Royal Enfield Meteor 350 has been one of the most awaited motorcycle for the Indian people. Royal Enfield has always been able to create a lot of hype for its motorcycles. Many vloggers have been able to get a hold of the new Meteor 350 and have posted their opinions on it. However, here we have an owner of the Honda H’ness CB350 who is reviewing the Meteor 350.
The person riding the Meteor 350 in the video is Abhinav Bhatt, who owns a Honda H’ness CB350 which was recently launched. Currently, the main rival to the H’ness CB350 is the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. In this video, he shares his thoughts about the new motorcycle from Royal Enfield.
He is riding the top of the line Supernova variant of the Meteor 350. Usually, the Supernova variant is equipped with a front windshield which is missing from the motorcycle that we see in the video. That is because at the time of filming the windshields have not reached the dealerships. Also, the motorcycle in the video is equipped with a different road-legal exhaust system that is an official accessory by Royal Enfield and it costs Rs. 3,450. It also gets an official crash guard that costs Rs. 3,400.
The first thing that he shares is a guide on how to use the Tripper Navigation which we are seeing for a first time on a Royal Enfield. The process is fairly simple as you just need to open the Royal Enfield application and pair your phone with the Tripper via Bluetooth. Then you just need to set a destination, click on “Navigate” and the directions are displayed on the Tripper’s digital screen.
The rider explains that he is 5’10 and people that are 5’5 tall should also be able to get both of their feet down easily. The seat height of the Meteor 350 is 765mm and you can drop it further down by 20mm by opting for the low ride seat accessory.
He also says that he didn’t feel any fatigue even after spending 5 hours in the saddle because of the comfortable seat. He also likes the fact that the handle-bar is swept back and the new rotary switchgear feels good to use. He is also happy with the Dual Channel ABS as it does not intrude at all. While the fuel tank holds a generous 15-litres, the rider wishes that it was more.
He also reports that the Meteor 350 is as vibration-free as the CB350 H’ness. The suspension is also a lot more plusher and absorbent than the Honda. Also, you need to get used to the navigation screen as it is slightly tilted towards left. The display within the speedometer is also legible but it lacks some information that H’ness offers. But that Royal Enfield has covered by offering an integrated navigation system.
The engine has a bit of a rumble, sound from the exhaust is also throaty and gear shifts are precise. The engine is also very tractable and you can ride as low as 40 kmph in 5th gear as tested by the rider. He also mentions that the engine has enough grunt for cities, highways and the motorcycle feels quick till 80 kmph. Also, the rearview mirrors provide a better view of behind than the CB350 H’ness and they also do not vibrate.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 competes directly with the Honda H’ness CB350. The Meteor 350 is Rs. 10,000 cheaper and a lot more accessible than the H’ness CB350. This is due to the fact that Honda has decided to only offer the H’ness through the Big Wing dealerships of Honda and it starts from Rs. 1.85 lakhs ex-showroom whereas the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 starts from Rs. 1.75 lakhs ex-showroom.