Pricing, Engine
Suspension , Fit and Finish
Why Hunter? Why Bangkok? These were the two questions I asked Siddharth Lal, who is fondly called Sid – perhaps the only MD of a motorcycle company who can also be safely called a Dude. Why the name Hunter ? because RE was aiming at hunting down all those who have not yet got hit by the bullet fired from the barrels of Meteors, Classics, Scrams & Himalayans of the world.Why Bangkok? Because it is a huge market in itself, and there were journalists from as far as Columbia, there is a visa on arrival, and there is a RE manufacturing unit as well. Bangkok is a vibrant city which offers to crawl traffic and open roads at the same time. And of course, if you are tired of riding, you can book yourself a Thai massage and go back riding again!
The propositions of Hunter were quite clear, targeting city dwellers of 125- 250 cc riders, first-time riders who were otherwise bewildered by the heaviness of a classic Royal Enfield. Riders, who can cruise around the city with a lighter and more affordable RE swag.
After hunting with this Hunter for more than 200km through open stretches and jam-packed traffic of Bangkok, I am convinced enough that this Hunter is capable enough to hunt on the 200-250cc motorcycle segment. Prices starting from Rs1.49lakhs to Rs 1.69 lakhs makes Hunter the compelling choice for whoever wishes to own the legacy of the RE brand. Honestly, this is something not worthy enough as its elder sibling Classic 350. Hunter with a 250cc engine proposition would have been an ideal choice, especially with fuel efficiency, But RE does not yet make one. Nevertheless, it’s still an attractive bet in terms of value for money offering. I wish suspension should be softened a bit to provide better ride quality. In addition, when ridden at a slow speed, the engine heats up, downgrading the experience. Royal Enfield has done a tremendous job building the bike from the ground up, and you might just bite the “Hunter Bullet “and get a “Classic” taste of a Royal Enfield.
