2021 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Slow Pulse, Honest Miles
The Meteor 350 is built around a 349 cc air/oil-cooled single making 20 hp and 20 lb-ft, and every other choice on the bike follows from that. Long and low over a steel double cradle frame, a tall 19-inch front wheel, a fat 140-section rear, chrome where chrome belongs. It carries 421 lb (191 kg) with the seat just 30.1 in (765 mm) off the ground, so the weight sits low and stops mattering the moment you move. Two-channel ABS, Tripper navigation and a USB port come standard without cluttering the classic shape.
It rides the way it looks, which is to say unhurried. Torque shows up at 4,000 rpm, the steering is light, and the chassis forgives clumsy inputs, so this is an easy bike to learn on and a calm one to cover ground on. Simple mechanicals and 67 mpg keep the ownership math boring in the best way. The honest caveat is the ceiling: top speed is 75 mph (121 km/h), there's no cruise control, and a full day of interstate is the one job it isn't built for. Backroads and small towns are where it makes sense.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 20 hp (15 kW) @ 6,100 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 20 lb-ft (27 Nm) @ 4,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 349 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Front tire | 100/90-19 |
| Rear tire | 140/70-17 |
| Seat height | 30.1 in (765 mm) |
| Wet weight | 421 lb (191 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 gal (15.1 L) |
| Top speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 67 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
I've collected this one the slow way: owner talk in paddocks and parking lots, club-night chatter, and the messages riders send me directly. The pattern on the Meteor 350 holds across all of it. Praise clusters on the look and the easy pace, and the complaints sit almost entirely with the drivetrain.
Styling is what owners mention first and most: the teardrop tank, the round headlight, the vintage cues, alloy wheels and LED lighting sitting inside that picture rather than fighting it. The engine draws nearly as much talk: a long-stroke single with a real thump, power that lands where riders expect it, vibration damped without the character going with it. Many clear 260 miles on a tank. The wide bar and forward pegs get named for all-day comfort, and riders who push it say it stays planted.
The ceiling is the recurring gripe. Riders say steep grades and stiff headwinds pull speed away, and long freeway stretches turn into work. First gear goes in with a clunk, and owners used to a toe shifter need time before the heel-toe setup reads as natural. Some mention clutch effort heavier than a bike this size should ask for.
Notchy first gear engagement
When shifting into first from neutral, the transmission often clunks and occasionally refuses to engage smoothly, requiring a second attempt. This is widely reported but not linked to any mechanical failure.
Heavy clutch pull
The clutch lever requires noticeably more effort than competitors in the same segment, leading to hand fatigue in urban traffic. No mechanical breakdowns are associated, but it reduces the overall riding comfort.
Where this Royal Enfield Meteor 350 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Meteor 350 is actually built for.
If rally week is about the ride, the route and the people, this works: it looks right parked in the row and costs almost nothing to run. If you're there for big-twin volume and presence, it won't deliver that.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
This one is aimed straight at you. Back roads, small towns, an unhurried pace and a tank that stretches the day. Just build routes that stay off the interstate and it fits your riding exactly.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Straight answer: this isn't your bike. It's comfortable and cheap to run, but 75 mph (121 km/h) flat out, no cruise control and no factory luggage make long haul days hard work, loaded or two-up.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Royal Enfield Meteor 350. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
