Royal Enfield has finally launched the much-awaited Meteor 350 in the Indian market at the starting price of INR 1.75 lakh ex-showroom. The Meteor 350 comes with an all-new engine and chassis that have been newly developed for the new motorcycle. The brand also upgraded its bestseller the Classic 350 which sits in the same segment but comes with the old generation engine line up. In this technical comparison, we have the Royal Enfield bread butter on one side and the latest entrant the Meteor 350 on the other.
Engine:
The Meteor 350 is based on the brand latest-generation J-Series engine which has axed the push-rod driven valve distribution system for a more advanced chain-gear timing system with an overhead camshaft. The new engine is an air-oil cooled 349cc unit with a long-stroke setup for the hallmark thump and tractability throughout the rev range. The new engine makes 20.8 Bhp of power and 27 Nm of torque matched to a new 5-speed transmission that has also been optimised. The Royal Enfield Classic is powered by a BS6 compliant 346cc air-cooled single-cylinder, four-stroke, twin-spark engine with a long-stroke that produces 19.1 Bhp of power and 28 Nm of torque matched to a 5-speed constant mesh gearbox.
Chassis & Suspension:
The Meteor 350 has been developed from the grounds-up and features a new generation twin downtube spine frame that rides on 41mm conventional telescopic forks on the front and 6-step adjustable twin-tube emulsion shock absorbers on the rear. The Royal Enfield Classic 350 comes with a single downtube chassis using the engine as a stressed member and rides on 35mm conventional front forks and 5-step adjustable twin-gas charged shock absorbers on the rear. The front suspension on both the Meteor and the Classic offers 130mm of travel.
Brake & Dimensions:
The Meteor 350 is equipped with a single 300mm disc with a floating two-piston calliper on the front and a 270mm single disc on the rear with a single-piston calliper equipped with a dual-channel ABS setup. The Classic 350 features a single 280mm disc with a double-piston calliper on the front and 240 mm disc with a single-piston calliper on the rear equipped with dual-channel ABS. The Meteor 350 is set up for highway cruising and offers a 1400mm wheelbase and 170mm of ground clearance along with 765mm seat height along with 19-inch front and 17-inch rear alloy wheels. The Classic 350 features a 1390mm of wheelbase and 135mm of ground clearance, but unfortunately, the official seat height is not mentioned in official sources but the seat height on the Classic 350 is likely to be taller than the Meteor 350. The Royal Enfield Classic also comes with a 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel setup in both alloy and spoke wheel options.
Features:
Feature-wise the Meteor 350 beats the Royal Enfield Classic 350 hand down. The newly-developed motorcycle comes with digital-analogue instrumentation with a dedicated navigation pod, fuel gauge, trip meter, clock and a plethora of other indications. It also comes with retro-classic switchgear, hazard lamps, LED daytime running lamps, LED tail lamps etc. The Royal Enfield Classic 350 comes with halogen setup for its lights, an analogue speedometer, analogue ampere meter and lights for low-fuel indication.
Price:
The Meteor 350 is priced starting INR 1,75,817 ex-showroom for the Fireball, INR 1,81,326 ex-showroom for the Stellar and INR 1,90,536 ex-showroom for the Supernova edition. The Classic 350 is priced starting at INR 1.70 lakh ex-showroom, Delhi.