Royal Enfield Meteor 350: Pros, Cons, Should You Buy One?

We analyse all the upsides and downsides of Royal Enfield’s all-new 350cc cruiser and help you make an informed decision

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 opened up a new chapter in the brand’s history, being the first all-new motorcycle to be born out of the J-platform. It set new benchmarks for the brand’s 350cc lineup in terms of refinement and performance. Here, we list down all its pros and cons, which should help you decide if you should put your money down on this motorcycle.

Pros

New engine feels infinitely more refined at high rpm and has a good spread of torque

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 employs an all-new 349cc air-cooled fuel-injected motor. It comes with a counterbalancer, and hence the motor feels a lot more refined even when you push it towards higher rpms. Being a cruiser, Royal Enfield has also made sure the torque is spread evenly so that you don’t have to work the 5-speed transmission too hard to get the most out of the engine.

The ‘thump’ is still very much present

Royal Enfield motorcycles are all about the characteristic ‘thump’ in the exhaust note. But thanks to the strict emission norms, it isn’t as pronounced as the ones in the older bikes. However, despite packing a new engine that complies with stringent BS6 emission norms, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 still packs a thumpy exhaust note, which should be a godsend for Royal Enfield enthusiasts.

Easy to ride for people of different sizes and skill levels

The 191kg kerb weight may feel a bit much on paper but in the real world, the motorcycle masks its weight rather effectively. This coupled with the low 765mm seat and tight turning radius makes the bike a breeze to handle in tight spaces. The split seats are roomy enough to let you ride long distances comfortably.

Cons

Design is pretty unexciting

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350’s design isn’t all that different from its predecessor, the Thunderbird 350X. While it may be high on the familiarity factor, riders looking for a freshly-designed cruiser may find the Meteor 350 a bit unexciting. 

Navigation pod aside, equipment levels are pretty basic

While the Meteor 350 packs an info-laden instrument cluster with navigation assist, it misses out on other features like an all-LED headlamp. Instead, it comes with a halogen headlamp with an LED DRL. This is particularly disappointing considering its predecessor featured a projector headlamp. At 15 litres, the fuel tank capacity has also gone down by 5 litres compared to the Thunderbird 350. This may have a negative impact on the bike’s long-distance touring capability.

Engine could do with a little more grunt

While the all-new engine is a lot better than the 346cc UCE motor, it doesn’t exactly feel energetic. The engine can let you comfortably cruise at 100kmph on 5th gear. However, considering the fact that it is a modern 350cc engine, we expected it to be capable of cruising at 120kmph with ease. 

Should you buy it? Yes

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is a much more wholesome all-round package than the Thunderbird 350. However, Royal Enfield hasn’t really made a ground-breakingly new motorcycle. It is essentially a new-age Thunderbird minus all the chinks in its armour. But considering the competitive 1.75lakh-rupee price tag, this bike is still a good option for those looking for a refined cruiser to explore the highways in a relaxed manner.