My short ride on the Hunter around the
hills and backstreets of San Diego remind-
ed me a bit of my first bike, the redoubt-
able twin-cylinder Yamaha SRV250—a
bike that ne
ver came to the U.S. I made
the comparison because the ride position
felt nearly identical, although the RE's 20
horsepower made for rather unenjoyable
freeway rides, especially when it was time
to pass a truck and it felt like it took an
hour to do so.
The single-cylinder engine is suited
not to freeway riding but to city confines,
again, another hint by RE at who this bike
is aimed at—kids riding to high school or
college—not jaded motorcycle journos
in their 40s. An extra cog in the gearbox
would help those freeway rides but its
best to just stay off those roads entirely
and take the back way home.
Having said this, once you settle into
the style of the bike, you'll find it's plenty
quick enough for most rides you'll under
-
take. There's decent low-end torque but
you still
need to keep the motor spinning
up to make the most of it. And there's
nothing like the sound of a single cylinder
on the pipe.
The ride quality is decent enough for
the price, but those north of 185 pounds
will benefit from turning that preload a
few clicks to stop the shock from blowing
through the stroke at any given opportunity.
Under brakes there's enough power to
haul you up but the feeling on the front is
pretty wooden. The rear, conversely, has
plenty of power and feel thanks to the
relatively large 270mm and single-piston
brake caliper. Both ends are mitigated by
unswitchable ABS, so you've got a little
safety net if things go wrong.
I was quite surprised by how much I
enjoyed my quick trip on the Hunter. It
doesn't have enough power for me, but
what it does have will work for riders that
don't have the same level of miles under
their belts as I do. It's an approachable,
QUICKSPIN I 2023 Royal Enfield Hunter 350
P106
Easy ergonomics will suit a
wide range of rider sizes.
