Royal Enfield Meteor 350: Have RE got it right this time?

For most Indians the name Royal Enfield invokes a sense of pride and nostalgia, of machismo and freedom, of brotherhood and community. Yet for the sensible few, it invokes a sense of pity. Pity because they know the real reasons why Royal Enfield riders ride together. It is because nobody else wants to ride with them at that pace and because the bikes are so prone to niggling breakdowns and punctures, you need your gang to bail you out every time. I had the misfortune of owning the first generation Himalayan and the rest, as they say, is history. The day I sold my Himalayan I decided: Royal Enfield? Never again! With pretty much that mindset, I went to the Royal Enfield showroom to test ride the newly launched Meteor 350. So how did it fare?

Design & Features (8/10): Royal Enfield has positioned the Meteor as a cruiser motorcycle and it looks the part. The design is an evolution of the outgoing Thunderbird X which was a handsome motorcycle to start with. RE designers have worked heavily on both aesthetics and practicality and to me, especially the latter part really stands out. For starters, the new double cradle frame is light and nimble. Despite the low seat height of just 765mm, its ground clearance is pretty generous at 170mm. You won't be scraping the underbelly of the motorcycle on most nasty speed breakers that the brilliant civil engineers of India throw at you. The Meteor also retains the halogen headlamp, something more functional over the new age LED ones. The bucket seat is a comfortable place to be and everything falls to hand perfectly well. The sofa like sitting position takes time getting used to but the laziness grows on you as you move along. Special care has been paid to the three main rider touchpoints: the handlebar, the footpegs and the seat. They feature high quality, soft feel rubber that makes them not only look and feel good but also do an excellent job at further dampening vibrations. The pillion seat too is extremely comfortable as certified by wifey dearest. There is sufficient space and cushioning and the pillion backrest provides good support and keeps the pillion in place.

Royal Enfield has also equipped the Meteor with its new Tripper navigation pod on its dashboard. The system connects with the Royal Enfield app on your phone via bluetooth and displays turn by turn navigation powered by Google Maps. The addition of the Tripper pod means we have to do away with the Tachometer but that's not that big a sacrifice with a cruiser motorcycle. There are three different variants of the Meteor and the differences are mainly cosmetic. You can choose any of the three variants based on your aesthetic preference and you would not be robbed off any feature whatsoever. Good job RE. You can fully customise your Meteor and select the exhaust, windscreen, backrest, seat, pegs, mirrors, etc of your choice. Some calculations say that there are over 5 lakh different permutations and combinations that you can have with the Meteor. That's taking customisation to a whole new level!

Engine & Transmission (9.5/10): Ok I'm sticking my neck out now and this can go horribly wrong. This 349cc single cylinder, air cooled, fuel injected motor is by far the best long stroke engine I have ever ridden.  When it comes to fitment of purpose and delivering a promise, this thing just nails it. Don't go by the modest 20 bhp and 27 nm of power and torque figures respectively. It's in the real word where this engine really shines. The engine character is matched to the tall gear ratios so so well, you have torque available practically everywhere in the rev range. At any given speed, even if you are one gear higher than you should be, this engine will forgive you. 40 kph in 5th gear, double seat, no issues. Just twist the throttle and the Meteor builds pace without any protest or judder. The engine is refined for the most part and all you feel in the handlebars are light, character rumbles letting you know that this is still a petrol powered motor. You should be able to sit at a 100 kph without any stress all day long and yet have torque on demand for those quick overtakes. The tall windscreen offers very good wind protection and will keep you fatigue free through your long rides. The gearbox, it's a slick shifting one and the gears fall in place perfectly. Finding neutral is not a task. You don't even have that big clunk when you go from neutral to first. The only shortcoming if I have to nitpick would be the clutch. The six plate unit is on the heavier side and has a really long throw which can become painful in stop and go every day traffic. All in all, this is a beautifully tuned engine-gearbox pairing and it precisely delivers the kind of experience this motorcycle is supposed to. Loved it!

Suspension, handling and braking (7/10): The Meteor uses basic 41mm telescopic forks up front and even more basic twin shock absorbers at the rear. Once again, they do their job just well. The motorcycle remains unsettled through mild bumps and road undulations and takes them in its stride very well. The new double cradle chassis feels light on its feet and very agile in changing directions. RE engineers have worked very hard in keeping the center of gravity of the bike low and that shows in the way this bike happily changes directions despite a long wheelbase and a raked out front end. The handling dynamics get limited by the low set pegs which scrape the ground way too easily. The 100 section 19 inchers up front and the 140 section 17 inchers at the rear grip well and offer good confidence mid corner as well as braking. The Meteor also gets alloy wheels and tubeless tyres out of the box. It's finally time to say good bye to those niggling punctures. The brakes do their job well at dropping speeds. There's a 300 mm disc up front and a 270 mm disc at the rear. ABS is standard and not switchable.  The initial bite of the brakes isn't sharp but a harder pull does its job just well. Remember this is a cruiser and a lot of weight is placed on the rear of the motorcycle. You need to use that rear brake equally for the braking to be effective. All in all, satisfactory performance in this department.

Fitment of purpose (10/10): Each category of motorcycle serves a different purpose, provides a different experience. That one do it all motorcycle does not exist. There are some motorcycles that are good at everything but best at nothing. They will deliver you from point A to point B in comfort but fail to deliver that smile on your face. The Meteor though, is different. It is a proper cruiser, a purpose built cruiser a no nonsense, practical cruiser and you're gonna be smiling ear to ear in that helmet whether it's gliding through traffic or sitting on an open highway, watching the white lane lines pass by. 

Conclusion (Average 8.5/10): Is this the motorcycle to put your money on? Well continuing from the fitment of purpose argument, the cruiser platform comes with its inherent shortcomings. Shorter suspension travel means you feel more of the road every time you hit a bump. Moreover, with high handlebars and your feet stretched out front, all your bodyweight is resting on your lower back and tailbone which, depending on your core strength, would start complaining sooner or later. The saddle itself is a bucket one and robs you off the flexibility to move around on longer rides. If you want to buy a cruiser, go ahead and test ride the Meteor 350, it is a gem of a motorcycle and I can bet you wouldn't want to return it. If not, the Meteor is just the first of a host of motorcycles that RE will launch based on this beautiful new platform. I'm really excited to see what the new Classic 350 would feel like.

 

Remember I said that Royal Enfield invokes a sense of pity in the sensible few? Well not any more. Unlike previous RE motorcycles, the Meteor feels like a truly complete product, ready to conquer not just Indian but global markets. As much as I'd hate to say it, yes, I am a convert. Saare jahan se achha, dugg dugg humara!