What else to buy instead of Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is one of the best-selling motorcycles for the Chennai-based bikemaker. The two-wheeler is set to receive a facelift soon, as a production-ready mule has been spotted during a test run, sans camouflage. Notably, the middleweight cruiser segment has expanded rapidly since Meteor's introduction in 2020. Here are the top alternatives to the cruiser motorcycle that you can consider in India.
Why does this story matter?
Royal Enfield is one of the oldest automakers around the world, with a history of over 120 years. The company opened a new chapter with the Meteor 350 by introducing the ground-up developed J-series architecture (both engine and chassis). While the bike held the top spot in the sub-500cc cruiser segment for a while, can the champion retain its crown against new contenders?
First, a quick look at the Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 ranges between Rs. 2.31 lakh and Rs. 2.56 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom). It flaunts a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, split-type seats, a large windscreen, a circular headlight, and designer alloy wheels. For safety, it has disc brakes on both wheels, dual-channel ABS, telescopic front forks, and dual rear shock absorbers. It draws power from a 349cc, air-cooled, J-series, single-cylinder engine (20.2hp/27Nm).
JAWA 42: Costs Rs. 1.98 lakh
JAWA 42 features a sloping fuel tank, a wide handlebar with bar-end mirrors, a rounded headlight unit, a small wind deflector, a single-piece flat-type seat, blacked-out alloy wheels, and lengthy dual exhausts. The cruiser gets disc brakes on both wheels, dual-channel ABS, telescopic front forks, and dual rear shock absorbers for safety. It is powered by a 293cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine (27hp/27Nm).
Yezdi Roadster: Price starts at Rs. 2.06 lakh
Yezdi Roadster sports a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a round headlight, a wide handlebar, a stepped-up seat, a backrest, a round LED taillamp with a chrome surround, multi-spoke alloy wheels, and dual peashooter exhausts. To ensure rider safety, it has disc brakes on both wheels, dual-channel ABS, telescopic front forks, and twin rear shock absorbers. It is fueled by a 334cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine (29hp/29Nm).
Honda H'ness CB350: Price begins at Rs. 2.1 lakh
Honda H'ness CB350 sits on a half-duplex cradle frame and gets a sculpted fuel tank, a wide handlebar, chromed mirrors, a side-mounted exhaust, a semi-digital instrument cluster, and a USB charging socket. For rider safety, disc brakes, dual-channel ABS, traction control system, telescopic front forks, and dual rear shock absorbers are available. It runs on a 348.36cc, air-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine (20.8hp/30Nm).
Benelli Imperiale 400: Available at Rs. 2.35 lakh
Benelli Imperiale 400 gets a muscular fuel tank, split-type seats with a single-piece grab rail, a circular halogen headlight, a pea-shooter exhaust, and a semi-digital instrument cluster. The cruiser has disc brakes on both wheels, dual-channel ABS, telescopic front forks, and dual rear shock absorbers to ensure the rider's safety. It is backed by a 374cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine (20.7hp/29Nm).
