Is Keeway K-Light 250V better than Royal Enfield Meteor 350?
Hungarian automaker Keeway recently entered the Indian market with the K-Light 250V cruiser motorcycle. It goes up against its primary rival in the mid-capacity cruiser segment, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. While the former gets a V-Twin motor, the Meteor offers a bigger engine with more power as well as loads of customization options. So, which one should you buy?
Why does this story matter?
The sub-400cc motorcycle segment in India has seen a lot of activity in recent years with new brands entering the touring and cruiser categories. Royal Enfield was one of the early movers with its Thunderbird 350 and 500 models. They were among the first to offer comfortable ergonomics and large fuel tanks. However, Keeway has upped the game by offering a segment-first V-Twin engine.
The K-Light 250V can store more fuel
The Keeway K-Light 250V has a feet-forward design language with a large 20-liter fuel tank, a wide handlebar, a stepped-up seat with a backrest, and twin shotgun-style exhausts. The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 gets a 15-liter teardrop-shaped fuel tank, split-type seats with a backrest, a large windscreen, and a circular headlight. Both feature an all-LED lighting setup, a semi-digital instrument cluster, and alloy wheels.
Meteor 350 is backed by a more powerful engine
The Keeway K-Light 250V draws power from a 249cc, air-cooled, V-twin engine that generates a maximum power of 18.7hp and 19Nm of peak torque. The bike has a segment-first belt-drive system. The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is fueled by a 349cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder mill that is linked to a 5-speed gearbox. The motor makes 20.2hp of maximum power and 27Nm of peak torque.
Both the bikes feature dual-channel ABS
For the rider's safety, both the Keeway K-Light 250V and Royal Enfield Meteor 350 get disc brakes on the front and the rear wheels, along with dual-channel ABS for better handling on the roads. Suspension duties are handled by inverted front forks on the former, while the latter gets 41mm telescopic forks at the front. On the rear, both have twin shock absorbers.
Which one should you go for?
While the pricing is yet to be announced for the Keeway K-Light 250V, we expect the motorcycle to be priced at around Rs. 2.6 lakh. The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 starts at Rs. 2.01 lakh and goes up to Rs. 2.18 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom). Our vote goes in favor of the Meteor 350 for its better power figures and higher value-for-money quotient.
