About a year ago, Royal Enfield thrilled us with their (then) new Meteor 350. With a newly-developed 350cc engine, the platform spawned into the rebirth of the Classic 350, and now, the 2022 Royal Enfield Hunter 350.
Hunter 350
As the motorcycling world shifts from the elaborate and complex to a functional and simplistic one that’s high on design ingenuity and self-expression, Royal Enfield tasked itself with building a big city motorcycle that fits perfectly into the planet’s coolest neighborhoods – a motorcycle that’s refreshingly new but exudes old school cool and retains that essential Royal Enfield DNA. While it took time to distill, the Hunter 350 is that perfect blend: an incredibly joyful, muscular motorcycle that exudes retro-metro style, that packs in all the intense flavors of pure motorcycling and serves them up in a stylish, city-friendly shot of exhilaration.
The Hunter 350 is distinctly unique within the Royal Enfield line-up. Built on the award-winning 350cc J-series platform, combined with a highly flick-able Harris Performance chassis, the Hunter delivers agility without fragility on city streets and sheer, grin-inducing pleasure on the open road.
Commenting on the launch of the Hunter 350, Royal Enfield CEO, B Govindarajan, said, “The Hunter 350 is an outcome of several years of insight gathering and consumer studies from across the world. It is a motorcycle that feels right at home in big metropolises and is exciting for the experienced rider and is easy and accessible for a new rider. Its shorter wheelbase, more compact geometry, and lighter weight make it very nimble and maneuverable within the urban context. We are very confident that this newly reimagined roadster will usher in a whole new set of global consumers into our world of pure motorcycling”
It comes in two distinct editions - Retro Hunter and Metro Hunter - both finished with on-trend, blacked-out engines and components. The Retro Hunter runs on 17” spoked wheels and has a 300mm front disc brake combined with a 6” rear drum brake, Showa front and rear suspension, single-channel ABS, an uncluttered retro-styled digital-analog instrument cluster that displays just the right amount of essential information and a choice of two classical, single-color tanks.
The Metro Hunter has a more contemporary look with dual-color liveries, cast alloy wheels, wide tubeless tires, and rounded rear lights. There are five colorways across two editions on the Metro Hunter. A selection of three chic tank color and graphics options on one edition, and the top of the range edition, finished with a choice of three of the most distinctive and disruptive gasoline tank designs ever to adorn a Royal Enfield.
Both Metro editions are equipped with alloy wheels and wider 110/70 x 17” front and 140/70 x 17” rear tubeless tires for superior handling and muscular good looks, 300mm front and 270mm rear disc brakes, dual channel ABS, Endurance front and rear suspension and a handy center stand. An LED tail lamp and premium digital-analog instrument cluster that displays an odometer, trip meter, gear indicator, fuel graph bar with low fuel warning, clock, and a service reminder complete this stylish package. All Hunter editions feature uncluttered handlebar controls, their rotary power and lighting switches giving a gentle nod to the past, and are fitted with a USB charging port.
Local Availability
Jimmy Barinaga, CEO of Hardcore Brothers Custom Motorcycles, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Royal Enfield Motorcycles in the country, has said that while there is no specific date for the arrival of the Hunter 350, he assured us that it will be “soon” and that the pricing will be affordable to Royal Enfield enthusiasts.
