The Meteor 350 will be based on an all-new platform and will also be offered with a new 350 cc engine with higher power and torque figures as compared to the Thunderbird
Royal Enfield decided to introduce a replacement for the ‘Thunderbird’ in the brand’s Indian line-up, and the bike was set for a launch earlier, but the event had to be shifted to a later date because of unforeseen circumstances. Later on, the homegrown two-wheeler manufacturer went on to confirm that the new motorcycle will be launched in June 2020.
The Meteor 350 will be based on an all-new J-platform (J1D, to be precise), unlike any other Royal Enfield motorcycle before it. However, the said platform could be used for the future single-cylinder RE bikes. Powering the bike will be a new 350 cc air-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder motor, delivering more power than the current 350 cc powertrain that is rated at 19.3 PS/28 Nm.
The engine is expected to come mated to a 6-speed gearbox, unlike the 5-speed unit currently on offer, which will improve the motorcycle’s performance on the highways. The Thunderbird 350 was equipped with a single downtube frame, however, the Meteor 350 will come with a new double downtube frame.
The bike is expected to be offered with telescopic forks, dual gas-charged shock absorbers, alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, and disc brakes on both ends with dual-channel ABS as a standard fitment. The Meteor 350 could also get a slipper clutch.
The Meteor 350 is also expected to get a host of new features including a semi-digital instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity, which will make it the first Royal Enfield motorcycle to be offered with these features. The company also confirmed that it is working on connected technology for its motorcycles, and we could see it being offered in future models.
The Meteor has previously been spied, which revealed that the new motorcycle will be sharing its overall design with the now discontinued Thunderbird X; which was the premium model in the Thunderbird range. Royal Enfield is expected to launch the bike at a base price of about Rs 1.70 lakh (ex-showroom). Upon launch, the new bike will be pitted against the likes of the Jawa, Benelli Imperial 400 as well as the Bajaj Dominar.
