BHPian Amby955 recently shared this with other enthusiasts: My Experience with the Hunter 350: 9 Months and 5,100 km Later I finally joined the Royal Enfield family by getting a Hunter 350, and it’s been quite a journey over the past 9 months. Currently I’ve done 5,100 km with about 35% of highway rides and the rest in city traffic. Why the Hunter 350? Returning to India after spending a few years abroad, I knew I wanted to own a Royal Enfield upon return. Instead of taking the conventional route and buying a car, I decided it was now or never for experiencing a motorcycle. While deciding on a bike I was heavily biased toward RE, I did test rode the Bullet 350 initially. However, the Hunter 350 felt much more comfortable for me, particularly because of my limited height. I still like the Bullet for its looks and ride quality. I booked the bike right after the test ride and later test rode other bikes in the segment, just to be informed about the market and to know where Hunter stands. I liked the Honda H’ness, but its height wasn’t ideal for me, and the Hunter felt better suited for city rides. Paid the balance amount after all this test rides and took delivery of the Hunter a couple of days later. Ownership Experience: In these 9 months, the bike has been a joy overall, though it hasn’t been without its quirks. I wasn’t expecting a completely smooth ownership experience with an RE, so these minor issues didn’t surprise me. Here’s a summary of the niggles I faced: Fuel Leak: This happened twice between the first service (500KM) and 800 km. The fuel hose came loose, spraying fuel over my jeans and shutting down the bike. Once, it occurred on the road, which was quite inconvenient, but managed to fix it on the spot by reconnecting the hose. Luckily, it hasn’t happened since. Mirrors: The mirrors occasionally come loose. What’s odd is that the threading on the mirror mounts seems severely stripped, yet it still holds them in place for now. Fixing this would require replacing the brake and clutch pedal assemblies. Will do it in the future depending on the situation. Engine Guard: I opted for the RE engine guard during purchase. Over time, one of the bolts came loose. During the second service, the service center replaced it with a generic bolt, and I was informed the original bolt is only available with a new guard set. Thats quite inconvenient for a customer. Indicator: Out of nowhere, the amber cover of one indicator broke internally, even though there was no visible external damage. I’ve temporarily fixed it with superglue. None of these issues have been critical, and I plan to address them during upcoming services. The Good Stuff: Despite the minor hiccups, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the bike. It’s perfect for daily commutes and has proven its capability on a couple of 320 km rides between Chennai and Bangalore. These were my first long-distance rides, and while I was initially skeptical, the Hunter performed just fine. Now, I’m confident about taking it on longer trips, though I think 400 km/day is my personal limit, assuming good road conditions, but I am sure the machine can do longer without any problem. I have only taken it up to speeds on 100km/hr, it performs fine. Only major issue at higher speeds is that the mirrors are of no use with the vibrations. I personally don’t feel the vibrations increasing with speeds, but the mirror does. Might be a problem with me or maybe problem with the mirrors. Planning to try RE bar end mirrors or touring mirrors, but both are pretty expensive, and will purchase this depending on the frequency of long rides. Areas for Improvement: While the bike meets my expectations, there are a few areas where it could do better:Tires: The bike skids occasionally on braking, even with ABS. It’s not frequent but enough to affect confidence.Brakes: The braking setup could definitely use an upgrade. The rear brake is particularly underwhelming, while the front is marginally better, with room for improvement.Fuel Indicator: The fuel gauge is unreliable. For instance, half a tank on the display is much closer to empty. A full tank usually takes about 8-9 liters, at the same time filling tank with two blocks to full is 5L, mid you it has a total of 7 blocks on display when full.Seat Comfort: The stock seat isn’t great for long rides. I use a gel seat for rides over 100 km.Suspension: Its a bit on the harder side, could do a lot better on suspension. Hopefully this will be reflected on facelift models.Looking Ahead: Despite these niggles, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. The bike has been a joy to ride, and those Bangalore trips are memories I’ll always enjoy and plan to do more frequently. I plan to explore more destinations soon-procrastination permitting! I’m also considering adding a second bike to my garage, possibly a pre-owned RE 500cc or 650cc model for longer rides, while keeping the Hunter for city commutes. I enjoy working on my vehicles and have done with all my past vehicles, but plan to wait until the Hunter’s warranty period ends. I am pretty positive that some thing will come up that requires a warranty claim for the Hunter. Overall, I’m loving the biking experience and looking forward to more adventures on the Hunter and heres a few pics for pleasure to the eyes. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
