Why I bought a RE Meteor 350: Likes, dislikes & experience after 1700km

Fuel efficiency figures are great, I'm getting between 25-27 km/l in the city and up to 45 km/l on highways.

BHPian Ankit998 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Let me start with how I began my riding journey.

The beginning: 2021

I had only just learned how to ride a bike and was looking to purchase "something nice". Considering rising fuel prices, our family made the switch to the Nexon EV last year but that still didn't solve the problem of convenience or battling the peak of Mumbai traffic and I just wasn't willing to drive around as it can get very frustrating! So when the search for a bike started, I kept my options open. My initial budget was set at under 2 Lakhs OTR, Mumbai.

Revolt Electric

Thanks to a close friend, I had the chance to test-ride a Revolt RV400. I won't lie, I had high expectations from this bike and according to the spec sheet, it delivers! Torque is instant and greatly enjoyable. The braking was average at best but the highlight was definitely how silent and enjoyable the ride was. The only issues were the slew of issues reported by owners during the rains and the greatly limited top speed.

Having an electric bike with electrical issues made me very nervous and I ditched the idea of buying it.

Pros:

• Looks good!
• Rides really well.
• Low and medium speed performance is brilliant

Cons:

• Limited performance
• Niggles and quality issues
• Reliability unknown.

Cut to mid-2021: Life went on and responsibilities increased, the plan of purchasing a bike was on hold as I had other expenses and priorities.

December 2021: Another close friend of mine picked up a brand new Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220. After a quick test ride, I realised that I wouldn't mind an ICE Bike as long as it does its job well. The Avenger is a supremely comfortable bike and it's after this ride that I contemplated getting a low-riding bike or cruiser.

I shortlisted the Avenger as a potential purchase. Excellent comfort, good engine, light clutch but the braking and transmission were somewhat of a compromise. I had a scary experience on a highway when the bike gear fell from 5th to 4th, not once but twice! My friend was quick to correct me that the Avenger requires heavy, forceful gear changes.

Pros:

1. Comfortable and very easy to handle despite the weight.
2. Bling! The cruise 220 looks classy but then the street version also looks handsome!
3. Tractable engine and performance. The Avenger is a quick cruiser. It's what you want it to be. I can rumble and it can scream, expressway performance is good!
4. Servicing will be easy.
5. Price - At the time of consideration, I could get the Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220 within 1.6L OTR Mumbai.

Cons:

1. Poor quality fitments.
2. Transmission issues on a relatively new bike were not confidence-inspiring.
3. Rattles and creaks

The search continued...

January 2022

With further rising fuel prices, I started considering more frugal options: The TVS Raider 125 being the front runner. However a test ride changed my mind and I absolutely didn't like the seating position, having been more instantly acclimatized to the "cruiser" stance.

April 2022

RE Meteor 350 Supernova Brown

My friends and I had a brief test ride of the Meteor 350. I absolutely loved the riding stance and seat comfort and was surprised by the levels of refinement on offer. Many of my friends who own previous gen Classic 350s and even the Thunderbird were mighty impressed with the Meteor's elegance. The tripper navigation seemed a little buggy and refused to work on our test ride unit but I immediately realised this feature to be a "gimmick" instead. While engine and transmission performance seemed good, the brakes were again, not very confidence-inspiring, requiring a strong pull on the front brakes and a generous push on the rear ones. The waiting period claimed was long - 90 days with no guarantee or written word for deliveries. Apparently, there have been many who booked their bike as early as November 2021 but have not yet received their bikes. Yikes! Regardless, I booked the bike in April and was hopeful I would get delivery as soon as possible.

Pros:

1. A well-built RE. Feels solid
2. Comfortable seat and seems ideal for covering long distances.
3. Relatively light clutch but nothing compared to the slip and assist on the CB350.
4. Adequate performance for city and highways
5. Looks great

Cons:

1. Price: The Meteor's price has steadily increased with time. The Meteor 350 Supernova version was priced at 2.7L OTR Mumbai which was over my budget.
2. Headlights: While the throw seems adequate, I don't like the fact that RE has chosen halogens at this price range.
3. Excessive waiting period made me consider the CB350.

