HUNTING FOR MORE

Is the new Hunter a meaningful upgrade or just an attempt to tick the update box?

- AAKASH S PAUL

Let me begin with a confession. I've had a soft spot for the Hunter 350 ever since its launch. The idea of a compact and fairly agile neo-retro 350 with minimal electronics always appealed to me. So, when Royal Enfield updated the bike, I was quite happy to see that most of the things that I admired in it remained intact, while some welcome quality-of-life improvements were added, at least on paper. According to the company, these updates are the result of customer feedback. So naturally, I wanted to find out how well these changes hold up in real-world riding conditions.

MINOR GLOW-UP

With this update, the Hunter 350 is offered with three new colour options - one of which, the London Red, was the variant that we had on test. The graphics are tastefully done - they are not too flashy but visually appealing. More significantly, the halogen headlamp has been replaced with an LED unit. That said, the base model still comes with the old halogen unit.

Now, I haven't been particularly impressed by the LED lights on other RE models, so I kept my expectations in check. Surprisingly, though, the new unit on the Hunter managed to exceed them. The throw is actually quite decent, even on low beam. That said, I do feel that the intensity could've been dialled up a bit more. At sane city speeds, it performs well. But when you are relying solely on the headlamp, especially when you have to deal with the glare from oncoming traffic, it becomes clear that even the high beam doesn't offer much in terms of illumination.

TECH-TILE CHANGE