Royal Enfield Classic 350 vs Meteor 350: Which One Offers Better Features?

The Royal Enfield Classic 350, is the most popular retro roadster in the country, while the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is one of the most popular cruiser motorcycles in India. We compare the top-end variants of these bikes to find out which one has better features:

The Classic 350’s Emerald variant is priced at Rs 2,17,585, and the Meteor 350’s Supernova Black is priced at Rs 2,15,883 (both prices are ex-showroom, Chennai). When compared side-by-side, the Meteor 350 comes out as the more feature-packed bike despite being Rs 1,802 cheaper.

The most noticeable difference among these Royal Enfield bikes is the instrument console. The Classic 350, in its iconic hooded cowl, houses the semi-digital console with a circular analogue speedometer, digital inset, and telltale lights. The small rectangular LCD inset display that sits below the speedometer shows readouts of the odometer, trip meter, fuel gauge, and a gear position indicator. 

The Meteor 350’s console is more modern and neatly tucked in when compared to the Classic. It gets a circular analogue speedometer and a circular LCD inset which shows essential readouts of odometer, fuel gauge, and trip meters. It also shows telltale lights.

Another feature that the Meteor gets is the slip-and-assist clutch. It helps prevent rear wheel lockups during aggressive downshifts, making the bike safer. That said, we do think it's high time that Royal Enfield updated the Classic with this feature, just like the Royal Enfield Hunter 350.

For navigation and smartphone connectivity, both the bikes get a ‘Tripper Navigation Pod’ as standard. It has turn-by-turn navigation, call alerts, and display modes (Day and Night) that you can access and switch through the Royal Enfield App. It also lets you find the best routes, set waypoints, and share your itinerary with friends and family. 

Common features on these bikes include the adjustable levers, LED headlamp and indicators, side-stand engine cut-off, dual-channel ABS, and a USB charging port near the left switch cube.

Price And Verdict

All in all, we think the Meteor 350 is clearly the more feature-packed motorcycle of these two. That said, the Classic is built around the idea of distraction-free riding, so going by its core principles, it is designed to be as minimalistic as possible. Despite this, it still gets all the basic features (it finally got a fuel gauge in the J-series version!) to make it liveable on a daily basis. At the end of the day, if you're super keen on features, and want a well-rounded cruiser, then the Meteor makes sense. Those who like a clean, vintage-style motorcycle will appreciate the Classic.