New Delhi: From the design and specifications itself, it is quite clear that the TVS Ronin has been specially created to take a bite out of the Royal Enfield. In fact, in this color scheme, the Hunter 350 costs Rs 4,000 less than the range-topping Ronin we have here, and both the top-end models otherwise cost an identical Rs 1.69 lakh (ex-showroom).

EASY ON THE EYE

In terms of simple, straightforward design, the Hunter is nicer to look at, with a better sense of proportion and quite a few exaggerated or odd-looking design details. The Ronin, meanwhile, catches your eye with its funky LED headlight and gold USD fork, but the main thing you’ll notice when you look at the two bikes together is that the Ronin definitely appears to be the bigger bike.

This is primarily due to the Ronin’s taller, wider and unusually shaped fuel tank. This is also helped by its stronger upside-down front suspension fork and wider saddle. In comparison, the Hunter is shorter and slimmer, and its smaller dimensions will certainly appeal to newer, less confident or smaller riders – although existing RE fans certainly won’t care.

Even though the Ronin seems bigger, it also has some odd design touches, like a huge chain guard that tries to look like a belt drive system on a cruiser bike. Look at it over the other side of the wheel and you’ll see how unnecessarily large it is.

The Ronin also lacks any real off-road capability, but still comes with TVS Rambler blocky tires. On the other hand, the Ronin also has some nice things like adjustable levers, stylish mirrors, funky LED indicators and a cool looking LED strip brake light.

Although the Hunter is quite small by RE standards, the bike will fit most riders and I think I can get along easily with the riding position. It’s definitely a sportier riding position with the pegs set slightly back and a slight slope to the handlebars.

In comparison, it’s actually a Ronin that you sit on, as you’d expect from RE. It feels a lot like the Classic 350 in the way you have your legs set forward and sit completely upright. The Ronin saddle is also wider and softer, and overall this bike has a more comfortable riding position.

CHILDREN OF THE CITY

Both bikes are designed to excel in urban conditions and have engines that aim to offer generous amounts of power in the low end. .

The TVS gets an all-new 225.9cc four-valve oil-cooled engine that produces around 20bhp and 20Nm of torque. The main figure to note is that the Ronin produces its peak torque at just 3,750 rpm, which is even less than the Enfield.

Meanwhile, the Hunter uses the same 350cc engine as the Classic and Meteor, with the same gearing and power output.

But it is tuned a little differently and emits a slightly hoarse sound from the shorter exhaust. Performance-wise, the Hunter is almost identical to the Ronin, but the larger motor is capable of producing much more torque.

There are similarities in power delivery, but the big differences come in how the engines sound and feel. The Ronin has a smooth revving engine with a spicy exhaust note and is exactly what you would expect from a TVS engine. The RE engine feels very different, with a slow, rumbling rhythm at low revs, though it mellows as revs rise.

In fact, at higher revs, the Enfield engine actually produces less vibration than the TVS. As for the 5-speed gearboxes, the RE again has sharper and more precise shifting.

The TVS engine is short-geared and you can almost always carry a gear or two higher than the Hunter, but it sounds and feels quite revving once you get past 80km/h. While neither bike is really meant for high speeds, the Hunter feels more relaxed cruising at 90-100km/h.

We put both bikes through our comprehensive testing procedure, where the Ronin proved to be the faster bike in every measurable parameter, but the differences weren’t huge.

In terms of fuel consumption, the short-geared Ronin beats the Hunter in the city (32.31 kpl vs 30.61 kpl), but the Hunter has the edge on the highway (36.62 kpl vs 39.84 kpl). These figures are decent, but we expected a bit more from a lighter Ronin with a smaller engine.

While there isn’t that much of a difference in outright performance or even efficiency, one thing that puts us off the Hunter is its heavy clutch. Now this is something RE customers would expect or accept with a Classic or Meteor, but the Hunter is aimed at newer riders and people buying their first Enfield and I’m not sure how they’ll accept it – it could be a pain if you get stuck in a traffic jam.

EASY RIDERS

The Ronin, meanwhile, has an extremely light clutch action and comes with a slipper/assist clutch. Speaking of light, the Ronin also weighs almost 20kg less than the Hunter, despite the fact that the latter is currently the lightest RE you can buy. You can definitely feel the difference, but to be fair the Hunter is agile, light steering and easy to drive. Both bikes have a seat height under 800mm, which also helps. Weight isn’t something we’re really concerned about here, but we do have another issue with the Hunter – its suspension.

The front fork is quite soft and is actually rather underdamped on rebound, but the dual ++++Royal Enfield Hunter 350Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Royal Enfield Hunter 350 rear shocks are relentlessly firm – and factory set to minimal preload. If you live in an area with bad roads, this can be inconvenient, especially for lighter riders. By comparison, the Ronin’s 41mm USD fork/monoshock setup feels springy and plush.

Many people have raised concerns online about the Hunter’s 150mm ride height, but we haven’t encountered that issue yet, not even with the weight of the pillion – that’s probably one area where hard dampers are an advantage. Speaking of, neither bike has excellent passenger comfort, but the Ronin’s saddle, handlebars, and footpeg placement are a bit better than the Hunter’s.

In terms of handling, the Hunter is definitely the more fun and connected machine. In comparison, the TVS is light and easy, but its scooped-out front isn’t as communicative and the feet can chafe more easily. As for the brakes, both are nearly adequate in performance and feel, although actual stopping distances in our tests were nearly identical.

VALUE CHAIN

And finally, we move into the features area where, as you would expect, the TVS absolutely wins. The Hunter comes standard with a neatly designed USB port, and you get dual-channel ABS on the top models of both these bikes. As an extra, you can also choose RE’s tripper navigation display along with a host of other well-designed extras.