Royal Enfield recently launched its latest product in the Indian market, the Hunter 350. The most compact, lightweight, and sporty model from the brand’s lineup aim to cater to new segments. It is also the second most affordable bike in the Royal Enfield lineup. There’s a lot of hype around the Hunter 350, and we will have to see how it delivers on it. For now, as we know the Hunter 350’s specifications, we compare it against the other popular pick in the segment, the Jawa Forty Two. In this specification comparison, we compare the powertrain, variants, pricing and more so you can make an informed buying decision.
The latest product on the market, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, is available in three variants – Retro Factory, Metro Dapper and Metro Rebel. Prices start at INR 1,49,900 ex-showroom for the Retro Factory variant. Meanwhile, the Metro Dapper and Metro Rebel variants carry a sticker price of INR 1,63,900 and INR 168,900 ex-showroom, respectively.
At the same time, the Jawa Forty Two is available in three variants. These are – Single-Channel ABS, Dual-Channel ABS and 42 Version 2.1. Prices start at INR 1,67,487 ex-showroom for the Single-Channel ABS variant. Meanwhile, the Dual-Channel ABS starts from INR 1,76,429 ex-showroom. At the same time, the 42 Version 2.1 costs INR 1,94,142 ex-showroom.
In total, Royal Enfield is offering the Hunter 350 with 8 colour options. The Retro Factory variant comes in two – Factory Black and Factory Silver, while the Metro Dapper comes in three – Dapper White, Dapper Ash and Dapper Grey. Meanwhile, the top-end Metro Rebel variant also comes in three colour options – Rebel Black, Rebel Blue and Rebel Red. Out of all the colour options, the Metro Dapper variant’s Dapper Grey colour option is exclusively available through Royal Enfield MIY.
Meanwhile, the Jawa Forty Two’s Single-Channel ABS and Dual-Channel ABS variants are available in a total of 6 colour options. These are – Nebula Blue, Comet Red, Starlight Blue, Lumos White, Galactic Green and Halley’s Teal. Out of these, the Nebula Blue and Comet Red get a gloss finish, while the other options come in a matte finish. The top-end 42 Version 2.1 is available in three colour options – Orion Red, Sirius White and Allstar Black.
Powering the Hunter 350 is a 349cc air and oil-cooled single-cylinder engine with a 2-valve SOHC valvetrain and a 5-speed gearbox. The long-stroke motor makes 20.4 PS at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm at 4,000 rpm. This is the same engine that also does duty in the Meteor 350 and Classic 350.
On paper, the Jawa Forty Two offers a better setup. It uses a 293cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder DOHC engine that makes 27.33 PS and 27.02 Nm of torque. Thus, while the torque is almost identical, the Jawa makes almost 7 PS more than the Hunter 350. In addition to this, Jawa Forty Two also comes with a 6-speed gearbox. The additional gear will help it with its highway cruising capabilities.
All the variants of the Hunter 350 use a twin downtube spine frame. As for the suspension setup, the Hunter 350 uses 41mm telescopic forks and 6-step adjustable twin shock absorbers. The braking setup is the same for the Metro Dapper and Metro Rebel variants. However, it is different between the Retro Factory and Metro variants. The Retro and Metro variants both get a 300m disc at the front. At the back, however, the Retro gets a 6-inch drum brake while the Metro gets a 270mm disc brake. Additionally, the Retro Factory only gets Single-Channel ABS, while the Metro Dapper and Metro Rebel get Dual-Channel ABS.
Furthermore, there are differences when it comes to wheels and tyres as well. The Retro Factory uses 17-inch wire-spoke wheels with 100/80-section front and 120/80-section rear tyres. On the other hand, the Metro Dapper and Metro Rebel get 17-inch alloy wheels with 110/70-section front and 140/70-section rear tyres.
All the Jawa Forty Two variants share a double cradle frame chassis. As for the suspension, like the Hunter 350, there are no differences between the variants. They all use telescopic hydraulic forks at the front and gas canister-twin hydraulic shock absorbers at the back. As for the brakes, all variants come with a 280mm front disc brake. At the back, except for the Single-Channel variant, all variants get a 240mm disc brake. Meanwhile, the Single-Channel ABS variant makes do with a 153mm drum brake.
When it comes to wheel sizes, all variants use an 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel with 90/90-section front and 120/80-section rear tyres. However, while the Single-Channel ABS and Dual-Channel variants get wire-spoke wheels, the 42 Version 2.1 comes with alloy wheels.
Also Read: TVS Ronin Vs. Royal Enfield Meteor – Specification Comparison