Royal-Enfield Hunter 350 wins 'Indian Motorcycle Of The Year' award
What's the story
The retro-inspired Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has bagged the highly-acclaimed IMOTY or Indian Motorcycle Of The Year title for 2023. The motorcycle defeated nine other challengers to win the crown.
The bike was selected for the top spot by a panel of 15 senior motorcycle journalists from various publications.
TVS Ronin and Suzuki V-Strom SX were named the first and the second runner-up, respectively.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The IMOTY is the highest accolade that a motorcycle can win in the Indian market. It is awarded to the most capable offering of the year.
Ever since its debut in August last year, the Hunter 350 has become one of the most popular models for Royal Enfield on our shores.
The bike surpassed the 50,000 units sales milestone in just three months.
Design
The scrambler flaunts a teardrop-shaped fuel tank and bar-end mirrors
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is based on the critically-acclaimed J-series platform and flaunts a 13-liter teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a round headlamp unit, a wide handlebar with bar-end mirrors, a ribbed-pattern seat, split-type grab rails, an upswept exhaust, and circular LED taillamp.
It packs a semi-digital instrument cluster with an optional "Tripper Navigation" unit.
The motorcycle rolls either on 17-inch wire-spoked or alloy wheels.
Information
It is backed by a 20hp, 350cc J-series engine
The Hunter 350 draws power from a 349cc, air-cooled, J-series, single-cylinder engine that churns out a maximum power of 20.2hp and a peak torque of 27Nm. The mill is linked to a 5-speed gearbox.
Safety
The motorcycle is equipped with telescopic front forks
For rider safety, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 comes equipped with a disc brake on the front and a drum/disc on the rear wheel, along with either a single-channel or dual-channel ABS for better ride and handling characteristics.
The suspension duties on the retro-inspired motorcycle are handled by 41mm telescopic forks on the front and preload-adjustable twin shock absorbers on the rear end.
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Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Pricing
In terms of pricing, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 starts at Rs. 1.5 lakh for the base Retro variant and Rs. 1.72 lakh for the range-topping Metro Rebel model (all prices, ex-showroom). It is currently the most affordable offering from the Chennai-based brand in India.