Royal Enfield Hunter 350 vs Royal Enfield Bullet 350: Detailed Comparison

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 are two of the most affordable bikes in the manufacturer’s lineup. While one is quite youth-oriented, the other is a properly retro-styled bike that is deeply rooted in nostalgia. If you are confused between the two, here’s how you can pick the best one for yourself:

Price & Variants

(all prices ex-showroom Chennai)

• Both bikes are based on the J-series platform but there are a lot of differences that make them unique. 

• The Hunter 350 is the smaller and youthful Royal Enfield bike that’s developed mainly to be ridden in the city. It is targeted towards new Royal Enfield buyers. On the flip side, the Bullet 350 has the rustic charm of the iconic Bullet design that’ll appeal to Royal Enfield loyalists and is meant to be a good companion on the long, open roads.

• As the smallest Royal Enfield bike meant to attract the younger customer base, the entry point of owning a Hunter is also lower than that of the Bullet (by about Rs 30,000).

• For both bikes, prices vary according to the colour schemes on offer. 

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Dimensions & Design

• The Hunter 350 has a shorter wheelbase, which should make it easier to handle. 

• The Bullet 350 has a higher ground clearance, which should make it a better handling bike on bad road conditions. 

• Since the Hunter 350 is mainly meant to be ridden on city roads, its shorter ground clearance should be enough to handle the urban jungle.

• The Hunter 350’s lower seat height should make it more approachable to newer riders and its lighter kerb weight should make it easier to move around in tight spaces.

• In terms of design, even though the Hunter 350 has smaller dimensions, it has good-looking retro aesthetics with its round headlight and mirrors.

• The Bullet 350, on the other hand, has a bigger road presence. It has pure retro aesthetics, which the peashooter exhaust and the scooped out rider seat add to.

Underpinnings

• In terms of suspension, both bikes offer the same experience (mostly comfy yet stiff while going over some really bad roads) as they have the same telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers setup.

• It’s a similar story in the braking department as well. Apart from the Factory Black colour scheme in the Hunter 350, the rest of them get a rear disc brake with dual-channel ABS, which is the better option in terms of safety. In the Bullet, rear drum brakes with single-channel ABS are available on the Battalion Black, Military Red and Military Black colour schemes while the rest of the colour variants get rear disc brakes with dual-channel ABS.

• The Hunter 350 runs on a smaller 17-inch wheel setup, which should make it more agile.

• The Bullet 350’s bigger 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel setup should make it comfortable almost everywhere.

Features

• On paper, both the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 get a semi-digital instrument console with an analogue speedometer and a digital inset. But the major difference lies in the way they are designed.

• In the Hunter 350, the speedometer’s lettering looks more crisp and the bright, red needle strikes out even in bright sunlight. The LCD inset is coherently placed in the middle of the round console and the lettering and the layout with the fuel gauge, gear position indicator and trip meter makes the whole console look more modern and in-line with the bike’s overall layout.

• In the Bullet 350, the speedometer’s layout looks like the analogue console of retro Royal Enfield bikes and it has a separate LCD inset below it. The console’s simplistic look actually fits in well with the overall retro charm of the bike.

• USB charging is available on both bikes. Bluetooth connectivity with navigation with the Tripper pod is available as standard on the Hunter 350 (in the higher variants) whereas on the Bullet 350, it is only available as an accessory

• As such, the Hunter 350 has the upper hand in this category.  

Performance

• Both bikes are powered by the same J-series engine and the power and torque figures are also the same. The engine offers great low and mid-range grunt, making the bikes absolutely joyful to ride.

• The ample amount of grunt combined with the good throttle response makes them easy to ride in the city at low speeds in 3rd or 4th gear.

• And the Hunter 350 feels especially quicker off the line because of its lighter kerb weight.

• And this is further complemented by the Hunter 350’s light clutch because of the slip and assist clutch that comes as standard. The Bullet 350, sadly, misses out on the slipper clutch. 

Verdict

As we have seen so far, both bikes have their own unique characters and stand out in Royal Enfield’s lineup despite being based on the same platform. Yes, the Hunter 350 is more affordable than the Bullet 350 but choosing between the two bikes is not that straightforward.

If you are looking to get a sub-400c bike for the first time and buying your first Royal Enfield bike and want a compact, manageable bike that won’t feel like a big jump from your current 150-200cc bike, then the Hunter 350 is the one for you. Plus, the funky colour schemes will surely grab eyeballs on the road. Here's a detailed bookings guide of the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Also, if you want to know about other motorcycles, that are priced similarly to the Hunter 350, take a look at its top 5 alternatives. And, here are the Bullet 350 alternatives.

On the other hand, if you want the iconic, retro charm of a bulky Royal Enfield bike but also want the added benefits of a modern bike like a digital screen on the console, ABS and such, then the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is the one you should consider. If you want to know more about the Hunter 350, check out its detailed explainer.

Comparisons With Other Rivals

• The Hunter 350 is a much more relaxed bike than the Yamaha XSR155. That said, both have similar neo-retro styling.
• The TVS Ronin is as chilled-out as the Hunter, but it's not only cheaper but also more feature-loaded.
• If authentic heritage design is your preferance, then you'll like the Classic 350 more than the Hunter 350.
• Those looking for proper cruiser styling but with a 350cc engine can go for the Meteor 350. It's a better highway performer than the Hunter 350.
• If you're not a fan of the Hunter 350's relatively more straightforward styling, then you'll like the Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350, which is a sweet looking factory custom bike.
• Love neo-retro styling but also want 'speed'? Well, the Triumph Speed 400 lives up to its name well.
• When compared to the Triumph Speed T4, the Hunter 350 loses out on performance, but gets slightly more features.