Exclusive: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 First Look

Royal Enfield is set to officially launch the Hunter 350 on Sunday, and now we have detailed images of the motorcycle. The Hunter 350 is derived from Royal Enfield’s J-Series 350 cc platform with company CEO Siddhartha Lal saying that the model was under development since 2016 to tune the motorcycle’s chassis just right.

The Hunter 350 gets a roadster-inspired design with the chassis too having been modified over the rest of the 350cc range for improved agility

Lal said, “Hunter has been in development since 2016, but the development team has been really fine tuning the chassis to offer a completely different character and personality to the bike. The chassis guys have been tuning, re-tuning the bike to make it what it is. It’s agile, fun and hopefully, you will enjoy riding it as much as we enjoyed developing it.”

Off-set instrument pod and switchgear similar to that on the Meteor 350

Compared to the rest of Royal Enfield’s 350 cc range, the Hunter gets a modified twin downtube spine frame for improved agility, cornering and stability. The difference isn’t just down to the chassis but the nature of the motorcycle as well. The Hunter carries over many of the classic Royal Enfield design elements such as the rounded light clusters and twin rear shocks though the overall design is more roadster than cruiser as the rest of the 350 cc range. Royal Enfield however says that the suspension design for the Hunter 350 is unique to the model. The motorcycle gets a 41mm front fork offering 130mm of travel while at the rear it gets twin tube emulsion shock absorbers with 6-step pre-load adjustment and 102mm of wheel travel. The motorcycle sits on 17-inch wheels.

Also read: Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Revealed By MD Sid Lal Ahead Of Launch

Twin-shock rear set-up familiar to the rest of the 350cc range

The tear-drop-shaped fuel tank gets a flattened rear section to aid the rider in finding grip with his knees while the foot pegs are set further back to offer a sportier riding position. Another element visible is the off-set instrument pod on the handlebar with a tripper navigation pod available as an option. The upswept tail and exhaust add to the overall roadster look. The tail-lamp is an LED unit while the headlamp gets a halogen bulb. LED turn signals are available as an option.

Also Read: Upcoming Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Likely To Be Available in Three Variants

The engine is the familiar 349cc J Series unit from the new-generation 350 models

The bike will be available in dual and single-tone paint schemes and in two distinct variants – Retro and Metro. The Retro will pack in a more basic instrument panel along with wire-spoke wheels shod in 100/80 section front and 120/80 section rear tyres, a tubular rear grab handle, a rear drum brake set-up and single-channel ABS. The Metro meanwhile will get an instrument pod and switchgear similar to the Meteor 350, split rear grab handles, meatier 110/70 section front and 140/80 section rear tyres, dual-channel ABS and a rear disc brake.

Teardrop-shaped fuel tank will be finished in either single or dual tone shades

Coming to the engine, the Hunter 350 will use the familiar 349 cc J-Series mill from the new generation of 350 models. The engine puts out the same 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of torque as it does in the other 350 models, but will likely feel peppier in this shorter and lighter motorcycle. The engine will be mated to a 5-speed gearbox with the images revealing that it will only get a toe shifter. The Hunter is also expected to be lighter than Classic 350. 

Round light clusters a design shared with other Royal Enfield motorcycles.

The Hunter will be targeted at a new set of buyers, ones looking to upgrade from smaller capacity motorcycles or even those looking for a first motorcycle. The Hunter is also set to be the most affordable model in the Royal Enfield range sitting below the rest of the 350 cc range. The Hunter 350 will also be available with Royal Enfield's ‘Make It Yours’ factory personalisation programme.