Honda H'ness CB350

Another brilliant offering by Honda. I loved the classy yet retro styling, excellent engine and amazing exhaust note that puts most others to shame. Honda's selectable torque control is a good feature addition and I liked how beautifully the bike has been put together. The only issue I faced is the poor gearing. This is more a city bike than a cruiser and constant gearshifts are required if you want to make progress with the bike.

Pros

1. Looks great, especially the DLX top version and 1st-anniversary edition
2. Mid-range performance is good.
3. Acceptable fuel economy figures
4. Comfortable but not as much as the Meteor 350.
5. Honda's traction control system is probably not necessary but is a good safety feature. Possibly a help during Mumbai rains?
6. Refined and smooth. Sounds amazing at lower rpm.
7. Super light clutch, useful for longer journeys.
8. Price! At the time of consideration, I was getting the bike at just a little over 2.5L OTR for the top-end Anniversary edition. The bike had absolutely no waiting period except for the week or two for registration. So it was more affordable and would get delivered quicker, hence at one point I nearly ditched the Meteor 350.

Cons:

1. Not as easy to ride as the RE Meteor 350. The tall gearing and engine characteristics mean you need to stay in the right gear at the right time. Frequent downshifts are required.
2. Headlights: Despite being LED units, night-time performance is inadequate.
3. Seat comfort for pillion was not good compared to the meteor.
4. Honda accessories were perpetually out of stock with no estimated time of arrival.

The unexpected twist

Considering how tempted I was to go for the Honda, I called up the sales in charge for my Meteor 350 and explained that I'd like to cancel the booking since I liked an approved the CB350!

The entire process at RE was SLOW up to this point but an unexpected twist was soon to follow. The now super-eager sales team was able to procure a Meteor Supernova Blue and asked if I was okay with the colour and the fact that the tripper nav has now been deleted.

After some consideration, I agreed!

Blue looked stunning so I agreed and the staff promised delivery by the final week of May.

Delivery Day

Post disbursement of the loan, delivery was swift!

28th of May: I received delivery of my brilliant blue Meteor 350 Supernova with all the additional accessories:

1. Chrome Engine Guard changed from Matte black
2. Sump guard

It's been a wonderful experience!

[September 2022]

Have clocked 1700 km to date (a mix of highway and city use). I'm totally loving the experience. This bike is a head-turner. Fuel economy figures are great, I'm getting between 25-27kmpl in the city due to my relatively short commute, however, I have got up to 45kmpl on highways during a relatively short 400km round trip. I have used this bike enough to understand what I like and what I'm not a fan of. Summarised below:

What I love:

1. I'm amazed at how far RE has come with refinement levels. Seriously, blown away within the first 500kms but after the first service, things got even better.
2. Plenty of usable power and torque, clearing speed breakers in 2nd gear makes this a great choice for cities.
3. Fit and finish with respect to RE's past models is definitely in a different league.
4. Looks stunning! Yes, probably can't be compared to the new Classic 350, but the Meteor 350 offers something totally different, yet desirable.
5. Ride quality: This is a comfortable cruiser!

What could have been better:

1. City fuel economy: I get 25-27 km/l which is 'okay'. I honestly won't complain much but was expecting at least 30kmpl in the city.
2. Performance: Within the city, no complaints but flat-out performance on the highway is a little underwhelming for a 349cc bike. Nevertheless, this is a cruiser by RE and RE riders don't care much for flat-out performance cruisers.
3. Brakes: Both front and rear brakes need a generous pull to work well. The rear brake is quite 'standard' despite RE offering a large disc.
4. Front suspension: Bottoms out quite easily, especially when traversing through Mumbai's mighty potholes.

What I don't like:

1. Headlights: Apparently since RE has chosen a particular type of lamp, switching to a high beam, turns off the low beam. This means when using a high beam, you can't see what's directly in front of you! The only quick workaround is holding the pass switch and keeping both lamps illuminated. Weird. Maybe this is the norm with bikes or RE?
2. RE could've implemented better features with the dial chosen. It's tastefully integrated with the needles and warning lamps but could've provided a tachometer as well, something that the Royal Enfield Thunderbird did have.

Initially, had an issue with horrendous noise while using the rear brakes, however, this issue was resolved after the first service.

Refinement levels have only gotten better with time.

Side note: The level of dirt that accumulates near the fuel cap is unreal. A serious headache to clean.

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