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!

The post 2025 Royal Enfield Hunter 350 First Ride Review first appeared on Turbocharged.

New Delhi/Mumbai, April 26, 2025: Royal Enfield, the global leader in the mid-size motorcycle segment, today introduced the 2025 Hunter 350 – a refreshed, feature-packed upgrade of its popular street roadster. Inspired by, and Designed for the Coolest Neighbourhoods of the World, the 2025 Hunter 350 offers three new colourways, upgraded features and continues to raise the bar for what an urban motorcycle can be – intuitive, nimble and effortlessly stylish.

Built for city streets, designed for self-expression and now more comfortable and capable than ever, the 2025 Hunter 350 was unveiled at HunterHood, Royal Enfield’s first-ever street culture festival hosted simultaneously in Mumbai and New Delhi. The platform served as the perfect launchpad for a motorcycle that was born from, and belongs to, the energy of the street.

THE NEW HUNTER 350 NEW FEATURES:

• From the white sands of Rio to the red brick lanes of London and the black asphalt streets of Tokyo—the all-new colourways of the 2025 Hunter 350 – Rio White, Tokyo Black, and London Red – are inspired by the coolest zip codes around the world. 
• Increased ground clearance, improved seat comfort, new suspension and an intuitive ergonomic triangle that syncs with the rider perfectly, enhancing riding comfort. 
• 2025 Hunter will be the first 350-cc motorcycle from RE to get the slip-assist clutch 
• LED headlamps, tripper pod and type-C USB fast charging for an improved rider experience

With its compact geometry, torquey 349cc J-series engine and distinctive, compact and neo-retro design, the new 2025 Hunter 350 is crafted for the new-age rider – whether they’re navigating tight corners or pulling up at the neighbourhood café. Since its launch, the motorcycle has built a loyal and growing community of over 500,000 riders globally, becoming one of Royal Enfield’s fastest-growing models.

Speaking at the launch, Yadvinder Singh Gulleria, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Enfield said: “The 2025 Hunter 350 has been a standout motorcycle in our portfolio – agile, youthful and incredibly loved by first-time riders and city commuters. We have elevated its performance and added thoughtful upgrades that make it even more exciting to own and ride, turning every neighbourhood into their playground. It continues to reflect the pulse of the streets – and that’s why we chose HunterHood to bring it to life.”

HunterHood, Royal Enfield’s new community-first platform, brought together thousands of riders, artists, skaters, and creators across Mumbai and Delhi for a day of live music, graffiti, BMX, dance battles and more. From rap acts like Ikka, Dhanji and Shah Rule to India’s largest custom-built skateboarding ramp, the energy was raw, real and deeply reflective of the world the Hunter belongs to.

The 2025 Hunter 350 is available for bookings starting today, across all authorised Royal Enfield dealerships and at royalenfield.com. 

The post Royal Enfield’s 2025 Hunter 350 Launched first appeared on Turbocharged.

The Oxford dictionary defines ‘Retro’ as the act of using styles or fashion from the recent past. While retro fashion has been in vogue since the early nineties, it is during the past decade that retro motorcycles have taken over. They are quite the craze today, even amongst the younger lot. It’s interesting as the retro theme has always surfed on the wave of nostalgia, a feeling the millennial generation are not quite familiar with. A good example is the popularity of Stranger Things, a Netflix-series set in the 80s, with the under-30 crowd; somehow, it’s quite popular with a generation born after the 80s. Fascinating, isn’t it? The two-wheeler world is not much different, with retro-styled motorcycles being one of the fastest-growing segments, not just in India, but around the world. That said, today’s young motorcycle enthusiasts are a discerning crowd, they want to have their cake and eat it too. So, retro motorcycles need to have the old-school looks alongwith the dynamics and performance of modern motorcycles, to suit the younger audiences. Anyone who has ridden a drum-brake-equipped old bike to 100kmph has seen their guardian angels, standing by the side of the road helplessly, frantically waving at them to slow down – that just won’t cut it today. 

There are a few retro motorcycles that cater to this younger generation and we brought three of them together to understand the trend better. This trio comprised the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Metro, the Jawa 42 and the Triumph Speed 400. Three motorcycles built on the same ethos but offering a unique charm of their own. 

