The
Royal Enfield Hunter 350
is an exceptionally lightweight motorcycle and fitted with tyres that
should prove okay for rough B road
country
rambles and on green lanes around the Lothian's and Borders of Scotland.
I am seeking a lightweight motorcycle for using on wet days and winter
months and the Hunter 350 might prove ideal.
I would fit the following and prepare the bike with
ACF-50
protection spray
:-
Hitchcocks and
Zana Motorcycles also offer accessories
for the Hunter 350.
The
Technical Data includes a nice low
790mm seat height and a light wet weight of
181Kg. The performance from its 349cc air cooled single cylinder
engine delivers 20.2 BHP at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.
I am thinking that 349cc is enough for an easy ride through the
countryside and to enjoy the burble of the exhaust note. Fitted with
ABS, the Hunter 350 is stripped out of all rider aids and is a bare
bones motorcycle.
Retro Soft Luggage - Pannier Fitted Saddlebags
As usual my thoughts drift towards the
style of retro soft luggage I would like to match the motorbike. Pannier style
saddlebag luggage would be nice but then there is the security question of leaving it on
the motorbike and returning to find the bags nicked. There is also the hassle of
strapping and unstrapping the bag or bags to the bike frame or to fitted
panniers on the bike.
Retro Style Backpack
I like the idea of a retro styled backpack to carry a
couple of
Motul Tyre Sealants,
(two required for larger wheels) see
How to Use Motul
Sealant or a
large
Holts Tyre Weld puncture repair kit,
some basic tools, my camera, a flask of coffee and sandwiches and on occasion,
clothes for a week-end away at a hotel for some hillwalking.
Backpack Safety Question: However, my thoughts are (as usual, up in the air)
because one has to consider the safety angle. A collision with a vehicle coming
out in front of me or heaven forbid, a high side on a wet road, does not make for
a good back landing on a backpack which is packed with the aforementioned metal stuff
- even when my jacket is fitted with a back protector or an air jacket that cannot
properly inflate due to wearing said backpack.
Trip Machine Rambler Backpack - Fitted to a
Pannier Rail
One solution has to be a retro style backpack that can easily be fitted and removed with the
minimum of hassle from a pannier rail or sissy bar fitted to the motorbike. The
Trip Machine Rambler
is a backpack worth considering.
A video of fitting a Trip Machine Rambler backpack to a motorbike -
Pannier Rail Kits
As for the pannier rail, a
Black Pannier Rail can be purchased from the
Royal Enfield 350 Hunter Accessories Catalogue.
However, I am not sure if the Trip Machine Rambler backpack would
fit it and I don't like the
Royal Enfield Black Commuter box option. Alternatively,
there is a double pannier rail set with more bag support from
Royal King on Ebay.
I am still searching for a single version of Royal King's double pannier rail
for the left side of the bike. Not sure if you can split the double panniers?
Royal Enfield Black Pannier Rail -
Royal King Pannier Rail Kit -
Givi Combo Pannier Kit
Hitchcocks offer a
Givi Combo Pannier Kit which fits the
Hunter 350. It is not cheap but it is a complete solution and enough room in the
two bags for a lot of stuff. According to the marketing blurb, each bag is
clipped onto a pannier rail and a zipper pull is designed to be used with a
safety lock. Each bag comes with a shoulder strap and waterproof cover -
Video Reviews -
The Glory Days of British Motorbikes -
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has a single cylinder 349cc engine which
falls way short of the power of a 'classic' twin cylinder 650cc
motorcycle like the Royal Enfield Interceptor but nevertheless the 350
has nice lines and more than enough power for an easy ride on country
roads and hitting 70mph on a dual carriageway.
Shoei & Bell Open Face Helmets & Halcyon Goggles
One item that I will definitely consider is a open face helmet and
Shoei J-O Helmets
are probably the best ones on the market and they come with a flip down
visor. There is also the
Shoei RJ-Platinum-R
style that has a top fitting small sun visor peak that
can be removed to allow you to fit a standard 5-snap GT visor design to stay compatible with other
aftermarket compatible visors and shields. Of course you can stay with
the stock top sun visor peak and opt to wear goggles or ballistic lens
sunglasses.
Bell
is another helmet manufacturer which provides a great range of open face
helmets and is worth considering. Their
Bell Custom 500
range as well as their
Bell Scout Air
range is worth checking.
Halcyon probably make the best range of quality goggles and
they can be purchased from
Halcyon Classic Parts.
See the videos on Shoei and Bell helmets below -
A video on the Shoei J-O Helmets -
A video on the Shoei RJ-Platinum R Helmets -
A video on the Bell Scout Air Helmets -
A video on the Bell Custom 500 Helmets -