A Royal Enfield 350 single is an age-old idea, one that formed the company's foundations in its dual histories, first with the Union Jack and later under the Tricolour. And while some bikes from Redditch did have sporty personalities, the subcontinental (good name for a 350 café racer?) ones were as athletic as aging statesmen. That being said, by now there have been generations of Royal Enfield riders who've performed suitably stupid feats on their unlikely machines, each one more poetic than the last. Now, however, instead of pushing their luck in time-honored fashion, RE riders can push the fun envelope on the Hunter 350. And I was able to verify this both in Bangkok at the launch ride and in Mumbai where I picked up our long-termer. Not exactly a global experience, but a good indicator of the Hunter's potential nonetheless.
First of all, I have to say that sportiness is a spectrum; a gymnast and a sumo wrestler both go about the business of sport but in very different ways. And the Hunter feels like an example of the former born into a family of the latter. First of all, it's 14 kg and 10 kg lighter than the Classic and the Meteor respectively, thanks to a revised chassis and lighter components. It loses the downtubes onto which the other duo's 'pegs mount, and gets a slightly rear-set footrest assembly. The exhaust is a sportier stubby unit and it sounds more aggressive than its more laidback siblings as well. If you want to turn your Classic into a café racer, you now know where to go hunting.
This story is from the September 2022 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2022 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
STRIKE HARD!
The KYT Striker lands a tough blow in the entry-level helmet segment in India
SHUTTER SPEED
Performance benchmarks from the Y2K era get together for 36 frames of action
OLD FLAMES
They say that getting old isn't for the faint of heart.
SPEED OF LIGHT
Three of the sportiest 125cc motorcycles go head to head for all the glory
QUESTION IT ALL
Everyone has an answer, but what's the right question?
SINGLE DOUBT
In a world that goes gaga over multi-cylinder engines, these singles will steal your heart
HYBRID HAVOC
The Lexus RX 500h F Sport breaks away from the mould, with its bold styling and sport-tuned performance
LIGHT SPEED
BMW’s new luxury EV sedan has supercar-level performance. Naturally, we had to go out and experience it
V8 WHAT?
We test the world's most powerful 2.0-litre engine to see if it can truly replace a V8
NEWFOUND DZIRE
Smarter, safer, and loaded with features, the new Dzire is ready to remind us why it's ruled the segment for ages