I am planning to buy a Royal Enfield motorcycle and am considering the Hunter 350. My daily commute will be around 35km to 40km, along with one or two long trips each year. I will also use the bike for family errands, including riding with my parents. Please advise if the Hunter 350 would be suitable for my requirements.

Autocar India

•6d

Within your budget, depending on the type of bike you prefer, the Hero Xpulse 210, TVS Ronin, Royal Enfield Hunter 350, Bajaj Pulsar N250 and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V are good options to consider. If you want a good all-rounder street naked, then the Apache and Pulsar are the way to go. Expect good fuel efficiency and and handling but the pillion comfort will only be good for short distances. If you'd like a neo-retro machine, the TVS Ronin, Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and base variants of the Bullet 350 (with a rear drum brake and single-channel ABS) are available within your budget. Pillion comfort will be best on the Ronin and Bullet, and all three will happily go touring as long as you stay below 100kph. These bikes will be fun to ride but in a different way than a sporty machine, if that's your cup of tea, then you should proceed with these. Last but not least, the Xpulse 210 is a wonderful do-it-all motorcycle on a tight budget; although if you are of short stature, its tall seat will be something to consider. Take a test ride of all these machines before you make up your mind. And before you do that, evaluate which sort of bike is best suited for you.

Autocar India

•6d

While both the Yamaha options you have shortlisted have their own strong points, neither would be the best fit for your usage, in our opinion. Considering you have a pretty lengthy daily commute in Mumbai (where the road surface by and large ranges from subpar to non-existent), we would recommend you pick a comfortable machine like the TVS Ronin or Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Both have neutral ergonomics, neo-retro styling and plush suspension, which should make them well-suited for your use case. One area where both the smaller Yamaha machines will edge out the Ronin and Hunter is fuel efficiency, but aside from that, the TVS & Royal Enfield make for a better purchase. The Yamaha XSR155 is a lovely sporty neo-retro machine, but its suspension is too stiff over bad roads. The Yamaha FZ-X is a 149cc commuter, and its performance, handling, and overall feel won't be as premium as the other bikes mentioned here. Take a test ride of both the Ronin and Hunter to see which one suits you best. We also have multiple comparison reviews of the Hunter, XSR and Ronin on our channel as well as website, and we'd encourage you to take a look at them before you make your purchase.

Autocar India

•15h

The Royal Enfield Guerrilla comes with a 452cc engine, whereas the Triumph Scrambler 400 X now comes with a 349cc engine so its no surprise that the Triumph didn't feel as sprightly in comparison. However, for your usage, should you be willing to sacrifice some pep, the 350cc Scrambler 400 X is actually a great all-rounder. Especially since you're a novice and want to get into off-roading. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a great bike but we'd advise you to not consider this bike, at least not if you plan to start your off-roading journey with it. At 196kg, the Himalayan is a heavy machine and with its fuel tank full, it also feels rather top heavy, which could get challenging for a beginner to manage at crawling off-road speeds. However, for city commuting and highway journeys, this Royal Enfield bike will be quite nice - its only off-roading where its weight will be a serious deterrent.The 350cc KTM 390 Adventure would be a good middle-ground option between the two aforementioned bikes - in theory, at least. Its lighter than the Himalayan and has more power than the Scrambler. A test ride should shed more light on whether this KTM bike is the one for you. Since you said you're looking to get into off-road riding, we'd be remiss if we didn't recommend the Hero Xpulse 210 to you. Now, the Xpulse is definitely a smaller and slower machine than all the machines listed above but if you genuinely want to hone your craft and get better at off-road riding, there's genuinely no better place to start than here. City commuting is another strength of the Xpulse, although on the highway, its engine feels a little stressed post 100kph. If you don't mind compromising on outright performance on the highway, then the Xpulse will be a good option for you. Some other benefits of choosing the Xpulse would be that it returns excellent fuel economy - much higher than all other options - and it costs much less to buy too.You need to evaluate your priorities and make an informed decision after test riding all three bikes. Best of luck!

Autocar India

•4d

Depending on your riding style, there are multiple different options to choose from in the segment you're looking at. If you're looking for a quick and sporty machine, then the 350cc Triumph Speed 400, KTM 390 Duke and Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 make good sense because they have energetic performance as well as good comfort (the KTM bike will be a little less comfy than the Triumph bike in this one regard, but will have more performance). On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you prefer to ride in an unhurried fashion, then look no further than the Royal Enfield Classic / Bullet 350, Honda CB350 models and Triumph Speed T4. These bikes have great comfort and should also be reliable in the long run.If you want something that prioritizes comfort and utility over all else, then an adventure bike is the way to go. You have the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, TVS Apache RTX 300 and KTM 390 Adventure models (with both 350cc and 399cc motors, depending on your needs and budgetary restrictions) in this class. In our opinion, as an all-rounder, nothing can match the versatility of the Himalayan and if you're comfortable with its size, this is definitely an option worth considering. As always, first decide what form factor appeals to you the most and will suit your usage best and then accordingly take test rides based on that before making your decision.

Autocar India

•5d

Since you have a rather long daily commute and don't want to go for a neo-retro machine, an adventure bike makes good sense. Your previously shortlisted - but no longer available - options indicate that you were looking to get something in the 250-300cc space. In that vein, we'd recommend you look at the TVS Apache RTX 300. The RTX is a comfortable, quick and feature-laden machine which will also return decent fuel economy if ridden sensibly. In a similiar vein, you should also look at the KTM 250 Adventure and the base 390 Adventure (350cc) models, depending on your usage and budget. A test ride of these options will help you narrow down which bike is best for you.

Autocar India

•14h

First things first, service and maintenance on both the Triumph Scrambler 400 X and Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 should be light on your wallet. Both bikes are made in India and spares as well as replacement cycle parts are readily available.Coming to choosing between the Scrambler and Guerrilla, that's actually where things get complicated. You see, the Scrambler 400 X is actually powered by a 350cc engine making 40hp/32Nm while the Guerrilla's 452cc single makes 40hp/40Nm. While these bikes seem pretty closely matched in terms of peak power on paper at least, the Royal Enfield bike is sure to have an advantage in the real world with its potent mid range and additional torque. Even in terms of handling, both bikes are likely to have different behaviour. The Guerrilla has fatter tyres compared to the Scrambler which means the Triumph will have better agility and flickability at slower speeds but conversely, the Royal Enfield will be more planted on the side of the tyre. Both bikes are priced similarly and look quite sleek, so choosing between the two will boil down to what your preference is after a detailed test ride.