Yezdi Roadster vs Royal Enfield Meteor 350 – Decoding the better entry-level cruiser of the two

The segment of entry-level cruisers was never competitive in India, as Royal Enfield enjoyed a single-handed reign in the space with the Thunderbird 350 and its successor, the Meteor 350. However, the Meteor 350 finally received a direct competitor in the form of the Yezdi Roadster in 2022.

Both the motorcycles are comparable in almost all the parameters, as both of them have the same visual stance and specifications, and fall in the same price range. However, a detailed comparison between the Yezdi Roadster and Royal Enfield Meteor 350 reveals that the two motorcycles are vastly different from each other. Here’s how both the motorcycles compare against each other, and which one is the winner in the end: 

Price

Both motorcycles are available in three variants, each of which differs based on their colour choices and features offered in them. Coming to the Yezdi Roadster first, the motorcycle can be had in one of the three variants on offer – Dark, Dual-tone and Chrome.

Priced at Rs 2,06,142, the Dark variant of the Yezdi Roadster is available in single-tone colour options like Inferno Red, Glacial White, Smoke Grey, Hunter Green and Steel Blue. The Dual-tone variant of the Roadster, priced at Rs 2,08,829, is available in a single Crimson paint scheme, which is a combination of red and white paint shades. The top-spec Chrome variant is offered in two colour options – Sin Silver and Gallant Grey, both of which are priced at Rs 2,12,642.

Like the Yezdi Roadster, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is also available in three variants, namely Fireball, Stellar and Supernova. The base-spec Fireball variant is priced at Rs 2,04,408 and is available in red, yellow, blue and matt green. The mid-spec Stellar variant, priced at Rs 2,10,580, is offered in colour options like black, red and blue. Topping the line-up is Supernova, which is offered in dual-tone paint options of brown, blue and red, and is priced at Rs 2,25,533. In the Chrome variant, the engine, rearview mirrors and exhaust pipes are finished in chrome, which is otherwise black-themed in the lower variants.

Here, the Dark and Dual-tone variants of the Jawa Roadster are comparable with the Stellar variant of the Meteor 350 in terms of styling and equipment levels, whereas the Chrome variant of the Roadster takes on the Supernova variant. In both cases, the Jawa Roadster comes across as a more affordable motorcycle between two.

(prices mentioned above are ex-showroom, India)

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Engine and Chassis

On paper, the Yezdi Roadster has a clear advantage over the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 when it comes to the heart of the matter – the powertrain. The liquid-cooled, 334cc engine of the Roadster is more powerful and torquey than the 349cc air-cooled engine of the Meteor 350. Due to liquid cooling, the Roadster might feel more relaxed at higher RPMs, though the Meteor 350’s engine feels more refined at lower RPMs and mid-range. The additional gear in the transmission unit of the Roadster makes it more relaxed to ride at higher speeds.

The taller front tyre and wider rear tyre in the Meteor 350 make it a more stable handler at higher speeds. While the Roadster has a larger front disc brake, the Meteor 350 gets a larger rear disc brake. Though both the motorcycles here come equipped with a dual-channel ABS.

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Dimensions

A head-on comparison between the two motorcycles reveals that the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is longer, wider and taller than the Yezdi Roadster, thus giving it the stance of a larger motorcycle. Also, the shorter wheelbase, lower seat height and lower ground clearance of the Meteor 350 make it a more stable handler at all speeds. Among the two motorcycles, the Meteor 350 has a larger fuel tank, which gives it more range on a full tank, thus ending up being one more advantage for long-distance riding.

Design and Features

The Yezdi Roadster and Royal Enfield Meteor 350 are designed with the same intent of offering a fine balance between an urban roadster and a long-distance highway cruiser. Both motorcycles come with rounded headlamps, tail lamps and turn indicators. However, while the Meteor 350 gets a halogen treatment for all these lights, the Yezdi Roadster is offered with all-LED illumination for the same.

Both the motorcycles come with split seats, black alloy wheels and pillion backrest as standard, and a tall and transparent windscreen in their top-spec variants.  The Meteor 350 has a part-digital instrument console with an analogue speedometer and an LCD panel for the fuel gauge, odometer, trip meter and MID. On the other hand, the Yezdi Roadster has a fully-digital instrument console, which offers the same information as that in the Meteor 350’s unit, and in addition, also gets a tachometer. The Roadster also gets a dual exhaust pipe setup, against the single exhaust pipe setup offered in the Meteor 350.

Verdict

When it comes to sales figures, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is miles ahead of the Yezdi Roadster, backed by the facts like a wider sales and service network of Royal Enfield, more proven powertrain and mechanicals and higher quality levels. However, that doesn’t mean that the Yezdi Roadster is an inferior motorcycle among the two.

Our detailed comparison proves that the Yezdi Roadster gets more modern and comprehensive features, higher power and torque figures and a larger front brake. But despite these advantages, the Meteor 350 tries to be superior with the more relaxed and refined power delivery, better tyres, larger rear brake and more sorted dimensions.

In effect, there are some parameters where the Yezdi Roadster excels over the Meteor 350. If those advantages matter to you, the Roadster should be your choice. However, on the whole, the Meteor 350 comes across as a better-engineered motorcycle with more assurance in reliability, refinement and quality, which makes it our pick among the two motorcycles here.

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