Royal Enfield has been working on several new motorcycles for the Indian market. Recently, the test mule of one such all-new bike in development, purportedly christened as 'Hunter', was spotted by our friends at Rushlane on the Chennai-Trichy highway. This new mysterious motorcycle has been spied testing a few times in the past as well. There are reports that either it will be named as Hunter or Roadster as the company has filed trademark applications for four names - Sherpa, Flying Flea, Hunter and Roadster. Out of these four names, Sherpa and Flying Flea have been used in the past while Hunter and Roadster are fresh.
Going by the spy-shots, Royal Enfield Hunter gets a relaxed seating position for the rider with a single piece seat. The spy-shots also confirm a round headlamp setup with a new instrument cluster, which seems to have sourced from the upcoming Royal Enfield Meteor 350 - termed as the spiritual successor to the Thunderbird 350. The new Hunter motorcycle will have several new features in the form of a Large rear fender, Metal stays for panniers, Front and rear disc brakes, LHS chain drive, Upswept exhaust etc. to name a few. The bike will have a Teardrop-shaped fuel tank while side turn indicators have been given Old-school styling. The tail-lamp cluster is inspired by the Thunderbird series.
An IAB report further states that Royal Enfield Hunter could be a dual-sport motorbike with off-road character while the Royal Enfield Roadster could be a more traditional and road focused unit with relaxed ergonomics. Mechanically, it could be powered by the same 350cc BS6 compliant petrol powerplant which will be introduced with the Meteor 350. The engine could be equipped with a SOHC setup which will minimise vibrations. Meanwhile, RE Meteor 350 is almost ready for its much awaited launch in the Indian market. The company, having begun operations and production recently, could launch it any moment now in the country. The variants and features of the all-new bike have already been revealed online.