Rennie Scaysbrook | May 15, 2021
Royal Enfield’s latest cruiser is here. And the Meteor 350 and might prove an ideal platform to get started in motorcycling.
There are three trim levels on the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 starting at the base-level Fireball ($4399) and its blacked-out features. The Stellar ($4499) offers chrome accents and includes the passenger backrest while the Supernova, pictured here ($4599) sports dual-tone paint, the passenger backrest, a windshield and upgraded seat).
Photography by Ryan Nitzen and Rennie Scaysbrook
The gigantic concern that is Royal Enfield continues to make a lot of noise in the United States. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the arrival of the 650 Continental series and the Himalayan adventure bike, and now we have the latest installment in the Meteor 350.
Retailing for $4399, the Meteor sits alongside the Bullet and Classic 350 roadsters as the brand’s entry-level cruiser. Utilizing a 349cc single-cylinder four-stoke producing a claimed 20 horsepower and 27 lb-ft of torque, and mated to a five-speed gearbox, the Meteor 350 is about as unintimidating a motorcycle as you can get in 2021. It’s certainly not going to win any drag races with those numbers, but it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable little motor that produces good speed right through the rev range.
This is a motor that will get to 70 mph easy enough, but it won’t go much faster, so you need to take that into consideration when choosing your routes. Think backroad cruiser, not highway warrior.
The Meteor’s five-speed gearbox is mated to a traditional cruiser heel-toe gearshift system, which I am not a fan of. It’s especially annoying in that I can barely fit my size 11 shoe under the gearshift if I wanted to shift in the traditional sense. Be that as it may, the gearbox is a smooth little unit and linked to a light clutch pull, something new riders will appreciate.
The heel-toe system is classic cruiser style, but if you have big feet, it could be a problem.
You’re lugged with some pretty reasonable weight at 421 curb pounds with a four-gallon tank of gas, so the scales are definitely tipped more towards weight than power. However, the Meteor is a surprisingly nimble little machine when you take those numbers into account. Rolling on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels wrapped in Indian-made Ceat Zoom Plus tires, the Meteor’s solidity in the middle of the corner is a boon. Once on its side, the Meteor is rock solid and will track its line smoothly. It’s a soft ride with no adjustment on the front and preload on the rear, and as long as you don’t go crashing over road corrugations, the ride will be plenty comfortable.
You’re very upright on the Meteor—it’s not a traditional slouch riding position like on many other cruisers, and the 30.1-inch seat height should be low enough that 99 percent of potential riders will get both feet on the ground at the lights.
The Royal Enfield parts catalog includes this handy backrest.
The switchgear is from another century.
Our Meteor was fitted with a screen and backrest for passengers, part of a massive catalog of aftermarket parts from Royal Enfield. Without the screen, the Enfield becomes more a naked bike than a cruiser, and you can set this bike up how you like with bags and don’t forget to get the excellent little Tripper navigation unit.
The Tripper nav system is an elegant design from RE. It works with Google Maps and your paired phone and gives turn-by-turn navigation via a little dial on the right side of the dash. It’s a great little system, easy to read, use and understand, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more manufacturers don’t go this way soon.
The Tripper navigation system is excellent.
The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 should prove a good entry-level machine for new riders, especially those looking for something different. There’s an entire Indian motorcycling subculture that’s invading the United States right now, as Royal Enfield has been doing great things with the Johnny Lewis Slide School and in American Flat Track, and the Meteor 350 should help boost the company’s new rider profile nicely. CN
VIDEO | 2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Review
2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Specifications
| MSRP: |
$4,399 |
| Engine: |
Single-cylinder 4-stroke |
| Cooling system: |
Air-cooled |
| Displacement: |
349cc |
| Bore x stroke: |
72 x 85.8mm |
| Fuel system: |
EFI |
| Exhaust: |
1-1 |
| Transmission: |
5-speed |
| Front suspension: |
41mm telescopic fork |
| Rear suspension: |
Twin shock |
| Front-wheel travel: |
5.1 in. |
| Rear-wheel travel: |
3.4 in. |
| Front brake: |
300mm disc, 2-piston caliper; ABS |
| Rear brake: |
270mm disc, 1-piston caliper |
| Front tire: |
100/90 x 19 in. |
| Rear tire: |
140/70 x 17 in. |
| Wheelbase: |
55.1 in. |
| Seat height: |
30.1 in. |
| Fuel capacity: |
4.0 gal. |
| Weight (wet, claimed): |
421 lbs. |
