Great bikes, I've put just shy of 9000 miles on mine. Used daily in all weather's, regularly on motorway and tours. Very suprised as always owned Japanese motorcycles. It's fantastic
That would mean increasing the price. Nothing is ever free. What about people that don't want one. They would have to pay for something they aint gonna use! Better to have the bike as cheap as possible, then add what you want. You also have a choice of using an aftermarket stand.
@@blackskunk54 it should come standard some bikes don't have accessory center stand available. If you are on a trip are you going to bring your paddock stand with you?
I've got a Honda 750F2r in the garage alongside my Meteor, same as you tested. The Honda hardly gets ridden these days. The Meteor is so easy to just hop and go for a ride round the lanes. My "go to" bike. And a real bargain at the price !
I am an owner of a 350 Classic in the same colour you have got (Halcyon Green). My dealer told me running in the RE 350s is not necessary at all, no matter what the manual states. Apparently these bikes are delivered with normal oil filled in the engines and not with special running in oil as it used to be in former times. Thus no running in. Of course it is of advantage to apply power a bit more smoothly during the first few weeks of operation, but you can go up to the highest speed and rev possible at any gear. In a RU-vid video by a German biker and employee at an RE dealer he says he had visited different motorcycle factories and there he learned that nowadays every new engine coming straight from the production line has to undergo extreme testings under highest revs possible. A running in of engines which survived these extreme testing is not necessary anymore he has learned. PS: many riders state that after a few hundred miles when the running in phase was over their engine's performance and behavior had improved. But actually nobody of them can prove that it wouldn't have been the same after a few hundred miles without running in.
I agree with all your points. Why listen to the people that actually designed the engine and built, when you can just listen to the guy that maintains them. In fact the best source of running in information, can often be got from a random guy down the pub!
From what I understand is the reason they mention revs while running in a bike is it is the easiest way to keep the engine from overheating. Many people on the internet claim its better to rev the engine than put it under strain and a variety of up and down the rev range and gear box is better for the bike than constant high revs for an extended period.
the heal / tow shifter was quite common. Easy to use once you get used to it & makes gear changing easier I feel, but again it's what you're used to. The majority of bikes now don't have the heal section of the gear change so for most people it will appear foreign to them. The market for the bike though is older people & most of those have experience with a heal/tow shifter. Never had an engine light come up on both my Himalayn's so perhaps a J series engine thing. It's more than just a commuter as I reguarly see these size bikes at Royal Enfield Rallies all around the country & they travel a very long way some of them to get to the Rally. It's in between a normal riding control position & a cruiser position for the foot controls-very similar to the V9 MotoGuzzi Roamer (semi Cruiser). I thought it had a 13 litre fuel tank!?
I have the Meteor and the Bullet 500. The Meteor is my daily driver, I replaced the gearshift with the excellent version from TEC motorcycle parts, I also fitted the free flow stainless steel exhaust from Hitchcock’s along with the DNA filter and intake kit with a FuelX lite module. It is excellent with these modifications. The windshield causes dirty air buffeting so I discarded mine. I’ve did try the touring seat, but it gave me back aches, so I refitted the standard seat.
@@thebingleywheeler the FuelX smoothed the throttle response throughout the rev range and gears, helps the engine run cooler by stopping the ecu running it too lean at lower speed, and most importantly, it gets up to top speed a bit quicker, which makes overtaking on A roads a whole lot easier. I think it gives it that extra little bit of zipp and usability that the Hunter has. What it doesn’t do , is defeat the speed limiter, that works off the ABS ring. So long as you manage your expectations to what the modifications actually are meant to do, as above, then it’s money well spent.
Great review 👏 👌 wonderful to see a motorcycle that looks like a motorcycle instead of a Ant 🐜 or a Duck or Jet Ski 🎿 Modern bikes and cars today are extremely Bland and not worth a second glance. The RE however is a sight for sore eyes, a real beauty and will probably attract a crowd 😍 wherever it goes.
