Royal Enfield puts together its charming little Hunter 350 with the soul of a larger bike. Standard cruiser architecture gives it both a classic look and sporty handling. The air-cooled thumper brings it all together with 20 ponies that are rearing to go.

2023 Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Performance and Capability

Royal Enfield powers its Hunter 350 with an air- and oil-cooled thumper. It rocks a long-stroke layout with a 75 mm bore and 85.8 mm stroke for a total displacement of 349 cc. The engine is the same as in the Classic 350 and the Meteor. It's not too jazzy in the performance arena, but it's a sturdy bike.

The Hunter 350 produces 20.11 horsepower and 19.9 pound-feet of torque. Those power figures may seem on the low side, as it should be on such a machine, but it's only pushing 400 pounds wet plus rider(s), so that's plenty of power for a spirited ride. A single over-head cam times the two-valve head to keep things both light and simple in the top end.

Power flows through a standard wet clutch and five-speed transmission with a chain-type final drive. The overall drive ratio turns in a Royal Enfield Hunter 350 top speed of 114km/h (70 mph). At the end of the day, this is a modern engine complete with electronic fuel injection and an ECU-controlled ignition system.

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Design

One thing Royal Enfield does very well on the Hunter 350 is to capture the classic design elements established way back in the '60s and '70s. This is the classic standard build, and it also falls under the UJM umbrella as well, which just adds to its old-school chops.

A high-side front fender leads the way nestled between blackout suspension, tripletree, and fork gaiters. The darkness extends to the cyclops headlight housing, handlebar risers, mirrors, and the bar itself to cover the entire front end. I'm digging it.

A pair of asymmetrical round gauges contain the instrumentation and the switchgear keeps things to a minimum. The classic teardrop fuel tank carries a respectable 3.4 gallons (13 liters) and tapers toward the rear to give shorter riders a break and unlock some body English elements if you're into that sort of thing.

A bench-style seat props up both pilot and pillion with a soft vertical offset to segregate the two levels. Main frame-mount fold-up footpegs and a tubular rearward J.C. handle complete the passenger's amenities. The taillight and blinkers ride nestled above the mudguard that finishes the gear in the rear.

Chassis

Tubular-steel members on the Hunter 350 make up the double-downtube/double-cradle frame. It completely cups and supports the mill rather than using it as a stressed member to replace some of the forward framing structure.

The 25-degree rake angle is fairly sharp. It lends a great amount of agility to this machine, especially when paired with 17-inch wheels fore and aft.

Not to miss a chance to channel the past, the factory went with laced wheels on the Retro models for their classic charm. Cast aluminum wheels on the Metro models are lighter but trade charm for practicality in that sense.

At 400 pounds soaking wet the single, 300 mm front brake disc is sufficient to haul things down, same with the 270 rear discs. It comes with dual-channel ABS protection to let you safely get the most out of the anchors.

The 41 mm front forks turn in 130 mm (5.1 in) of suspension travel, while the paired coil-over shocks out back allow for a 90 mm stroke, all of which is sufficient for the roughest urban jungle. Variable spring preload out back makes up the only adjustments in the stems. The tire size is 110/70 ahead of 140/70. They're not big or fat, but they allow for generous contact patches at this displacement.

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2023 Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Price and Availability

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 costs Rs.1.50 - 1.66 Lakh (~$2,100). This is the ex-showroom price in Delhi, and is subject to vary according to the area. If you're looking for a Hunter 350 for sale, they're in showrooms now.

The Hunter 350 comes in a choice between “Metro” and “Retro” variants. The “Metro” colorways feature dual-color liveries, cast aluminum wheels, split-rear grab rails, and rounded rear lights. The “Retro” models feature single-color paint choices, spoke wheels, tubular rear grab rails, and stylized lighting.

Competitors

It would be an exercise in understatement to say that RE has ample competition in the 350 cc-ish range. I had to narrow it down, so I went with the CB350RS from Asian giant Honda.

Honda CB350RS

The Red Riders rely on their own experience when designing this retro-tastic machine, so it rolls with an aged authenticity that is impossible to fake. They share many of the same design points, from the blackout treatment and bellow fork gaiters, to the bench seat and one-lunger powerplant.

Honda powers its entry with a 348.3 cc plant that produces 15.5 kW (20.7 horsepower) and 30 Nm of torque (22.1 pound-feet) against 20.1/19.9 for a difference that will make little difference in practice. It's pretty much a wash and nothing detectable on the heinie dyno.

The CB350RS starts at Rs.203179. It will set you back some extra change if you decide to go with the import versus the domestic model.

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He Said

“Bless their little hearts, Royal Enfield has been busy with all these new projects, and it's easy to see why they're so popular at home. It bears mentioning that at 350 cc, this bike has a larger heart than most of traffic around it to make this {almost} a “big bike” by Indian standards.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “It's not a big bike, it's not a fast bike, but it is a timeless style. Compared to Royal Enfield's Classic 350 cc, the Hunter has the better power-to-weight ratio so you can expect a livelier ride. The new 17-inch rims combined with the low center of gravity and more aggressive chassis geometry result in better handling that Royal Enfield never had available in its lineup before.”