Yamaha FZ-X Hybrid Vs Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Image Comparison

The recently launched Yamaha FZ-X Hybrid, is unlike any other bike in India. It looks retro but comes with modern hybrid tech - a combination that no other bike has in the country. However, it carries a hefty price tag of Rs 1,49,990 (ex-showroom, Delhi). Interestingly, for the same price, you can buy the cheapest Royal Enfield bike in India, the base variant of the Hunter 350. Here’s a detailed frame-by-frame image comparison :

Design

The recently launched Yamaha FZ-X Hybrid gets a circular headlamp, LED indicators, and a sculpted fuel tank that blends the bikes modern design with retro elements. While the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 gets similar retro styling, it doesn’t look as modern as it still comes with a halogen headlamp and bulb indicators. 

Both the bikes are offered in single colour schemes with the FZ-X being offered in ‘Matte Titan’ (grey) colour scheme and the Hunter 350 being offered in just the 'Factory Black’ colour. Interestingly, the FZ-X gets the grey colour on the tank extensions as well as on the front fender, along with premium-looking copper-finished alloy wheels. 

On the other hand, the Hunter 350 not only comes with a blacked-out tank, but the rest of the bike is also painted in black. The spoke wheels make the bike look properly retro but it will not be able to handle punctures as well as alloy wheels with tubeless tyres on the FZ-X.

Engine

The highlight of the Yamaha FZ-X Hybrid is its engine. It is powered by a 150cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder motor that produces just 12.4PS at 7,250rpm and 13.3Nm at 5,500rpm. It also gets a Smart Motor Generator (SMG) that provides a small boost in acceleration, and also doubles up as a silent starter. The small electric boost, along with the start-stop system should ensure the bike offers good mileage, especially on roads with heavy traffic. 

On the other hand, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is just barebones when it comes to technology. It is powered by a 350cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that produces 20.2PS at 6,100rpm and 27Nm at 4,000rpm. The torquey character of this engine makes the Hunter 350 very easy to ride around in the city while having enough performance for the occasional highway trips. There are no fancy features here, but the Hunter more than makes up with its relatively better performance.

Underpinnings

The FZ-X Hybrid gets a telescopic fork and a 7-step preload adjustable monoshock, rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in a 100-section front and a 140-section rear tubeless tyres. For braking, it gets a 282mm front and a 220mm rear disc brake with single-channel ABS. The bike weighs 143kg kerb, has a seat height of 810mm, ground clearance of 165mm and a 10-litre fuel tank.

On the other hand, the Hunter 350 gets a telescopic fork and 6-step preload adjustable twin shock absorbers at the rear. The bike gets 17-inch spoked wheels wrapped in 110/140 section tubed tyre setup. For the braking setup, it comes with a 300mm front disc and a 153mm rear drum brake, with a single channel ABS. The Hunter 350 weighs a lot more than the FZ-X Hybrid at 181kg (kerb), has a ground clearance of 160mm, a slightly more accessible seat height of 790mm and gets a 13-litre fuel tank.

Features

When compared for features, the FZ-X Hybrid is far more superior than the Hunter 350. The Yamaha bike comes with a 4.2-inch TFT instrument console with smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth through Yamaha’s Y-connect app. It gets call, email and SMS alerts, turn-by-turn navigation that works via Google maps, mileage tracker, maintenance tracker, and last-parked location. It also gets an all-LED lighting setup, and a basic traction control system.

The cheapest Hunter 350 variant has a very short list of features with just a semi-digital instrument console that shows the speed, tell-tale lights, tripmeters, odometer and fuel gauge. The Tripper Navigation pod with the turn-by-turn navigation is offered as standard only in the higher-end variants. 

Price & Conclusion:

The Yamaha FZ-X Hybrid is priced at Rs 1,49,990 (ex-showroom, Delhi) and the ‘Retro’ variant of Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is priced at Rs 1,49,900 (ex-showroom, Chennai). The two bikes offer different riding experiences even though they cost the same. The Hunter is all about the thump and retro looks, whereas the FZ-X is more of a laidback commuter that’s designed to look retro while offering mileage that’s closer to 125cc bikes.