Royal Enfield has introduced the Hunter 350 motorcycle in India as a remixed roadster (it looks at lot like a Scrambler) without sacrificing the character typical of a Royal Enfield motorcycle.
Stylish and compact-yet-muscular, the Hunter 350 also reflects functionality and simplistic design ingenuity. Built on the award-winning 350cc J-series platform, combined with a highly flickable Harris Performance chassis, the Hunter delivers agility without fragility on city streets and sheer, grin-inducing pleasure on the open road.
Other than the compact geometry, nimble steering and confident braking, the motorcycle features wider alloys and tubeless tyres. Sharing its 350-cc engine will the Meteor, the Hunter 350 comes in two distinct editions - Retro Hunter and Metro Hunter. Both are finished with on-trend, blacked-out engines and components.
The Retro Hunter runs on 17-inch spoked wheels and has a 300 mm front disc brake combined with a 6-inch rear drum brake, single channel ABS, an uncluttered retro-styled digital-analogue instrument cluster that displays just the right amount of essential information and a choice of two classical, single-colour tanks.
The Metro Hunter has a more contemporary look with dual-colour liveries, cast alloy wheels, wide tubeless tyres, and rounded rear lights. There are five colour-ways across two editions on the Metro Hunter. A selection of three chic tank colour and graphics options on one edition, and the top of the range edition, finished with a choice of three of the most distinctive and disruptive petrol tank designs ever to adorn a Royal Enfield. It is also compatible with Royal Enfield's acclaimed Tripper TBT navigation which is available to order as a Genuine Motorcycle Accessory.
Both Metro editions are equipped with alloy wheels and wider 110/70 x 17-inch front and 140/70 x 17-inch rear tubeless tyres for superior handling and muscular good looks, 300mm front and 270mm rear disc brakes, dual channel ABS, and a handy centre stand. An LED tail lamp and premium digital-analogue instrument cluster that displays odometer, tripmeter, gear indicator, fuel graph bar with low fuel warning, clock and a service reminder complete this stylish package. All Hunter editions feature uncluttered handlebar controls, their rotary power and lighting switches giving a gentle nod to the past, and are fitted with a USB charging port.
The Hunter was conceived and developed by the talented designers and engineers at Royal Enfield’s two state-of-the-art technology centers, in India and the UK, and renowned chassis experts, Harris Performance. Their mission was to deliver an exhilarating ride experience.
The chassis geometry on the Hunter 350 is designed to give the optimal height-to-weight ratio while offering superior comfort, thanks to its wide, long, one-piece seat. With revised rake and trail angles, a lower 800 mm seat height and shorter wheelbase, the Hunter’s exceptional maneuverability encourages greater confidence when carving through cramped streets and feels planted and stable in every location and situation.
The 349-cc air-oil cooled single cylinder engine of the Hunter is fuel-injected and produces 20.2 bhp at 6100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. It ensures a strong, low-end grunt, super smooth linear power delivery with an engine calibration to give a lively throttle response and a distinctive exhaust note. With a primary balancer shaft to cut down vibrations, the engine is tuned to make the motorcycle feels responsive and refined. The gearbox is a 5-speed unit.
B Govindarajan, CEO, Royal Enfield, said, “At Royal Enfield we are closely engaged with our consumers and community. Their desires and aspirations shape the motorcycles we make and we are always looking to create newer experiences and newer formats of pure motorcycling for them. There were always a set of passionate motorcyclists that loved our brand, but did not find the right kind of attitude within our portfolio. The Hunter 350 is for them. It is a motorcycle that combines the strengths of seemingly different species, and brings it together in a super stylish and fun package that is an all-new flavour of pure motorcycling with the unmistakable Royal Enfield character.”
Ultraviolette Partners with Dakar Rally Racer Ashish Raorane
- By MT Bureau
- August 29, 2025
Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ultraviolette Automotive has brought on board Dakar Rally racer Ashish Raorane as a specialist for the company’s development programs.
The collaboration is set to focus on key aspects of Ultraviolette's vision, including rider-centric performance, product endurance and safety.
Narayan Subramaniam, Co-founder & CEO, Ultraviolette Automotive, said, “Ultraviolette is building world’s most exciting electric performance machines and rider feedback at the highest level is core to that mission. Ashish brings a unique blend of competitive riding prowess and product expertise, stemming from the wealth of experience he has amassed from the Dakar Rallies and numerous other cross country world championship rallies. His perspective on motorcycles will contribute to future innovations from Ultraviolette as we continue to build rider centric experiences and technologies, for motorcyclists and enthusiasts.”
Ashish Raorane, said, “It’s exciting to be part of Ultraviolette’s journey at such a transformative moment in mobility. I look forward to contributing my perspective to help shape truly exceptional experiences for riders worldwide and to push the boundaries of what the future of mobility can be."
KTM Duke 160: Pocket Rocket Or A Short-Fall?
- By Biplab Das
- August 28, 2025
Thumb the starter on the KTM Duke 160 and the first impression is of familiarity – those tense lines, sculpted tank and sit-in stance that signal ‘Duke’ before the wheels even turn – yet there’s also a welcome lightness to how it picks up and changes direction at parking speeds and in the first hundred metres. That easy agility is backed by a chassis brief that reads serious on paper – trellis frame with bolt-on subframe, lighter five-spoke wheels, hollow axles and geometry that’s a shade sharper than the bigger siblings – so the bike feels eager without getting nervous when the pace rises.
