[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by VRod_24

Two wheelers were a taboo in my house during my growing years and it was only during my college that I could somehow convince my folks to get our first set of 2 wheels the humble Honda Aviator which still serves us perfectly till date.Next up I visited the Honda for the CB 350, post a brief test ride my thoughts were that the bike felt a little ordinary and one without a soul unlike the RE

Your are lucky that you managed to get access to a set of wheels (atleast something) so young. I managed to get on a motorcycle only after 22!

Most single cylinder Honda's are boring or should I say lifeless. Its only the motor cross models that have some life in them. You want a Honda with character, you need to head into the multi cylinder or V configuration motorcycles. They are something else.

I can relate to the boring part. I did own a Unicorn for some time. It is the most dependable motorcycle I have owned. Took me to work, did a few road trip. Almost seized the engine a couple of times. The bike did not buckle even after that. It ran, ran and ran. That's why you buy a Honda.

Your Meteor is a nice looking motorcycle and should keep you happy for years to come. I've seen only one to date and took a good look at it. Was shocked at the fit, finish, paint job. That seat looks a lot more comfortable than my Interceptor. It is cheaper and better equipped too! Its not fair to compare the two as the target audience is different. For the money, thats a lot of motorcycle.

Ride safe.

[VRod_24]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Your Meteor is a nice looking motorcycle and should keep you happy for years to come. I've seen only one to date and took a good look at it. Was shocked at the fit, finish, paint job. That seat looks a lot more comfortable than my Interceptor. It is cheaper and better equipped too! Its not fair to compare the two as the target audience is different. For the money, thats a lot of motorcycle.

Ride safe.

Thank you for your kind words. Yes the seat on the Meteor is definitely a comfortable place to be in especially when compared to the Interceptor.
I have not ridden the Interceptor but only sat on it in the showroom and found the seat to be narrow and lacking a bit of foam also the footpegs were a bit intrusive while moving the bike.
Had I ridden the Interceptor then I would have surely overlooked its shortcomings and purchased it outright which might have not pleased my better half considering its almost a lakh expensive than my Meteor .
So to keep the Home Minister happy, I cut down on my costs( which I don't regret even a bit) and as they say " A Happy Wife equals to a Happy Life ".

[The_Medic]

RE has set itself an expectation of the kind of bikes they're going to make amd what we should expect out of them. The changes are going to be evolutionary while still keeping in line with the heavy frame, long stroke, metal majority construction with some modernization added.

Heavy frames, long stroke and metal majority construction is all good and nice for some of the models from the lineup which requires that style. So yes, A classic 350 being that bike is fine. But the exact same ideology is applied to everything RE produces. The Himalayan has a pathetic engine and gearbox. The GT650 should be a light-weight cafe racer, not a porky facade of having clip ons and a slim tank slapped onto an interceptor 650 that can't even outpace an rc390. The interceptor 650 could have easily developed more power without losing on the torque wave (I am not buying the "stress free" nature of the engine keeping it reliable). Tube tyres on both and at that price range should be a crime worthy of capital punishment. Every single person who has ridden an int650 with 17 inch wheels has stated that the modded setup is significantly better (not having to deal with a tank slapper/death-wobble at higher speeds is always a good thing) And so much more. Yet, all this is mentioned in hush tones in all forums and reviews. And I haven't even stepped into the frequent mechanical and electrical gremlins that RE is still famous for. As i said, criticism should be fair.
Honda CB350 has the Trump card of a practically bullet proof engine. Yezdi is amazing fun to ride (scrambler and adventure are an Absolute hoot at most speeds). And yet, they are treated as second tier citizens. All bikes have their own shortcomings. I just wish for everyone to think rationally and choose a bike after riding it out (which I applauded the OP for doing) and not form biases. Playing the volume game is probably the only reason why RE didn't end up in deep waters like HD. I want RE to do better than
to produce the same thing over and over. It is an Indian brand after all and I want to be damn proud of it.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

But the exact same ideology is applied to everything RE produces.

Exactly and sadly. This is the biggest chink in their armour. I appreciate their initiative of introducing something like the Himalayan but loathe them for making it weigh close to 200kgs now and still facing issues of yesteryears.

Originally Posted by The_Medic

As i said, criticism should be fair.

