[M-Roc]

Hello All,

I'm in the market to get my next bike but I am unable to decide between the two choices i.e., Hunter 350 and Ronin. I would really appreciate any suggestions to help me finalize my next ride.

My profile:

Height = 167 cm
Weight = 103 kgs
Currently own - TVS Star City 2009 model & Honda Activa 2019 model

What I need - A daily commuter which will be used 90% in city limits and occasional long drives.

In the recent past I started using my cousin's Honda Unicorn and very much liked the upright handle bar position and the linear power delivery. So I thought my next bike should have similar characteristics. Off late I tried booking Honda unicorn but always heard that unicorn production is very much limited and they get stock only once in 3 months I thought something phishy and started looking for alternatives.

Now came the TVS Ronin and Hunter 350 -

I test drove both Hunter & Ronin back to back on two different days

Day1 -

Hunter 350 -
1. Looked Stunning
2. Felt very nimble
3. Surprised that I could plant my foot very comfortably
4. Power delivery is adequate per my expectations
5. Discomfort in my shoulder due to the slight sportier stance.

Ronin -
1. Very much liked the upright seating and handle bar position.
2. Excellent low and mid range.
3. Felt front heavy
4. Seating height is just okay
5. Looks are okay

After the day1 test drive I thought Ronin would be the best choice as Hunter 350 was giving me some shoulder pain which I felt would be irritating in the long run.

Day2 -

Before taking the test drive I saw some you tube videos regarding the riding posture where they advised to hug the fuel tank with thighs

Hunter 350 -
1. I didn't feel any pain unlike day1 but the riding posture was very new and honestly I didn't know if it will suit or trouble me in the long run.
2. Other things felt same as day1

Ronin -
1. Looks are very confusing.
2. But the power delivery, seating position, fit and finish was top notch.

Now after the two test drives I am in a dilemma to decide between Ronin and hunter 350.

Ronin - seems to be VFM with some compromise in looks.

Hunter - Looks stunning, could satisfy the RE fanboy within me but worried if the riding position will give any head ache in future.

Some fellow BHPians advised to use angle risers to bring the handle bar little close to the body which could help avoid the discomfort. But I'm skeptical if it will spoil the looks which I like very much.

I await to hear from fellow BHPians before I make a decision.

Thanks

[karanddd]

Get a sporty bike on rent, like a Pulsar NS or Duke, for 2 days and try to ride for a few hours. If you feel comfortable after that congratulations you have adapted to a slight lean forward stance and can buy a Hunter. If it doesn't feel comfortable after a few hours, then reject the Hunter and get a Ronin or Classic or any other bike with that absolutely upright stance.

[M-Roc]

Originally Posted by karanddd

Get a sporty bike on rent, like a Pulsar NS or Duke, for 2 days and try to ride for a few hours. If you feel comfortable after that congratulations you have adapted to a slight lean forward stance and can buy a Hunter. If it doesn't feel comfortable after a few hours, then reject the Hunter and get a Ronin or Classic or any other bike with that absolutely upright stance.

Spot on! But after corona I moved to my hometown which is a Tier 3 city where rental bikes aren't available. However I will try to find one from my friend's circle.

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by M-Roc

Hello All,

What I need - A daily commuter which will be used 90% in city limits and occasional long drives.

In the recent past I started using my cousin's Honda Unicorn and very much liked the upright handle bar position and the linear power delivery.

Ronin -
1. Very much liked the upright seating and handle bar position.
2. Excellent low and mid range.

2. But the power delivery, seating position, fit and finish was top notch.

Now after the two test drives I am in a dilemma to decide between Ronin and hunter 350.

Ronin - seems to be VFM with some compromise in looks.

Among these two, forget looks, close your eyes and go for Ronin. See points from your post which I have highlighted in the above quote, you yourself are convinced with Ronin, only getting confused by looks and brand name RE. Among the positives mentioned by you about Ronin, other very important points in Ronin which will matter a lot for you (as you mentioned 90% city ride), are: GTT and Slipper clutch. These two features make life butter smooth in city traffic. I too have test ridden both these bikes, and can vouch for this aspect.

Moreover for 90% city ride, I would say, even base model will suffice and you can save about 20k+ .

