Royal Enfield’s product pipeline is among the hottest talking points in the Indian motorcycle market right now, and one of the most interesting products in that pipeline is the Hunter 350. This bike has been spotted testing a number of times, and now, the production-ready version seems to have been leaked online.
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Expected to be offered in two variants
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Gets 349cc J-platform engine from the Classic 350, Meteor 350
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Official launch expected before August
The spy shots so far have given us quite a good idea of what to expect from the upcoming Hunter. And the latest leaked photographs confirm much of that information. Of course, it will be powered by the 349cc J-platform motor that currently does duty in the Classic 350 and Meteor 350. In those bikes, output figures stand at 20hp and 27Nm, and you can expect similar numbers from the Hunter as well.
Its differentiating factor will be that it is a more upright, contemporary street naked motorcycle, compared to the cruiser stance of the Meteor and the old school vibe of the Classic 350. We expect the Hunter to come in at least two variants – the most recent sighting of the bike showed it wearing wire-spoke wheels and missing fork gaiters, while this leaked production version sports alloy wheels and fork gaiters.
We also see the bike fitted with a Tripper navigation pod, but it’s quite likely that this will be a paid extra, since RE has already taken it off the standard fitment liston the Meteor and Himalayan, owing to the semiconductor shortage. Prominent design elements include a teardrop-shaped fuel tank with knee cut-outs, a scooped single-piece seat, and a round theme for the lights across the motorcycle, as well as the mirrors.
Going by the level of hardware and equipment here, the Hunter will likely be quite affordable. It’s almost certainly going to sit below the Meteor 350 and Classic 350 to become the most affordable J-platform model, but whether it can undercut the Bullet 350 (which is still based on RE’s older UCE platform) is something we’ll have to wait and see. The wait shouldn’t be too long, though, with the bike set to launch before August.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