Ditto. And IMO the cult status attached to the "bullet" made matters worse by delaying the market response to the poor QC and service by RE.
To be fair the same argument for other manufacturers applies to RE too and more severely because they have the advantage of being in the market the longest and still found lacking in common sense areas.
Like the day the erstwhile 188kg Himalayan broke cover it was a no brainer that it was underpowered, RE would know that already and the whole "you don't need that much power off road" argument is classic BS. RE, with their history would've already known that it would become a touring bike from the outset and people would need more power but they still launched it, underpowered. Today its still the same power but is 200kgs

Originally Posted by The_Medic

And yet, they are treated as second tier citizens.

I don't think so but if you're talking of the folks out there to get the "bullet" that's not going to happen anytime soon.
For the rest of us, TDs are the only way.

IMO a lot of the heat towards new entrants arises from the disappointment that they didn't solve the problem which REs suffer from. Just imagine how awesome it would've been to see a 170kg Yezdi Adventure. I was disappointed primarily on this front.

Originally Posted by The_Medic

I want RE to do better than to produce the same thing over and over. It is an Indian brand after all and I want to be damn proud of it.

Ditto again.
Like me, the Himalayan can gain some muscle and lose some weight and I think RE are going to solve that with the almost confirmed Himalayan 450. If they don't then I wouldn't know what to say.

As for the Interceptor, it's high time they solve the reported issues in a model update. I don't own one but I am done hearing about the seat and ergonomics.

[VRod_24]

Quick update on the bike
Had a short ride over the weekend to Rayakottai fort with some riders from our riders group. The total distance was roughly about 150kms to and fro.
The bike performed really well and provided great amounts of comfort on the saddle.
The bike does sound a bit strained around 90 to 95kmph but it's not alarming as in the old UCE engines of the Classic 350's.
The group consisted of an Interceptor 650, Jawa Perak, KTM ADV 390, Xpulse 200 4v and 2 classic 350's besides my Meteor 350.
Had short course of off roading trail near the fort where the meteor did struggle as expected and it was also the place where I had my first fall. Fortunately the leg guards took the brunt of the fall and there was no considerable damage elsewhere. The rider on the Xpulse had a joy ride at the same spot, for a moment it made me think that I should have opted for the Xpulse instead of the Meteor but then from what I know the seats on the Xpulse are not that comfy as compared to the Meteor.
Overall the experience was good. Will update more when rack in some more miles on the bike.
Attaching in some pics from the ride. cheers

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Great Thread! Which Dealership did you book your Meteor from and what was the tentative delivery time given for delivery? Just a few days ago I booked my Himalayan from the Electronic City Dealership and they promised me a delivery time of 30 to 45 Days. In addition, does anyone here have any experience with this dealership and their service? I would greaty appreciate some insight into this as this is my first motorbike and I've been hearing some horror stories about RE lately. Thanks!

[VRod_24]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Great Thread! Which Dealership did you book your Meteor from and what was the tentative delivery time given for delivery?

Hi, I had booked my bike from CVS motors Sadashiv agar. Got it within 7 days as it was in stock, in fact I had called in all the RE showrooms in Bangalore just to check who has ready stocks of either the Meteor or the new classic 350. FYI I reside in Bannerghatta side of Bangalore and had to travel all the way to Sadashivnagar but it's fine since I didn't have to wait for 4 months. As far as service is concerned I did my first service at Electronic City motors and it was decent nothing exceptional. Will be heading out for the 2nd service in the coming month, will drop an update on the same. Also wishing you safe miles on your new ride. Cheers

[shridhan]

Originally Posted by VRod_24

Quick update on the bike
Had a short ride over the weekend to Rayakottai fort with some riders from our riders group. The total distance was roughly about 150kms to and fro.
The bike performed really well and provided great amounts of comfort on the saddle.

This kind of trip is a good experience to see how different motorcycles are. So how many kms the odometer on your Meteor showing? Did the Interceptor guy ride your Meteor?

[VRod_24]

Originally Posted by shridhan

This kind of trip is a good experience to see how different motorcycles are. So how many kms the odometer on your Meteor showing? Did the Interceptor guy ride your Meteor?

Bike has clocked roughly around 1200kms which I know is quite less but I do have plans of some trips ahead. Also the ultimate goal of heading to leh Ladakh is something that I have planned for next year once I come back from sailing ( I am in Merchant Navy ) will post the prep work for that as well.
To answer your 2nd question, No the guy on the Interceptor didn't ride my bike as a matter of fact no one interchanged their bikes on the ride probably because this was the first ride together as a group so maybe that comfort level hasn't set in yet , let's see probably next time we would.

