The Hunter 350 is Royal Enfield’s idea of what a fun, compact and playful street motorcycle should be like. The question is, have they been able to make one?

My dad used to own a step-through called Silver Plus. Some of you may be shocked to learn that the spindly machine constructed in collaboration with Zundapp was an Enfield product. That wasn’t the only one either, for there was a slightly more glamorous machine in the form of the Explorer too. Difficult as it may be to imagine, the iconic Bullet wasn’t the only product that the company offered at the time to Indian customers.

Unfortunately, these weren’t products that could be described as visionary offerings that would define a segment or take the markets by storm. No. These were also-rans. Today, after nearly a four-decade gap, Royal Enfield again has a portfolio that caters to a diverse consumer base. And, crucially, this time around not one of their products is an also-ran. The latest in this slew of products to have graced Royal Enfield showrooms across the country is the Hunter 350.

I wasn’t there at the press ride in Thailand earlier in the year, but when I did visit the showroom in Calcutta to pick up the machine, I remember thinking just how tiny it looked compared to the rest of the Enfield heavy metal parked around it. The first thing you should know is that the Hunter, unlike any previous iteration of any Royal Enfield motorcycle, runs on 17-inch wheels. Yep, you heard that right. The end result is best felt when the bike is being ridden but it also lends itself to a visual differentiation between the Hunter 350 and all other Royal Enfields.

The rear view displays the 17-inch wheel to best effect

The other impact of this change is felt the moment you swing a leg over it. Firstly, you don’t have to swing your leg like Bruce Lee and you can now plant both your feet firmly on the ground when stationary. No amount of stretching or tippy toes are needed to touch the security of terra firma with this one.

Visually, it is also a very simple machine. There are no complex lines and cuts and slashes here that designers often think is fancy but instead there is a sense of timeliness in the cleanliness of its styling. Speaking of styling, it’s quite clear now that Royal Enfield isn’t really inclined to bring out products that don’t suit their whole shebang of ‘nostalgi-biking’.

Through the streets of Calcutta what most impressed me about the motorcycle was how easily one could flick it left or right and dodge the mad traffic that seems like a many-vehicled monster whose sole goal is to kill you, or at least maim you. The Hunter slices and dices through all of this rotten traffic like it has been doing this forever. Not only is it engaging but, also cuts down commute time by a significant amount. I particularly liked that flat handlebar with the single pod instrumentation.

The single-pod instrument cluster and the bicolour fuel tank make the rider’s view a nice one

On the engine front, nothing new here. We are still relying on the J-Series engine that also powers the Meteor, and more recently, the Classic 350. Not even the output figures have been tweaked. However, the change in the wheel size seems to have made the Hunter a sprightlier machine than either the Meteor or the Classic 350. Of course, the fact that at 181kg it is lighter than the Classic 350’s 195kg, also helps matters. Shooting between gaps in the traffic is easily done as a result.

Getting up to nearly 100kmph isn’t a problem but it isn’t difficult to make out if the engine in this state of tune will be able to keep the bigger brothers in sight on the open highways. That said, the open highways were never in the Hunter’s sights, was it? The Hunter wants to prowl the streets and establish its dominion quite like predators marking their territory. And here, its ability to offer a nimble and involving ride makes a huge, huge difference. It certainly brought out a couple of smiles inside my helmet.

Should you buy it? Honestly, it’s your call. But with a starting price of Rs 1.49 lakh, ex-showroom, for the Retro version that features wire-spoke rims and a drum brake at the rear, and Rs 1.69 lakh, ex-showroom, for the version that I reviewed, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is a difficult proposition to ignore. I certainly wouldn’t have in your place.

Pictures courtesy Royal Enfield

The author is an automotive journalist who has been writing about two- and four-wheelers for nearly two decades

The lines are clean and would appeal to retro-bike aficionados. The straight handlebar makes darting through traffic a breeze.

THE PROS

• Torquey engine
• Exhaust note
• Agility
• Braking
• Riding position
• Build quality

& THE CONS

• Lack of a rev counter
• Excessive padding on the seat
• Slightly heavy clutch

The engine is exactly the same as the one that goes into the Meteor and the Classic 350

THE HUNTER 350 IN NUMBERS

Engine type: Air- and oil-cooled, single cylinder with SOHC and EFI

Capacity: 349cc

Transmission: 5-speed

Max. power: 20.2bhp @ 6,100rpm

Max. torque: 27Nm @ 4,000rpm

Ground clearance: 150mm

Length x Width: N.A.

Wheelbase: 1,370mm

Saddle height: 790mm

Kerb weight: 181kg

Fuel tank capacity: 13 litres

Front brake: 300mm disc with twin piston floating calliper, ABS

Rear Brake: 240mm disc with single piston floating calliper, ABS