Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Review – What All Does the New-Born Cruiser Have?

Here’s the complete review of the newly launched Royal Enfield Meteor 350. See prices, mileage, specifications, colors available, competitors and other details.

Overview

The much-anticipated cruiser motorcycle of the year 2020, Royal Enfield Meteor 350, recently marked its debut in the Indian two-wheeler market. This bike is the new proper mainstream cruiser motorcycle from Royal Enfield, which the fanatics have been longing to see. The most important buzz is that the Meteor 350 tourer replaces the popular Thunderbird lineup and brings freshness to the brand’s portfolio.

Brands like Jawa, Benelli and Honda already had some of the most contemporary cruisers running in India and Royal Enfield certainly needed to counter the rivals in a more appropriate way with a fabulous, core cruiser. And, the Royal Enfield Meteor is a befitting reply!

The all-new RE Meteor 350 cruiser is offered in India at a starting price of Rs 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom) and its top-end model is offered at the price of Rs 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom). To mention, Royal Enfield offers the Meteor 350 in three trims, which are Fireball, Stellar and Supernova.

What it features new is a 349cc G-series single-cylinder, 4-stroke, air-oil cooled engine that features electric fuel injection. Also, the newly introduced J-platform in the Meteor 350 is quite an exciting thing and definitely looks like a rightful upgrade from the Thunderbird.

There’s a lot more to talk about the Royal Enfield Meteor 350, which we have discussed below in this bike review, read on!

[widget id=”custom_html-19″]

Price List

Let’s start with the key discussion first, i.e. the price of Royal Enfield Meteor 350. The all-new Meteor 350 is fairly priced if you look compare the pricing with its Benelli, Jawa and Honda rivals. The starting price of RE Meteor 350 cruiser is Rs 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom) for its ‘Fireball’ trim, while its ‘Stellar’ and ‘Supernova’ trims are priced at Rs 1.81 lakh and Rs 1.90 lakh respectively (ex-showroom, India prices).

Engine and Specifications

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is powered by a 349cc J-Series, air-oil cooled, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, SOHC petrol engine that produces a maximum power of 20.2 bhp @ 6100 rpm and yields maximum torque of 27 Nm @ 4000 rpm. The power is delivered to the rear wheel through a 5-speed constant mesh gearbox. This bike comes with a self-start option.

Mileage

If you’re planning to buy a bike like Royal Enfield Meteor that has an engine of 349cc, you perhaps might be least bothered about the fuel economy. But, to mention, during various road tests, the mileage of Meteor 350 has been recorded between 35 – 38 kmpl. The said mileage figures are somewhat similar to that of Royal Enfield Classic 350’s.

ALSO READ: Royal Enfield Classic 350 Review, Price List, Specifications, Performance, Competitors And More!

Braking and Handling

The braking capability of the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is enhanced by its 300 mm front disc with a twin-piston floating caliper and a 270 mm rear disc with a single-piston floating caliper. The most contemporary and worth-mentioning thing that makes the braking very efficient in the Meteor 350 is its dual-channel ABS.

To ensure smoother rides, Royal Enfield has equipped the Meteor 350 with front telescopic suspension, having 41mm forks and 130mm travel and the rear suspension having twin-tube emulsion shock absorbers with 6-step adjustable preload.

ALSO READ: Suzuki Hayabusa Review

Tyres and Wheels

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is equipped with front 100/90-19 and rear 140/90-19 sized tubeless tyres. These tyres are fitted on bigger 19 inches stylish looking alloy wheels. Combined with a longer wheelbase of 1400 mm and larger set of tyres, the RE Meteor is able to offer an amazing riding experience to the riders. Furthermore, the 765 mm seat height gives a comfortable seating position and guarantees a pleasing ride on long tours.

ALSO READ: Honda CBR 650R Review

Colors

Royal Enfield has offered all three of the trims (Fireball, Stellar & Supernova) of Meteor 350 in different color choices.

• The Fireball trim is offered in two color options –  Fireball Yellow and Fireball Red.
• The Stellar trim is offered in three exciting colors – Stellar Blue, Stellar Red and Stellar Black.
• The Supernova trim is offered in two colors – Supernova Brown and Supernova Blue.

Design and Features

The Meteor 350 is an exclusive combination of breathtaking design and various advanced features. As compared to the Thunderbird, the Meteor 350 has taken a major leap in design. Right from its mirrors that look stylish, offer improved visibility and stability to its set of alluring alloy wheels, every minute detail of its structure looks amazingly attractive. The windshield at the front is designed to offer fatigue-free long-distance rides and adds to the ‘cruiser style’ factor. There’s an attractive headlight that houses halogen bulbs with LED guide light for better road visibility. Another interesting thing that attracts is the classic teardrop tank design.

For long tours, Royal Enfield has equipped the Meteor 350 with finely fabricated and nicely cushioned low and wide seat that lets both the rider as well as the pillion sit comfortably. At the rear, what catches the attention is the taillight that houses LED lamp with ring-type light for improved rear visibility.

The next admirable thing about the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is its enhanced chassis setup which is stronger, stiffer and more durable. The design of this new chassis is such that it helps in straight-line stability, easy cornering and hassle-free maneuverability, without compromising on the riding comforts.

The riding position is also very accessible and you feel fully rested while touring. Another credit goes to its advanced braking ability that is complemented with dual-channel ABS that stops the vehicle as and when needed without disbalancing the rides. This motorbike also features a set of high specification suspensions that make the cruising far more enjoyable.

The most interesting feature of Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is its Tripper Navigator that is powered by Google Maps and Royal Enfield Apps. Using the Tripper Navigator you can connect to a smartphone through Bluetooth and navigate through the destinations using its intuitive display.

Here’s how the Tripper Navigator of Royal Enfield Meteor 350 works:

Competition

The Meteor 350 is one of the most contemporary cruiser bikes we have in the Indian two-wheeler market. It certainly gets the advantage of being badged with one of the most trustworthy cruiser brands in India – the Royal Enfield. People will perceive it as the new Thunderbird with improved performance, advanced features, and obviously, a different new name altogether.

This tourer will have to compete against the likes of Honda Highness (H’ness), Jawa 42, Jawa Perak, Jawa Standard, Benelli Imperiale 400 and siblings Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and Royal Enfield Classic 350.

ALSO READ: Best Bullet Bikes In India 2020 – List Of Royal Enfield Bikes To Buy This Diwali

Our Verdict

We think that the Royal Enfield Meteor is one of its kind cruiser offered in India. It has the capability to serve as a great road companion, both in the city as well as on the highway. Its light handling makes it easy for the rider to cruise through the city streets effortlessly and its sure-footed and comfy seating arrangement along with its punchy engine, allows you to throttle through the countrysides very smoothly. At higher rpm levels, the riding pleasure of the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is truly immense.

Besides this, what we liked the most is the Tripper Navigator, something that was much needed in a cruiser bike that you would love riding in this era. Furthermore, the available customization choices offered by Royal Enfield through its “Make Your Own” app gives you more liberty to experiment with the looks of the bike and make it appear more striking. You can give your Meteor 350 a whole new paint scheme, choose from a variety of exhaust options and customize a lot more.

Overall, the Meteor seems to be something that won’t let you regret why the oldie Thunderbird was removed from the portfolio. We give the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 a ‘Big Thumbs Up’!

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Launch Video