Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1500384
It's about as basic a mo- torcycle as you can get these days with two-piston front brakes, two channel ABS, non- adjustable 41mm front forks and a six-step preload adjust- able twin rear shock setup. The Hunter 350's simplic- ity is all part of its charm. At a claimed 399 pounds with a 90 percent tank of fuel (what's wrong with just giving it a full tank, Royal Enfield?), it's not what I'd call a featherweight, but its dead-neutral riding position almost reminds me of the Kawasaki Z900RS SE that I so love, which is paying the little Hunter 350 quite the compliment. This is a motorcycle aimed squarely at new riders, but even older riders can take a bit of enjoyment from the ride (as you'll soon read). The Hunter is not so much a hunter as it is a plaything, something that encourages you to just get on and ride rather than fear its presence like the current crop of super - bikes coming out of Europe. QUICKSPIN I 2023 Royal Enfield Hunter 350 P104 Thumping along the Cali coastline with an Indian-built single was never so much fun. A SECOND OPINION: RENNIE'S DAD RIDES THE HUNTER A nother 350 Enfield? Yes, but quite different to the cruiser- style Meteor. To me, the Hunter is very much in the ethos of the much-loved Classic 500 in that it has a neutral riding position with sensibly shaped handlebars, a long plush and comfortable seat, and footrests in the right place—in short, just get on and ride. And that's what I did. Thumbing the button to bring the Hunter to life had me checking that it was actually running. There's a pleasant grumble from the mega- phone-style muffler, which gets more aggressive on the run, with even a few crackles as you back off and change down. I think the new genera- tion J-Series engine is a neat looking package, with a long 85.8mm stroke. With only 20 horsepower on tap, a bit of stick is required at the lights, but wind it out (which it does willingly) and you'll soon be going as quickly as you need to, well ahead of the traffic. The single circular speedo is very easy to read, but the gear indicator is a bit hard to make out. For me, you don't need a digital gear indicator to tell you whether you're in the right gear on a big single with a five-speed 'box. There's nothing particularly remarkable about the fittings, but I found they all work as they should. The switches themselves don't need