Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is the newest offering from the home-grown retro bike maker. Royal Enfield has offered the best they have in their pockets and we tell you Top 5 things in the RE Meteor 350 unseen before in any RE motorcycle.
All-new Chassis
Royal Enfield isn't a brand known to come out first with new technology every day. Royal Enfield has taken its own sweet time and come up with a new double-cradle frame with the Meteor 350. Other RE motorcycles like the Classic 350 come with a single cradle frame but the double-cradle on the Meteor 350 is better in every way. The new platform is lighter and also provides much better handling and stability. The double-cradle frame of the Meteor 350 is based on RE's J1D series platform.
All-new Engine
The engine of the Meteor 350, though seems the same, is completely new. The new J-series engine displaces 350cc and ditches the old pushrod valve setup for a new SOHC 2-valve one. The engine also gets the primary air-cooled gills along with a dedicated oil-cooling system around the cylinder-head to improve the cooling of the engine. Moreover, the bore of the engine is increased by 2mm and the stroke is reduced by 4.2mm. Riding the new Meteor 350 is a completely different experience and the added balancer shaft keeps the vibrations in check. Talking about the figures, this engine churns out 20.2hp and 27 Nm of torque.
All-new Features and Switchgear
How seldom do you hear a bike powered by Google? That too in a Royal Enfield motorcycle. The Meteor 350 comes with a dedicated display which is powered by Google. The display is used to offer turn by turn navigation and it connects with your mobile in a jiffy. Moreover, we also get another screen in the middle of the speedometer which displays stats like fuel, fuel consumption graph, trip meter, service indication and more. The switchgear on the Meteor 350 is all-new too and we really like the quirky rotary dial for the engine start/stop function.
Fresh Looks and Variants
The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is an all-new motorcycle and doesn't have any resemblance with any current model. That's the reason why Royal Enfield chose a new name for this and not the old Thunderbird moniker. However, the bike still has some uncanny resemblance with the Thunderbird series. The tank is slim and the body panels are sleek and we get a circular LED ring light inside the halogen-based headlight. Moreover, Royal Enfield offers the Meteor 350 in tree trim levels - Fireball, Stellar and Supernova.
It's Actually Affordable
With the launch of the 650 twins, Royal Enfield took a big leap in terms of pricing and the Meteor 350 goes by the same strategy. The Meteor 350 is much affordable than the Honda CB350 H'ness which is the main rival to the Meteor 350. With the starting price of Rs 1.79 lakh ex-showroom, the Meteor 350 makes a strong case for itself. The top trim of the Meteor 350 is priced at Rs 1.90 lakh, ex-showroom which is equal to the base trim of the Honda H'ness.
Out of all the top 5 things which are offered with the new Royal Enfield Meteor 350, which one is your favourite and why? Tell us in comments and also be a part of interesting automotive discussions by clicking here.