Nice review thanks. I have an RE Himalayan in a hilly area here in Australia and have been careful to run it in. It’s a nice do it all motorcycle. I was in Bradford for 10 days in late November visiting my old uncle, so good to hear the Yorkshire accent and see the local roads again on your review.
Greetings, with my 2021 RE Meteor 350, l found out pretty quick that going up a curvy steep hill in fourth gear was definitely a struggle. However, made it up in third gear at 50 kph. with no problem at all, :-). Cheers. 🏍🇨🇦
i love my RE meteor 350 to death, such a great deal for a bike and such great fun, will be upgrading to the 650 later on, but i have the idea that with the introduction of watercooled 450 enginges for euro norms this is the way for RE going forward. I expect watercooled engines for all platforms going forward tbh.
Crackin' review, I may take a test ride on the back off this. Dealers near me have a few ex demo's which I've always been dubious of due to the running in process probably not being followed ... and you possibly confirmed my fears 😉
I get 100,000 miles out of a drive belt on my Sportster, along with hydraulic valve adjustment means very little maintenance other than changing fluids.
Nice review BW, you pretty well mirrored my views after my test ride, and I have to say that if I was to sell my T100 outfit there'd definitely be space for one alongside the Himalayan, although I've not tried the Hunter yet! On a completely unrelated subject....if it isn't Ainsworth Rider it's yourself, reacquainting me with the roads I used so much up until the dreaded Covid, driving my Shearings coach on holiday feeder routes! Thanks for that.😅 Stay safe anyway, cheers. 😎👍
What I do when running in a small bike is put a tip ex mark on switch gear and one on throttle tube a bit under half throttle and then try not to go above unless you really need two.
Better a few revs over than slogging the engine in too high a gear and the run in period is relatively short and makes a massive difference..they just get better and better over time..absolutely the best 350 single on the market !
If you compare the Honda 350 single, which has similar specs on paper, the difference is huge. The Honda pulls well past 120kmh, and has a cheap and easy maintenance intervals. The Royal Enfields have terribly expensive service intervals and tightly restricted running in protocols. And then the dash components can break easily. But there is no disputing how gorgeous they look.
I have to confess that i pretty much ignored the book on running in my Meteor, I’ve been an engineer and mechanic for most of my adult life and used to fettle race engines , having that experience i already know that the killer of a new engine is crank load and heat so too high a gear and too many revs, i live in Wales so everywhere
Everywhere i go has huge hills so running in my 350 J series was a case of not holding a constant throttle setting and going fast enough to unload the crank and fitting a fuel x optimiser as that really does work i testing before and after and the temperature was lower by almost 30% after fitting now she’s covered around 2000 miles and very very sweet so thats only my method and not a recommendation or criticism for anyone else but my main fear was murdering the bottom end bearings and when i tried to ride as per the hand book it was loading the crank really heavily so i ignored that idea and did two oil changes up to a 1000 miles and full synthetic at1600 miles and the oil is still clear at just under 2000 miles
They are a really pretty bike looking bike just perfect for country lanes I think I would stay away from m'ways though . One thing these bikes have are proper mudguards and decent seat at least it looks like it on the 350's to me .Good review and a good little bike 👌👍
I did a motorway and dual carriageway commute on my 125 for a few months. I didn't see what the fuss was about It would indicate 70-75 on the flat and slowed up a hill to about 60. But I'd just get in the slow lane for that part. I over took people regularly 😄 Honestly I found it fine and I'd imagine this bike handles it even better.
@@letni9506yeah I think people just say that to make themselves feel better at spending more money for more horses. No one is going to run you over on the highway for going 65-70
Re EML :had the same on my Meteor at about 500m. Forums etc suggest that it's quite common and caused by issues with temp sensor tolerances. Bought a £30 obd reader c/w RE adapter, codes confirmed sensor, cleared and has not (yet) returned. Apparently a software update may be available, will check at next service. ATB
Yeah, I had engine 'oil temperature low' during the very cold snap, had dealers reset it twice, then bought a obd2 scanner like you, and reset it maybe 3 more times, before the dealer informed me that they had the ecu flash from Moto GB, which I had done took 5 minutes and since then, which was a few months ago it's not happened again, so there definitely is an ecu flash update on this.
