Hunter 350 - my first motorcycle

[Clogboy]

Clogboy, welcome & I’m sure you’re enjoying your Hunter. I sure am mine.
I have a quirk/favor to ask/advise you & I hope you take no offense. M/c’s are ridden not driven so as you meet more riders you will appear less a newby using the term ride instead of drive when describing your experiences.
That said, ride far, ride safe. Take care.

Thanks, I'm aware, must have slipped my mind. Different native language.

 

[davehayward1]

So after 7 years of having a motorcycle license, I finally took the plunge and bought a Hunter 350. Couldn't be happier to have waited so long, cause my other choice would have likely been a Bandit.
This being my first bike I don't really have a whole lot of reference, although I have driven a fair amount of kilometers on a Kawasaki getting my license. That being said, I went to an event with my brother where Royal Enfield had a stand. We were both really enamoured with the Hunter 350. It really got my fire burning again, and the more I looked at it, the more the bike as a whole made sense. All the reviews I looked up were very positive too so I went to the dealership for a test drive. The short ride confirmed that everything doesn't only look right, but also feels right. So I ordered one which was ready for pickup two weeks later.

My general impression is that the bike is slightly underpowered when compared to other bikes - even compared to most cars. It's not a big bike, it's not a fast bike. But don't look for performance in the high revs. It's in low revs where it shines, and where it sounds like a chopper but a fairly restrained one (you're not going to disturb an entire neighborhood just by revving once or twice). It's a very restrained bike, very classy looking, I'd say it's a gentleman's commuter with a sporty attitude in the sense that it has all the modern day features to make your drive safe and comfortable.
It is often compared to the looks of a Triumph Bonneville. But that's where the comparison ends. My brother has a T120 which he let me drive down the parking lot one time. In comparison, again the Hunter is much slower, but it feels so light and manoeuverable. It inspires so much confidence, and for a beginner like me is very easy to drive. What it lacks on the straight line, it makes up for in the corners. You can't really do anything wrong. In fact, the only way you could ever get into trouble on this bike is when you get on it drunk and without a helmet, or on a highway during rush hour. It will have trouble catching up with high speed traffic, but it's not the bike for that. It's a very easy city commuter and a fairly comfortable backroad tourer. It's what biking should be about, IMO: just swing your leg over and enjoy life.

Verdict? It's probably going to make the guy driving behind you impatient, if he thinks he's in a hurry. But it's going to bring a smile to your face. Mine's scheduled for its 500km maintenance next week, and I'm looking forward to the one hour drive to the dealership, and picking it up again 3 days later. I can honestly say there's not one single point of concern, or any redundant part or feature that I could do without, in fact were I nit picking I'd wish it had a rev counter and LED lights all around (only the taillight is LED), but that's all easy enough to retrofit if you really want to bother. For me it's the ideal bike at the right time, and it's attempting (and succeeding) to excavate a new niche. I'd say this is doing for bikers what Nintendo Wii did for gamers - attracting a new audience that formerly didn't identify with the lifestyle in that way. Buy if you're a new biker or looking for an easy commuter.View attachment 16645

Great review. Bought mine about 18 months ago. My previous bike was a Sportster 883 C.
Obviously, the Hunter does not have the "get up and go" that the Harley had. It also doesn't go over 70 mph and is not comfortable for long trips. That said, when doing what it is made for, it is great! I love it! If 60-65 mph suits you, shorter driving times (2 hrs or so) and a very quiet engine (not appealing to everyone as "loud" means other cars are aware of you) then I recommend it. Looks, runs and sounds terrific!

 

[windmill john]

I think as already mentioned, the bike will be very different once you have a couple of thousands miles on it. Mine has 4700 miles now and with the 16 tooth sprocket, moves far better than it did at a thousand miles.

Re 1st and 2nd gear, it mentions in the manual:
*• Shift gears to neutral position just before bringing the vehicle to a complete stop always.*
I generally do that anyway. I notice if I don’t come to a complete stop in second and move to neutral whilst still moving and try to set off again without stopping and clicking second gear, I sometimes need to try second gear twice. It’s a tiny foible that causes no concern.

 

[Clogboy]

I think as already mentioned, the bike will be very different once you have a couple of thousands miles on it. Mine has 4700 miles now and with the 16 tooth sprocket, moves far better than it did at a thousand miles.

Re 1st and 2nd gear, it mentions in the manual:
*• Shift gears to neutral position just before bringing the vehicle to a complete stop always.*
I generally do that anyway. I notice if I don’t come to a complete stop in second and move to neutral whilst still moving and try to set off again without stopping and clicking second gear, I sometimes need to try second gear twice. It’s a tiny foible that causes no concern.

I didn't really notice that in the manual! When stopping in traffic, I'm always in 1st gear, holding my clutch lever and my rear brake. The rear brake more or less protects me during a rear-end, and being in first gear means I can just scoot off without a second thought. When I'm accidentally in neutral, I often struggle to get it into 1st again which is annoying and potentially dangerous.

That being said, the factory is probably just trying to cover their bases. Shifting issues can also be due to chain slack. When it's time to retire the chain and bearings, I should probably also consider that front sprocket upgrade.

 

[windmill john]

I’d recommend neutral rather than first. If you’re struggling getting into first gear, it can only be three things:

• Badly adjusted clutch cable.
• Bad oil.
• Fault with gearbox or selector forks.

You’re still running in, so would think oil fine.
My money, not to be rude will be on clutch cable adjustment.
If this isn’t it, get it sorted out under warranty now, before there is any dispute.

 

[windmill john]

Oh, forgot to say, on the earlier 500 UCE, if the chain had a tad too much slack, I couldn’t get into second!

 

[Clogboy]

I’d recommend neutral rather than first. If you’re struggling getting into first gear, it can only be three things:

• Badly adjusted clutch cable.
• Bad oil.
• Fault with gearbox or selector forks.

You’re still running in, so would think oil fine.
My money, not to be rude will be on clutch cable adjustment.
If this isn’t it, get it sorted out under warranty now, before there is any dispute.

I'm well into 8000 km right now. But I know a good local tech with fair prices. It could be that the clutch cable is starting to stretch a little, if anything, or that the clutch itself is starting to wear down. But that would probably be a bit soon.
This morning though, I had a hard time once to get it down from 2nd into 1st while slowing down! But once I was standing still, I could (relatively forcefully) kick it into neutral and then 1st. So you might be onto something. Oil level is frankly a little low.

 

[windmill john]

Forgot to mention oil type, although that affects clutch more than the actual change; although related. In Honda Transalps, for example, fully sync can cause slip, so just check you’re using the correct oil. Please don’t start kicking the gear lever, you’ll introduce new variables. Sorry, I misread above, I thought you only had 500 miles on the bike.