[shridhan]

Originally Posted by VRod_24

Bike has clocked roughly around 1200kms which I know is quite less but I do have plans of some trips ahead. Also the ultimate goal of heading to leh Ladakh is something that I have planned for next year once I come back from sailing ( I am in Merchant Navy ) will post the prep work for that as well.
To answer your 2nd question, No the guy on the Interceptor didn't ride my bike as a matter of fact no one interchanged their bikes on the ride probably because this was the first ride together as a group so maybe that comfort level hasn't set in yet , let's see probably next time we would.

My Meteor is near its running-in period of 2000 kms and I'm noticing that it's getting smoother and producing less heat. I guess that would help in longer rider.

All the best for future trips! Will be reading up the updates here.

[sanchari]

I took a test ride of Meteor today. I am 5'4". Some of my observations below:

1. The riding position didn't feel too comfortable. Felt like I was leaning in a bit too much, due to my height I suppose. And after a couple of kms, felt like bit of sore back etc. Anyone else felt this?

2. The seat seems a bit hard. Not sure if its because it was test ride vehicle which was used a lot. The sales rep told that touring seats are much softer

3. While riding, the bike felt heavy , especially when turning etc.

4. The bike seems ok over rough road. I last rode Hero Honda Splendor some 20 years back. At that time, I would stand on the foot pegs when going over potholes/humps. With Meteor being a cruiser and foot pegs installed much in front, that isn't possible. Wondering if going over bad roads causes any back issues over a period of time.

5. There was lot of wind buffeting even at 40-50kmph. The engine of course sounded much smoother in 4th gear. I guess installing a visor might reduce the wind effect.

6. The vehicle is pretty heavy. I was initially not able to put it on center stand the first time. I tried again after the test ride, and was then able to do it. Even moving the handle left or right when standing seems pretty heavy.

I am planning on taking a test ride of Honda Highness 350 and then decide. Would appreciate if anyone around my height of 5'4" can share their experience with Meteor and Hness CB350.

[amvj]

Originally Posted by sanchari

I am planning on taking a test ride of Honda Highness 350 and then decide. Would appreciate if anyone around my height of 5'4" can share their experience with Meteor and Hness CB350.

I am similar height as well, but then it is the inseam length that matters more. I did a short ride on my neighbour's CB350, it is noticeably heavier than CB300R but with a little practice it is manageable. All the bikes are manageable with some practice, but buy the bike you like rather than looking at the specs or price.

[VRod_24]

[quote=sanchari;532 The vehicle is pretty heavy. I was initially not able to put it on center stand the first time. I tried again after the test ride, and was then able to do it. Even moving the handle left or right when standing seems pretty heavy.
[/QUOTE]

The bike does feel a bit heavy at first especially if your coming off from a lighter bike but then it's just a matter of time for you to get used to it. As far as the seats are concerned, I ride with the stock seat and so far I have no complains of it for me it's pretty comfortable but yes what seems perfect to me might not be the same with someone else. As far as the wind blast is concerned I haven't faced any such issues as I have the supernova variant with the long visor.
Even with the forward set footpegs I manage quite easily to stand on them while riding over humps or portholes I agree it's not the same like on other bikes with centre placed pegs but it's not something that can't be done. As far the reach of the handlebar is concerned I've had no such issues probably it could be out of the difference in height, my height for reference is 5.7' .
I suggest you to check out a range of other bikes by test riding them and the one that clicks will be the one for you. You can check out the options from yezdi and jawa also. All the best

[VRod_24]

Had been on a ride to Pondicherry from Bengaluru and back recently. The bike performed really well. I did feel the lack of top end grunt this time around as the bike strained a bit at speeds of 100 and 90 kmph. I feel around 70 to 80kmph is the sweet spot for the motor.
In terms of luggage a tank bag and top box was all that I needed to pack in my clothes for this 5 day trip.
The route to Pondicherry is also quite good with less traffic and decent tarmac throughout.
Right now feeling the itch to upgrade to the super meteor 650 as it provides a much powerful package with similar if not better attributes as the Meteor 350.

[rajeevsulu]

Hi, do try out the super meteor. It is in a different league. I own an Interceptor 650 and the engine of the SM is the same. Do take a test ride and then decide.
Cheers