Had mine 18 months and put 3700 miles on her, lovely bike ridden within its limits, very happy with her, but the rumoured classic 650 later this year may very well tempt me.
Sadly I think it's a bit like those people who owned Skoda's back in the 80's - you almost find yourself having to justify the temerity of spending your own hard earned on your choice of vehicles
I'm having a torrid time choosing between this or the Hunter... Been paralyzed 2 months... Driving a Honda Wave 110 until I decide... It's agony... 😂 *Crap Game*
@@thebingleywheeler I picked up a Fireball Yellow 🟡 Meteor the other day.. Less than a year old, mint, 11000 km on the clock.. Cracking deal... Loving it...! *Crap Game*
one minor thing i find a little irritating... aren't the front tires put on the wrong way on this? or is it supposed to be like this with these. afaik the lines are supposed to point downwards seen from the front, here they point up.... same with all the meteors i have seen in other reviews.
It really sucks that one cant take the drivers test on this bike here in sweden. Just silly that they have a minumum on hp. Imagine if that was the case for cars....
My guess, not so great compared to the Japanese , the R.E. have decent quality on the "things" you see right away but not so much on those you don't , even what you see is plasticy and chrome "plated" .
I'd be grateful for comments and opinions on the following. I bought my Meteor last year as a returning rider (at 66 and a NARPO member). Done about 600 miles (winter and covid intervened) and generally happy with it. The semi forward position suits my joints and the bike is ideal for Pembrokeshire roads. BUT I can't help comparing with my first bike, a 71 Honda cb175 twin. About the same power, but much more nimble. Completely different bike, I understand, but I find the Meteor a bit ponderous. I'm thinking that the hunter may be a better bike for me. Anyone had or tried both? What are your thoughts? Cheers.
You may want to ask LanesExplorer on his channel. He's swapped his Meteor for the Hunter (2, actually) so should have a good idea what the difference is.
Hi Chris nice to hear from a NARPO member and I can certainly empathise with your winter and covid experience! Personally I think that what you refer to as "nimble" is influenced by wheel size and also possibly wheel base. How a bike turns into the bends is very much influenced by the front wheel size. The Meteor has a 19" front wheel, the Classic 18" and the Hunter 17". Was the Honda cb175 front wheel less than 19"? The Meteor is for sure a lazier turn in than the nimble Hunter with the Classic sitting somewhere in the middle.
I owned the Meteor, and didn't get on with it, lethargic steering, very harsh rear suspension, pegs too forward for my liking and the seat hurt my back, (the front 19" wheel & bars tilts you into an uncomfortable fit, I did 1600 miles on it🤨) I swapped it for the Hunter after a 1 hour demo, and felt totally at home on the Hunter, different frame, much quicker steering, more energetic, and way more comfortable with conventional 17" wheels & footpegs. I have 4 other bikes and the Hunter rides as good as my Jap & German bikes, in terms of handling, but it still feels a bit agricultural, but I like that is has some character as my other bikes are soulless, horses for courses. I live in very rural Mid Wales, and the Hunter serves me very well, I really enjoy it 🙂 (I would not recommend the Meteor over it) Hunter is way better in my opinion 👍👌
@@thimbur3543 Don't bother asking him, he's a proper geriatric rider, the Hunter is much better than the Meteor, I had Meteor, very disappointing, now have Hunter and very pleased, handles really well 👍
Notice you didn’t show how the bike performed out of East Morton up Alma as us locals call it. Was it because it the bike you so praise either didn’t make it or was in 1st gear 10 mph . The review is misleading for area where we live, me I’m in Keighley so know all the local roads very well. It would be more helpful not to cut out of your review where the bike would be poor thus giving a balanced view. Taking these bikes on almost flat roads doesn’t help.
