Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650 was the sales success of 2020 and towards the end of last year this, the Meteor 350, topped the sales charts in the UK… and there’s a very good reason for that.
Now an A2 compliant, sub £4k cruiser might not sound glamourous, but a glance at the spec sheet does say otherwise. Okay, it might weigh in at a surprisingly hefty 191kg, and the five-speed, 350cc single only pumps out 20.2bhp, but even so you do get a lot of metal for your money. For starters, it looks like a proper machine, with a surprisingly premium finish. From the etched logos on the rear seat to the big, teardrop tank with quality paint, the Meteor 350 looks far grander than a £4000 motorcycle should – and looks like it could come out of a factory with a more illustrious name above the door.
It’s got some incredibly nice features too, stuff that machinery double its price and size don’t even have. For example, the easy-to-read dash not only comes equipped with a fuel gauge and a gear indicator, you also get an additional digital LCD dash next to the analogue clocks, which hooks up via Bluetooth to Royal Enfield’s neat Tripper navigation app. To keep your phone charged there’s even a handily placed USB charging port neatly tucked in under the left hand switchgear. It’s also practical – even though the Meteor 350 offers up about 100mpg, under that Royal Enfield logo is a mammoth 15 litre fuel tank which offers up well over 250 miles on a single fuel stop. Oh, and it even comes equipped with a centre stand as standard too. But the real question is, how does it perform?
A real presence
I’m going to be completely honest, A2 cruisers are not my usual cup of tea. Yet with the Meteor 350 sitting in front of me I had no choice but to be impressed. Where a fair amount of low-capacity machines seem to feel more like plastic toys than motorbikes, the Enfield has a stance and presence of something much larger than just an average, budget A2 machine. There are some really nice touches up close too, from the classically shaped LED lights and big windshield, to the filler cap and even the machined fins on the engine. Royal Enfield have worked incredibly hard on making this machine something that looks more premium than the price tag would suggest.
Besides some exposed wiring around the suspension, the finish and the view in the cockpit is quite nice too, with that big teardrop tank and high bars oozing that big, cruiser spirit. There’s no rev counter, but the analogue dash is concise and informative too, with the neat little navigation system sitting nicely next to it, and it was only when firing the 350cc single into life that I remembered I was on an A2 compliant machine; with the stance and weight between my legs, I could’ve easy been fooled into thinking I was on top of something almost double in capacity.
Getting going, the riding position is fairly relaxed, as you’d expect from a cruiser-esque machine, thanks to a combination of the big, relaxed seat, high handlebars and slightly feet forward footpegs. The gear lever has a heel and toe shifter. It’s a bit of an unnecessary addition in my eyes, but if you’re worried about getting the top of your boots dirty when flicking up through the gearbox, then I suppose I get the point, although I did find it a bit niggly using it between first and second. As far as the riding experience goes, it’s fair to say that the Meteor 350 isn’t the most exciting package in the world. The air-cooled 350 single might be a very traditional format, but it is a new design which is fuel-injected and meeting the latest Euro5 emissions standards. It might lack power by modern standards, but it is smooth and gentle and an absolute pleasure to ride at slow speeds, although it doesn’t have much in terms of guts at the top end. It will struggle to take you north of 70mph, although it does sound pretty sweet, even on standard pipes.
For a cruiser that tips the scales not far off 200kg, it actually handles fairly nicely with a soft and easy feel tipping in and through corners. If you’re looking for a bike to bimble through town on, you could do far worse than a Meteor. Its slow speed agility is impressive, as not only does it feels balanced and nimble, it also has a tight turning cycle which I wasn’t expecting – especially considering its length. On wider, faster roads the little Enfield doesn’t do a bad job of staying composed, for what it is, with an ample amount of support and feedback while still packing enough ground clearance to have a little bit of fun too. In terms of the chassis, the only truly disappoint aspect were the brakes, as that single front disc offers very little in terms of bite and feeling.
Saying that though, it’s still worth remember what you get for the relatively small amount of money, and that includes a little bit of tech too. I downloaded the Royal Enfield app to give the Tripper system a try, and I was incredibly surprised at not only just how easy to use and connect it is, but how effective the navigation system works too. As the Tripper system runs through Google, it hooks up with no qualms whatsoever and the app works a dream through Google Maps, making it a really easy process no matter how much of a technophobe you might be. It’s also really clear to read on the go, with a small signal indicating when and where to turn, what exit to leave a roundabout, alongside the distance to it, and so on. At the end of the ride it even shows exactly how far you went, alongside average speed and distance covered, which is a really nice touch.
Conclusion
All in all, it has to be said that Royal Enfield’s Meteor 350 is an incredibly impressive package for the money. If you’re on a tight budget, or just looking for a simple and traditional steed, this Royal Enfield is hard to beat, thanks to its clean design, solid build and array of impressive features, such as built in navigation. Sure, it lacks a bit in terms of the actual ride but not enough to spoil the package, and if performance is what you’re looking for there are better options out there – albeit for quite a chunk more money.
Alongside the host of options on colour, it means that the Meteor 350 is an ideal first machine, or even a great platform to customise if you’re that way inclined. If it’s a more classically styled steed that you want, Enfield also have the more traditionally styled Classic 350 in the range. Priced at £4439, it uses the same basic platform but with styling based around the 1948 Royal Enfield G2. They might not blow your socks off, but they do offer a lot of bang for your buck.
It’s no surprise so many flying out of the showrooms.