Let’s begin with the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 – a motorcycle that captured my attention the day I joined TURBOCHARGED, as it was a longtermer parked at the office. The Hunter has a beautifully sculpted tank with knee-recesses, a curvy seat, and a small round tail lamp with a round headlamp – Royal Enfield knocked it out of the park in the design of the Hunter. A low seat height, and the slightly rear-set footpegs combined with an upright and wide handlebar, make the Hunter comfortable for a wide variety of riders as well. On the other hand, The looks of the Jawa are spot-on for that old-school vibe. The tear-drop fuel tank and the low, wide handlebar make the stance decidedly old-school, but the square-ish tail lamp looks a tad out of place. The 42 has the ignition key slot located on the side and a separate handle-lock which, while taking away from the convenience a smidge, adds oodles of retro charm! The design of the Triumph Speed 400 though, follows in the footsteps of its big brother – the Speed Twin, with the same overall stance – even the speedo needle is white and the drive chain is on the right side – both Triumph signature touches. The riding posture feels just right, a sentiment echoed by both Ben and Ritesh – one being shorter and the other, taller than me.

The Hunter’s USP is its ability to make you feel instantly comfortable – even if you have never ridden this motorcycle before. That quality makes the Hunter 350 one of the best beginner retro motorcycles out there, I feel. Add to that the unflappable stability and the nimbleness thanks to the modern 17-inch tyres and a plateau of torque you crest like a surfer on a neverending breaker – your smile becomes wider and wider inside your helmet until your jaw hurts! The fact that Royal Enfield managed to free up some extra sound from the J-Series engine for the Hunter just adds to the experience. I am just nitpicking here, but the clutch is still pretty heavy, though much better than older Enfields, and the tyres could be better.

Once we reached the hilltop viewpoint, we sat down at one of those roadside tea stalls and tried to warm ourselves up with some hot Maggi and chai. Despite the weather trying its best to play spoilsport, the fresh, earthy, rain-soaked air lifted our spirits. I had been eying the Jawa 42 for a while, particularly the sound of its exhaust on closed throttle, so I asked Ritesh to switch bikes with me, and got the keys of the Jawa from him.

Fire the Jawa up, and a soft burble greets you with the twin exhausts puttering away in harmony. The clutch is light and while the rear suspension feels a bit stiff at times over the pockmarked Ghat roads, the other old-school element, the 18-inch tyres add a dash of extra stability. The Jawa is happiest at middling speeds be it on the highway or in the city; though it will hit the tonne effortlessly, it will also let you know that you are missing the point of the bike. But cruising on it, occasionally closing the throttle to hear the glorious pops from the twin exhausts, you feel everything’s right with the world.

The Jawa takes you back to a simpler, unhurried period in time with a heady dose of nostalgia in just the right places. But other than that, it is thoroughly modern, with sorted dynamics a beginner would feel comfortable with at once. 

On the way back, I felt it was all going to be downhill, literally and figuratively, as this day was coming to an end, so to enliven the return trip, I asked Ben to swap bikes with me and got on the Triumph Speed 400 in the process. Ever since it launched, I had been itching to get some seat time on it, but never in my wildest imagination could I envision myself on a rain-soaked mountain road going downhill as my first chance to get acquainted with it.

The moment I got on it, the riding geometry felt just right. The clutch was featherlight, and so was the brake lever, which is a sensation I’m not used to. Yet, the brake feel was amazing, thanks to the radial calliper. The Speed 400 has a distinct big-bike feel about it, which makes it an ideal step up for someone upgrading to a mid-capacity motorcycle from a smaller one.

It however, is rather quick, which makes it less ideal for you to start your motorcycling journey with. The mid-range punch is exhilarating, but if the throttle is kept open, there’s an explosion of power on the higher part of the rev range, and you hit the limiter before you realise it is time to shift up. The suspension has a sophisticated feel to the damping, which was easy to experience on some of the more broken bits of tarmac we traversed. 

The three motorcycles are priced quite differently, but the Hunter with a starting price of just Rs 1.5 lakh, ex-showroom, and Rs 1.75 lakh for the Rebel Blue Metro Hunter as our test bike, it offers amazing value-for-money. The Jawa is easy on the pocket too, with prices starting at Rs 1.72 lakh, ex-showroom and our Allstar Black alloy-wheel equipped example costing Rs 1.97 lakh, ex-showroom. It is also available in a plethora of combinations – spoked wheels, integrated headlamp – the Jawa is a veritable à la carte menu of how retro you want your motorcycle to be. At Rs 2.33 lakh, ex-showroom, the Speed 400 is the most expensive of the bunch, but the top-notch cycle parts, the gutsy engine and the premium cachet of the Triumph badge make it a proper value-for-money proposition.

At the day’s end, standing at yet another roadside tea stall, I couldn’t help but smile, looking at the three bikes with their engines ticking cool. Regardless of which one you go for, there’s no loser here, only winners. Be it the approachability of the Enfield, the charm of the Jawa or the performance of the Triumph, these bikes will bring smiles to their owners, and at the end of the day, that’s what motorcycling is all about.

The post Retro-active first appeared on Turbocharged.