Everything you need to know about the new Royal Enfield Meteor

It has been a while since Royal Enfield launched a proper mainstream product (and not a limited edition, niche product) so understandably, anticipation levels have been high for the Meteor 350. The Meteor replaces the highly popular Thunderbird and the Thunderbird X and is available in three variants – Fireball, Stellar and Supernova.

Pretty much everything, according to Royal Enfield. The brand has ensured that the visual lineage can instantly be traced back to the Thunderbird X, but the Meteor has been meticulously calibrated to address highway and city riding needs. Although the engine capacity continues to remain the same, RE have developed a new 349cc, single- cylinder air-cooled engine, this time equipped with a balancer shaft to make the ride quality much smoother than before while still retaining the trademark “thump” that brings hordes of novice riders to the RE altar. The BS6 compliant motor makes a similar 20.2 bhp along with 27Nm of torque but remains noticeably smoother, with better cooling mechanisms in place.

The bike also gets a new double-downtube cradle frame chassis but isn’t equipped with monoshock suspension, sticking with twin shock suspension at the rear, with 6-step preload adjustment.

The ex-showroom price for the entry-level Meteor has been announced at Rs 1.76 lakh (Fireball), Rs 1.81 for the Stellar and 1.90 for the fully- kitted out Supernova, which includes dual-tone colours, tan seats, a windscreen and a backrest. In addition to this, the brand is also offering customisation options through its “Make Your Own” app, where one has the option of speccing out the bike with a variety of exhausts, bar-end mirrors, crash guards, paint schemes etc. Bigger footpegs and windscreen options are also included and the Meteor is the only bike currently on sale, apart from the 650 Twins, that has this option.

The Meteor is designed for a customer with a single motorcycle garage. While it will be sold in international markets, it’s ergonomics have been designed keeping in mind, Indian riding conditions along with the criticism received by the brand over the decades, with regards to quality control, engine refinement etc. According to RE, the Meteor has been built with the same attention to detail as the 650 twins, the latter having passed the litmus test of being critically and commercially well-received in International markets.

While the bike is very much a cruiser, with forward-set footpegs, tall handlebars and a low-slung, wide berth, RE has practiced enough restraint with the seating position to make it easier to maneuver in city traffic. It’s also equipped the bike with tripper navigation that can be accessed through the ‘Royal Enfield’ app, which provides turn-by-turn navigation instructions through a digital dial with a coloured TFT display.

The suspension, while stiffer than the outgoing Thunderbird, makes for better highway riding and better cornering. The LED headlamps, alloy wheels and chrome plated badge (on the Supernova) make for a noticeably better finish, but the real hero is the new and vastly improved motor with better torque distribution, higher RPM and overall smoothness. It’s the sort of motor that takes RE out of the glitch-ridden quagmire, it’s entry-level bikes were stuck in, and propels the brand into a new decade, as a maker of robust, well-finished and versatile modern- retro motorcycles. The Meteor is a great all-rounder – light and nimble in the city, smooth and sure-footed on the highway.