[sreejithkk]

I was in the same situation as you were in, but now decided to increase the budget by 35 K and go towards the classic 350 or CB 350 H'ness. For my height, Ronin felt too small (in terms of the seat length and overall size), and to my surprise, hunter felt extremely peppy and smooth. only problem with hunter was the lean forward riding posture. Ronin base model is VFM, whereas in case of Hunter 350, the metro dapper model is the VFM choice. If you are fine with the TVS service centers in your area (since you already own a TVS), and fine with Ronin seating posture, it is a good choice. Out of Ronin and Hunter, I felt hunter as a better balanced and lighter bike while on the move, although the specs says otherwise. One thing I noticed was, RE sales team were much friendly during test drive. They did not put any restrictions and happy to give test ride multiple times, where as TVS guys has done some paperwork before the test ride and insisted me to go till the next petrol pump, which is just half a kilometer away, take a u turn and come back.

[M-Roc]

Originally Posted by LongDrive lover

Among these two, forget looks, close your eyes and go for Ronin. See points from your post which I have highlighted in the above quote, you yourself are convinced with Ronin, only getting confused by looks and brand name RE. Among the positives mentioned by you about Ronin, other very important points in Ronin which will matter a lot for you (as you mentioned 90% city ride), are: GTT and Slipper clutch. These two features make life butter smooth in city traffic. I too have test ridden both these bikes, and can vouch for this aspect.

Moreover for 90% city ride, I would say, even base model will suffice and you can save about 20k+ .

Totally agree with you. IMHO all these days RE was more towards tall and well built personalities(with few exceptions). But all of sudden when I got to see something that suited average height people like me the fan boy started coming out.

Anyway I will take sometime and make a well thought decision that will bring smile in the long run

[M-Roc]

Originally Posted by sreejithkk

I was in the same situation as you were in, but now decided to increase the budget by 35 K and go towards the classic 350 or CB 350 H'ness. For my height, Ronin felt too small (in terms of the seat length and overall size), and to my surprise, hunter felt extremely peppy and smooth. only problem with hunter was the lean forward riding posture. Ronin base model is VFM, whereas in case of Hunter 350, the metro dapper model is the VFM choice. If you are fine with the TVS service centers in your area (since you already own a TVS), and fine with Ronin seating posture, it is a good choice. Out of Ronin and Hunter, I felt hunter as a better balanced and lighter bike while on the move, although the specs says otherwise. One thing I noticed was, RE sales team were much friendly during test drive. They did not put any restrictions and happy to give test ride multiple times, where as TVS guys has done some paperwork before the test ride and insisted me to go till the next petrol pump, which is just half a kilometer away, take a u turn and come back.

Thank you for your valuable inputs. I had an exactly opposite experience i.e., TVS guys are more welcoming in terms of test drives and follow ups whereas RE guys were little hesitant when I asked for the second test drive.

But honestly I'm weighing the products more than the individuals employed in TVS or RE. Between all the best for your next bike, both Classic 350 and Honda Highness are good in their own ways.

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by M-Roc

My profile:

Height = 167 cm
Weight = 103 kgs


Ronin - seems to be VFM with some compromise in looks.

Hunter - Looks stunning, could satisfy the RE fanboy within me but worried if the riding position will give any head ache in future.

I would suggest you get the Hunter as you clearly seem to be interested in that. RE is making world class motorcycles. Motorcycle is an emotion. Which motorcycle will you miss if you own the other one? This should answer your question.

Sorry if it comes as impolite, but still I thought it will help you in the long run. After getting one of the motorcycles, you MUST work on your weight. It clearly is not healthy by any standards. Please read these threads on team-bhp:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...s-journey.html (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ss-thread.html (The Weight Loss Thread)

There is a lot of valuable information in these above threads. A lightweight rider is much agile on a motorcycle and can enjoy it even more.

[M-Roc]

Originally Posted by carthick1000

I would suggest you get the Hunter as you clearly seem to be interested in that. RE is making world class motorcycles. Motorcycle is an emotion. Which motorcycle will you miss if you own the other one? This should answer your question.

Sorry if it comes as impolite, but still I thought it will help you in the long run. After getting one of the motorcycles, you MUST work on your weight. It clearly is not healthy by any standards. Please read these threads on team-bhp:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...s-journey.html (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ss-thread.html (The Weight Loss Thread)

There is a lot of valuable information in these above threads. A lightweight rider is much agile on a motorcycle and can enjoy it even more.

Thanks @carthick1000, Absolutely you are right that I should work on my weight and thanks a ton for sharing those fitness threads here. Between I am already in a fitness journey and lost 4 kgs in a month. Though there is a long way to go, hope I will get into a better shape in the near future.

[drt_rdr]

I can only speak to the head, not the heart. The Ronin does lack something, a je ne sais quoi compared to the RE, Honda, Benelli thumpers.