Within a few blocks, two things set the tone for daily life: a clutch that’s genuinely light and progressive and a gearbox that slips through ratios cleanly, letting short, tidy shifts replace the usual 160cc thrash – helped by a slipper clutch that takes the drama out of hurried downshifts when traffic opens and closes without warning.
What stands out
The Duke 160 looks and feels like a proper Duke – tense lines, sculpted tank, sit-in stance – and backs it up with a genuinely light and eager front end thanks to the trellis frame, lighter five-spoke wheels and sharper geometry. The motor’s real-world strength is tractability and in-gear urge rather than fireworks off the line; timed roll-ons of 30–70 kmph in 6.8s (4th) and 9.1s (5th) make short overtakes easy without constant downshifts, echoing the sentiment that it feels brisk between gaps more than it feels explosive from a standstill.
Braking hardware is a headline win: a 320mm front disc with braided lines and dual-channel ABS (rear channel switchable) gives bite and progression few 160s can match and it shows when hustling or panic-stopping in town.
The everyday reality
At 815mm, the seat is on the taller side for an average-height rider; those around 5ft 8in may tip-toe at awkward cambers, though the wide bar and neutral pegs help low-speed balance and leverage in traffic. The clutch and gearbox pairing is excellent – light, smooth and confidence-inspiring – so creeping traffic and quick, clean shifts become second nature within minutes of riding. Lever placement is not perfect from the crate; both the gear and brake pedals could use a quick adjustment during PDI to better match different boot sizes and ankle angles, which takes the edge off initial niggles.
Ride and features
Suspension tuning leans towards control with acceptable compliance: the Duke stays planted and keen to turn, yet retains enough travel to keep sharp edges from jarring too much in the city, though rougher patches still remind that it’s set up to feel taut rather than plush. Thermal management is a positive: a larger radiator surface area helps in slow-moving traffic and while the fan cycles in dense conditions, heat never tips into discomfort during typical urban use in this test window. The monochrome LCD with a dot-matrix pane is clear in bright light, offers all the basics at a glance and the microswitch cubes feel a cut above the class; Bluetooth navigation remains an accessory, which keeps base weight and price in check.
Verdict
Against the Yamaha MT-15 V2, the Duke 160 trades efficiency for feel: the Yamaha is lighter and significantly more frugal (users often report 50+ km/l), while the KTM bites harder on the brakes, feels more planted at the front and pulls stronger in mid-gear bursts on paper and in practice. The KTM’s 19PS and 15.5Nm edge the Yamaha’s 18.4PS and 14.1Nm and its 320mm rotor dwarfs the MT’s 282mm, but the MT-15 counters with lower kerb weight and everyday economy advantages that matter to commuters. If weekly highway runs and traffic sprints define the brief, the Duke’s chassis feedback, brake feel and roll-on pace make a compelling case; if fuel economy and a lower seat are top priorities, the MT-15 remains the pragmatic pick and price positioning in on-road terms still favours the Yamaha in many cities.
In short, the Duke 160 is not the outright quickest feeling 160 off the mark, nor the most frugal, but it is the most ‘KTM’ in the way that matters: front-end feel, braking confidence and mid-gear urge that make real-world riding more engaging and assured than the spec sheet alone suggests. It could do with lower seat options from the factory and cleaner lever ergonomics out of the box; sort those and it becomes an easy recommendation for riders who value control and character over kilometre-per-litre bragging rights.
TVS Expands Raider Super Squad Edition With Deadpool And Wolverine Decal Options
- By MT Bureau
- August 26, 2025
TVS Motor Company, a leading manufacturer of two-wheelers and three-wheelers, has expanded its TVS Raider Super Squad Edition.
The company has introduced two new thematic options for the Raider Super Squad range with the addition of Marvel’s Deadpool and Wolverine decal options.
The new TVS Raider SSE comes a powerful 3-valve engine, which produces 11.75 Nm @ 6,000 RPM of torque. The Super Squad Edition will now also get the iGO assist with Boost Mode for enhanced acceleration and GTT (Glide Through Technology). It also features a fully connected reverse LCD cluster with more than 85 features.
It was in August 2023 that TVS Raider became India’s first motorcycle to launch Marvel-themed editions, debuting with Iron Man and Black Panther.
The new TVS Raider Super Squad Edition is priced at INR 99,465 (ex-showroom Delhi) and will be available across all TVS Motor Company dealerships.
Royal Enfield Unveils New Guerrilla 450 Colourway At High-Octane Pune Event
- By MT Bureau
- August 25, 2025
Royal Enfield has introduced a new Shadow Ash colourway for its Guerrilla 450 motorcycle at the ‘GRRR Nights X Underground’ event in Pune. The event, held in partnership with Tapaswi Racing, was a blend of motorcycle stunts, drag races and musical performances.
Priced at INR 249,000 (ex-showroom Chennai), the new colourway features an olive green tank with blacked-out detailing, giving the bike a more aggressive, muscular appearance. The Shadow Ash model, part of the Dash variant, also comes equipped with the Tripper Dash navigation system.
The launch event was attended by over 3,000 enthusiasts and showcased the motorcycle’s performance capabilities through high-octane stunts. Professional stunt riders, including Padma Prashanth and Anish Shetty, performed drag and drift stunts. A highlight of the night was renowned motorsport athlete Akildas T.D., who performed a gravity-defying drift showcase on the new Guerrilla 450. The Guerrilla 450 is powered by a 452cc liquid-cooled Sherpa engine.
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