Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Supernova

Customers who wanted something more comfortable, touring-friendly, and unique than the Classic chose the Royal Enfield Thunderbird. However, the cruiser-style motorcycle had its own set of flaws: it wasn't very sleek in the city and didn't have many amenities. Aside from upgrading the Thunderbird, Royal Enfield wanted something new to entirely revitalise the brand image. The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 was created in response to this demand. The Meteor 350, on the other hand, is a whole new motorbike, not merely an update to the Thunderbird.

The chrome badging on the tank (only on the top-spec variant) and the circular tail lamp are the only aesthetic differences between the Meteor and the Thunderbird. The headlamp is also unique, using a halogen light with LED DRL instead of Thunderbird's projector. Closer inspection reveals beautiful metallic flakes on the colour, lending the Meteor 350 a premium appearance. While most components have improved in fit, polish, and build quality since the Thunderbird, the handlebar grips and new switchgear appear to be of worse quality.

Let's move our attention to the new 348cc air-cooled engine, which receives significant internal modifications. When you turn on the Meteor, it meets you with a thunderous exhaust note. While it lacks the typical 'dug-dug' sound, the exhaust note has more bass than the Classic 350.

Anyway, the Meteor aims for refinement from the start, but there is a faint buzz on the foot pegs throughout the rev range. But these sensations are not at all obtrusive. Now, the engine produces 20.2 HP and 27 Nm, which isn't much different from what the Thunderbird or Classic 350 gives, and none of these figures is particularly exciting on paper or on the road.

That's because Royal Enfield designed the Meteor with beginning riders and customers upgrading from smaller displacement motorcycles in mind. In that regard, the Meteor 350 is welcoming, and the throttle is light and sharp. While the clutch pull could be lighter, the gear shifts are accurate and butter-smooth throughout the five-speed transmission. The Meteor is at home on the highway, where it can easily travel at 90-100kmph. The installation of a wide windscreen up front also works wonders.

But it is in the city that the Meteor outperforms the Thunderbird. The Meteor 350 is an agile motorbike to ride because of its redesigned chassis, dynamic riding posture, and well-setup suspension. Despite its 191kg kerb weight, the motorcycle is easy to manoeuvre through traffic. It's also surprisingly easy to move the bike around, however, we found it difficult to get it on the main stand. In terms of braking, the dual-disc arrangement with dual-channel ABS provides a good feel but could need more biting power, particularly at the front.

Royal Enfield has upgraded the Meteor 350 with a Bluetooth-enabled secondary display that provides turn-by-turn navigation. The colour display is light sensitive and functions after connecting to the smartphone app and entering the location. To the left of this display is the main instrument cluster, which is well-read and visually pleasing.

It has an analogue speedometer with a round digital display that displays information such as gear position, two trip metres, a service due indicator, a clock, and a semi-circle-shaped fuel gauge. While Thunderbird's projector headlamp has been replaced with a halogen unit, it still provides superb illumination. The Meteor 350 Supernova is available in three colours: Supernova Brown, Supernova Blue, and Supernova Red.