all places, hits from potholes jarring the body and so on.

The talk of getting a proper bike has started again and this time, I have put a condition that it needs to be a powerful one that can be used in the city and in longer trips (not more than 3 to 4hrs, or 200-250kms, at least for now).

And again, I turn to this forum for guidance. I have, as usual, read pages upon pages here and formed an initial point of view on what might best suit my needs. Based on the opinions here, I will decide on which ones to chase for test rides. So, recommendations on dealers in Chennai as well as any indication as to easier availability without long waiting times are also most welcome.

Summary:

• I am 6'1 and on the heavier side. So, obviously, I don't want something that makes me look like a giant riding a mouse
• The bike has to serve a dual purpose - a city rider and a highway rider. Needs to have a good level of comfort for the pillion as well.
• A combined weight of ~150kg over the weight of the bike. So looking for a decently powerful engine - 350cc is what zeroed in on.
• Obviously, needs to be safe (ABS and whatnot) & reliable.
• Budget - want to keep it under 2.5L as much as possible.
• Not too worried about mileage or performance.

Here are my impressions (may not be fully accurate):

• The new Yezdis/Javas - I have heard good things and bad things. But they are too new and I am not having the mind to risk pumping Rs. 2L to end up regretting later.
• RE Hunter - didn't like the looks. Stopped right there.
• RE Himalayan - I don't like the looks and frankly feel it is not a pillion-friendly vehicle.
• RE Classic 350/Twins/SM650- A combination of factors - not liking looks/over my budget/too much for my needs.
• RE Meteor 350 - I confess. I love the look of this bike. I have heard it on the road and sounds awesome. I even did a configuration on the RE site and kept it saved. But I also keep coming across posts that say that the front offset foot pedals are a pain when driving on bad roads or in the city. I will have to judge it better when I do a TD.
• Honda H'ness CB350 - Few of my colleagues have this and swear by the build, comfort and quality (bike & ride). If I can get some Meteor-like fitments to make pillion much more comfortable, this will be a serious contender. I like the slip clutch feature (will be very useful for someone driving geared bikes after a long time, right?), the exhaust note is a bit louder, and it is a looker in its own right.

The only issue being highlighted is the lack of service coverage but my friend brushes off those objections, saying I am not that much of a road runner to worry about breakdowns in the middle of nowhere. He has a point since he goes on these 500-1000 km trips frequently. And he strongly opines that I should just take the CB350 blindly.

So, that's about what I have considered. Here's the meteor configuration I built.

Clearly, there is a pattern here, with Meteor vs H'ness. I would appreciate some real-world inputs from users on the points related to long-term reliability and ease of hauling 2 people over short & long city/highway distances while being especially comfortable for a pillion too.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say on the matter:

I will agree with your experience friend; CB350 eyes closed. Period!

Here's what BHPian SoumenD had to say on the matter:

You are lucky. Only yesterday Honda launched accessory packs for CB350 and the Comfort pack is what you are basically looking for.

Here, check out all the accessory packs. Comfort pack @ 0:33

Here's what BHPian tc89 had to say on the matter:

Since you mention reliability, Honda CB350 will serve your turn very well, it also rides well and is not at all hard to maintain, there are some squiggly bits that check Google or speak to some owners.

Spares and accessories are available in plenty.

Look for a decently rated BigWing service around you and voila !!

PS: Do take a test ride of all your options, it will give you more feel for what you want and what not !!

Our opinions can perhaps only give a direction!

Good luck and Happy riding!

Here's what BHPian raptor_diwan had to say on the matter:

In my opinion, the absolute winner is the Royal Enfield Meteor.

To be honest, the availability of parts is so important. I have seen many cases where the Honda service centre does not have proper spare parts for their vehicle. All they ask is to wait for each and every part. Refer to one of the incidents in our own Team-BHP

I've come across a similar issue on another platform too with CB350.

This will be a big pain for you on long rides and unfortunate instances. Along with that, CB350 cannot give you the comfort on long rides as Royal Enfield gives you. Royal Enfield is much more of a cruiser along with proper gear ratios where you can actually enjoy the ride rather than focusing on gear and dancing Bharatanatyam on the gear pedal.

Service availability is something you should focus on, which people may overlook by just saying the product is good. However, if the product turns out to be a lemon, then the availability of parts and a strong service network become important. In this regard, Royal Enfield is good, as their products may have quality issues but it is not a big deal given the excellent product support you receive.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.