Why the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is an Excellent Motorcycle
If you’re looking for a motorcycle to tool around town on, then let me tell you about the Royal Enfield Hunter 350!
Scuba Jay’s History Of Riding
I got my first dirt bike, a Yamaha GT80, when I was around10 years old. That kicked off my love of motorcycles. I rode for the next 10 years, graduating to a Yamaha XT125. I then got my street license and rode my dad’s Honda CB650 around town…until he sold it that is. After that I didn’t ride for many years.
Flashforward about some 30 years and I found my self taking a moped around Little Cayman and I remembered how much fun it was to ride a bike. It was at that time that I set out to get me a motorcycle again.
For my bike, I wanted something that was modern, but had a classic look to it, and it had to be in the right price range of course. I always liked the look of the old scramblers and began looking at what was available.
Almost as soon as I started searching, Royal Enfield announced its Hunter 350 model and it caught my eye immediately. I called the local dealer, Kustom Workz, and asked that they contact me as soon as they received in the first shipment. They did make that call and I headed down to see the bike. As soon as I sat on the Hunter 350 and took it for a little spin in the parking lot I knew I was buying it. So let’s see why the Hunter 350 is the bike of Scuba Jay.
Specs
The Hunter 350’s engine is five speed, singe cylinder, four stroke and air-oil cooled. It has an electric start with electronic fuel injection and weighs in at just a hair under 400lbs.
The bike is 80.9″ long, 31.5″ wide (without mirrors) and has a seat height of 31.1″. The fuel tank holds 3.43 gal and it gets an average of 85 mpg! Trust me, I’ve saved a lot of gas money running errands on the Hunter 350 (I may have even told the wife that the bike will pay for itself in fuel cost savings in several years…and it just might).
Looks
Now here is where the Hunter 350 shines and grabbed my attention. There is a wonderful merger of new and retro in this bike. I have received many compliments on my Hunter 350 and some have expressed surprise to find out that it is a new motorcycle.
The matte finish on the engine and exhaust really stand out on this bike. The Hunter 350 is currently offered in six different different color choices. I picked the “Rebel Blue” color option as I loved the blue and white matte finish gas tank (The three “Rebel” color choices do cost a little bit more, but in my opinion are worth it).
As with the rest of the bike, the Hunter 350’s instrument cluster also blends old with new. There is a retro style analog speedometer, but a digital LCD screen gives you such readouts as fuel gauge, gear, time and mileage.
The Hunter 350 really has the best of both worlds when it comes to old-school appearance with modern functionality.
Ride
Now this is one fun bike to ride! The Hunter 350 has a very relaxed riding position with an easy-to-reach handlebar and foot pegs that are set in a more forward position. Overall, I have found this to be a comfortable bike, giving me a fully enjoyable riding experience. But a picture, well in this case video, is worth a 1,000 words. See Below.
Cost
The Hunter 350 is without a doubt a very cost efficient motorcycle. It’s not every manufacturer that offers you a brand new bike for around a total of $5,500 (If that seems more than what you paid for yours, remember I live in the very tax happy NY State).
Still, even with the very consumer friendly bike, Royal Enfield did not cheap out on this model. Nothing about this bike feels subpar. This is a perfect bike for someone looking for a fun ride and not looking to break the bank. Basically, Royal Enfield has made it affordable to get something new and nice and nowadays that is hard to find.
Some Cons
There are a few cons with the Hunter 350, but hey, what in life is perfect?! First off the mirrors could stand to be a little wider. I have more of larger build and my shoulders are often blocking my mirrors. This makes it so I have to pull my shoulders in to see behind me.
While there is a pillion (fancy word for seat for passenger), the bike is best when riding solo. Again, this may be more of a me issue, but it can be cramped with two and I feel like I’m always hitting my passenger’s feet when I’m switching gears.
Finally, this is not the right bike if you are looking to do long distance highway riding. I think the bike would be lacking in weight and speed for that kind of trip. Royal Enfield has marketed the Hunter 350 as a more of an around-about town bike and it shines as just that.
Final Thoughts
The Hunter 350 is a bike that just about anyone can ride. It is a good first bike if riding for the first time or, like me, riding again. It has a great blend between modern features and a retro look and is a whole lot of fun to ride.
I bought my Hunter 350 to enjoy a quick spin on the back roads or running errands around town on the weekends. It is my fun, as opposed to primary, mode of transportation. With that said, I still put over a 1,000 miles on my bike in 6 months as I wanted to be out riding as much as possible.
More of Jay’s Faves
Check out the below, if interested in more of Jay’s Faves.
“How boring would the world be if everywhere and everyone were the same. Safe travels and good adventures.” Scuba Jay
