Words: Sayantan De
Photography: Saidatta Naik
Royal Enfield has sold more than 5,00,000 units of the Hunter 350, which was pegged as its most affordable motorcycle and one for the non-traditional RE buyer, in just about three years! We’re talking about a 350cc Royal Enfield that was less focused on the rear view mirror and more oriented towards the road ahead—this was a rather new concept for the manufacturer during this time (remember, the liquid-cooled engine was not even a blip on the radar back then). The Hunter has now received a mid-life refresh, which adds some quality of life improvements to the motorcycle but more importantly, Royal Enfield claims to have updated the rear suspension, which is a concern as far as the ride quality is concerned.. However, despite being the most affordable Royal Enfield, it has never been able to eclipse the Classic 350 on the sales front. We’re just back from riding the updated, 2025 Hunter 350 (in pouring rain at that!) to find out just how much better the bike is.
The design is identical to the outgoing version, which is a good thing, as the Hunter always had a purity to its lines. The sculpted tank is now adorned by a few new colours named after some of the most iconic cities around the world. The side panels are always black on the Hunter, though I like how the colour of the circular element on the emblem is matched to the primary colour of the motorcycle.
The most noticeable visual difference is, of course, the headlamp, which is now an LED unit. The console is the same as before which means still no tachometer, but there’s a Tripper pod now—standard on the top trim. Royal Enfield has also added a USB Type-C fast charging port! The Hunter now also gets a different seat and handlebar, geared towards a more comfortable riding geometry. This has been done so well that it was not even apparent—while the motorcycle instantly felt more snug under my frame, neither the handlebar nor the seat stood out as being different from before. This may not sound like much, but believe me when I tell you that it is one of the most difficult tricks to pull off.
A big update on the list of mechanical changes undeniably is the slip-and-assist clutch—a first for 350cc Royal Enfield. It transforms the riding experience through traffic, as clutch action is light, and it was easy to anticipate the point of bite, and the whole thing could be summed up as effortless. I think this newfound ability of the Hunter to prowl the city streets in peak traffic is why the new colours are named after three of the densest cities in the world–London (red), Tokyo (black) and Rio (white)! The engine pulls strongly, just like it did before, but it feels like RE’s engineers have managed to free up a few more decibels from it, and we’re all for this kind of shenanigans.
The biggest change on the mechanical front though is the revised suspension. The fixed rate springs on the older Hunter, coupled with the Ceat tyres it came fitted with, made the bike a bit skittish over rougher surfaces and did not lend the rider the confidence to slingshot out of turns with the throttle wide open. The 2025 Hunter, with its progressive rate springs and MRF Zapper tyres (‘FM’ at the front and ‘C’ at the rear), offer a more confident feel to explore the handling, despite the pouring rain that plagued our time with the motorcycle. Another upside of the progressive rate springs is that the ride quality has improved a lot, be it when riding solo or with a pillion. Ground clearance has increased by 10mm to 160mm, which is not really noticeable unless you have speedbreakers on your commute that rival the Great Wall of China, but more ground clearance is always appreciated for the added peace of mind.
All these upgrades are only available on the Metro variant, on offer with alloy wheels. Expectedly, it commands a premium now, of ₹7,000 to be precise and retails from ₹1.77 lakh ex-showroom onwards. This is, in fact, a bargain, as the Tripper pod alone costs ₹5,000 as an optional accessory! The updates, when combined, have a large impact on the way the bike feels, and is a comprehensive improvement on nearly every front. While the Hunter 350 may probably never be able to dethrone the Classic 350 as Royal Enfield chart-topper, it doesn’t need to, as it has carved out a niche for itself as a jack-of-all-trades roadster that’s a hit with younger riders. This popularity should only grow with the changes on the latest one, me thinks!