Anyway, I've not ridden the Hunter yet, but did ride the Ronin. It seemed excellent in terms of creature comforts and conveniences for urban riding. The bike also seems to be very well built for taking on multiple roles.

And even the base variant gives a current-era experience and conveniences. Don't have to deal with drum brakes, tubed tyres, barebones instrumentation, and halogen lighting.

The only substantial negative I can think of versus the Hunter is that the Ronin is kind of a new platform. Though supposedly, the engine is a modified RTR engine and the suspension is off the RR310 with revised damping, the frame and everything else is supposedly new. Yet to prove itself at this point. But to be fair, it's easier to put faith in TVS than in RE.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by M-Roc

What I need - A daily commuter which will be used 90% in city limits and occasional long drives.

Based on your riding history, intended usage and expectations the Ronin will fit better with its easier ride and maintenance experiences and slightly better FE. Of course since you're okay with the design.
The base version in red looks better than the top end IMHO

But since you also mentioned about the RE fanboy point and since you don't seem to be committed enough to go the distance to the Classic 350, the Hunter seems like an apt bike to get a taste of it. Whether you'll like it or not is something you'll have to find out for yourself

In your case though, unless you really want to get the Hunter for the RE factor, the Ronin makes better sense in all other scenarios.

[cochinist]

Originally Posted by M-Roc

Totally agree with you. IMHO all these days RE was more towards tall and well built personalities(with few exceptions). But all of sudden when I got to see something that suited average height people like me the fan boy started coming out.

Anyway I will take sometime and make a well thought decision that will bring smile in the long run

Short men can ride high Ground Clearance Motorcycles, Thin men can ride RE Bullets (OG) .

Time to move out from the cliche

It is all about the love for motorcycles and nothing else.

Example : North Pole Extreme - Dani Pedro's on HRC
South Pole Extreme : Me , in 2006 46kgs on a '93 Bullet.

Blindly go for the HONDA CB350 or The Classic 350.
I understand you have an issue with the handle , footpeg and torso triangle. Handle bar risers are easily available and not much of a hassle to give you a much relaxed riding posture.

Since 90% of riding is in city, let me open a new spectrum for you, The Yamaha Aerox155.

That is my two cents of advice.

But take this Golden Rule,
You take a thorough test drive of the motorcycles you love , then take a decision.
It's on you brother. Ride Safe

[cochinist]

Originally Posted by carthick1000

I would suggest you get the Hunter as you clearly seem to be interested in that. RE is making world class motorcycles. Motorcycle is an emotion. Which motorcycle will you miss if you own the other one? This should answer your question.

Sorry if it comes as impolite, but still I thought it will help you in the long run. After getting one of the motorcycles, you MUST work on your weight. It clearly is not healthy by any standards. Please read these threads on team-bhp:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...s-journey.html (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ss-thread.html (The Weight Loss Thread)

There is a lot of valuable information in these above threads. A lightweight rider is much agile on a motorcycle and can enjoy it even more.

Dear Carthick, it is impolite.
Kindly refrain from such free gyan on health and physical conditions.
It is his choice.

A person who is looking for a commuter need not be featherlite to save a few milliseconds over the apex on a speed circuit.

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by M-Roc

Anyway I will take sometime and make a well thought decision that will bring smile in the long run

Hey there I was in a similar boat till a few weeks back and I can totally understand what you are going through. I made excel sheets, watched countless videos, read many reviews, spoke to all my biker friends multiple times etc etc. but could not decide.

I would therefore suggest two things that helped me.
1. Test ride both choices extensively and if possible back to back. Or at least on the same day. Take a long test ride, don't worry about what the sales guy says. This was the advice given to me here by members of this forum and it really helped. (I had booked a bike without a TD and thank God I took the allotted bike for a short ride before signing the dotted line).

2. If after the TDs you still can't decide. Then list the cons of each bike for you. Just blindly choose the one with the lesser number of cons.
Now If they are still equal with equal number of cons. Choose the more expensive bike (assuming you had listed higher cost as a con for one of them). You will be happy. Cost ceases to be a factor after you pay the cheque. The riding and living with the bike is what will stay with you throughout your ownership of the bike.

Happy hunting. (and no I was not pushing you to the Hunter )

[deep_bang]

Let me simplify. If you buy the Ronin will you look at every RE and feel that you missed to buy? Then buy the RE. Worst case you will live with it for a few years and get over your RE itch. The problem with RE is, it's an itch and it goes only when you buy it. There is no other solution for this RE problem.