The Royal Enfield Meteor is a cruiser-style motorcycle built by Royal Enfield in India. It was developed by engineers at the company’s technical centres in Chennai as a direct replacement for the Thunderbird 350X, and it uses a long-stroke 349 cc single with an overhead cam.
Royal Enfield Meteor at a glance
| Maker | Royal Enfield, Chennai |
|---|---|
| Type | cruiser |
| Project code | JD1 |
| Engine | 349 cc single, air and oil cooled, overhead cam |
| Power | 20 hp at 6,100 rpm |
| Torque | 27 Nm at 4,000 rpm |
| Gearbox | five-speed constant mesh |
| Frame | twin-tube spine |
| Front suspension | 41 mm telescopic forks, 130 mm travel |
| Tyres | 100/90-19 front, 140/70-17 rear |
| Brakes | 300 mm front disc, 270 mm rear disc |
| Replaces | Thunderbird 350X |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Royal Enfield Meteor.
History of the Royal Enfield Meteor
A new 350 for the cruiser line
The Meteor was developed under the code name JD1 by engineers at Royal Enfield’s technical centres in Chennai, and it replaced the Thunderbird 350X directly. Its 349 cc long-stroke single is air and oil cooled, and the traditional pushrods were replaced by an overhead cam. It produces 20 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm, paired with a five-speed constant-mesh transmission, and a balancer shaft is used to suppress vibration. The bike has a power-to-weight ratio of 105.75 hp per tonne and a fuel consumption of around 35 km per litre.
Chassis and equipment
The Meteor uses a twin-tube spine frame rather than the single downtube used by most of the company’s contemporary models. Suspension is telescopic at the front, with 41 mm forks and 130 mm of travel, and twin-tube emulsion shock absorbers at the rear with six-step adjustable preload. The stock tyres are 100/90-19 at the front and 140/70-17 at the rear, and braking comes from a 300 mm front disc with a dual-piston floating caliper and a 270 mm rear disc with a single-piston floating caliper. The bike also features an all-new semi-digital instrument cluster and a Tripper navigation screen in a separate pod.
Super Meteor and later updates
The Royal Enfield Super Meteor, released in 2022, is the first spin-off of the firm’s 650 twin range. It uses much the same design, is available in standard or Touring trim, and has a more muscular appearance than the Meteor 350, with a wide, low-slung seat for long-distance riding, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a scooped seat and robust fenders. For 2022 the Meteor 350 gained three new colours and started at ₹205,844 ex-showroom in India and €4,390 in Germany. In October 2023 Royal Enfield launched the Aurora variant: mechanically identical, it adds spoke wheels, three new colour schemes, an exclusive chrome engine and other retro-inspired elements.
Design and features
- Overhead-cam single: the 349 cc air- and oil-cooled engine replaced pushrods with an overhead cam.
- Balancer shaft: fitted to suppress the vibration of the long-stroke single.
- Twin-tube spine frame: a different layout from the single downtube of most Royal Enfields.
- Tripper navigation: a separate pod alongside the semi-digital instrument cluster.
- Super Meteor 650: a 2022 spin-off using the company’s 650 twin, in standard and Touring trim.
Royal Enfield Meteor versions
- Meteor 350: the 349 cc cruiser that replaced the Thunderbird 350X.
- Meteor 350 Aurora (2023): spoke wheels, three colour schemes and a chrome engine.
- Super Meteor 650 (2022): the 650 twin spin-off, in standard and Touring trim.
The Meteor is the cruiser of the modern range alongside the Classic and the Interceptor 650. More models are in the Royal Enfield collection.
Sources
- Royal Enfield Meteor, English Wikipedia: design, chassis, updates
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