Royal Enfield Hunter 350 vs TVS Ronin comparison

In the Indian motorcycling landscape, few rivalries are as interesting as the one between the TVS Ronin 225 and the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. While they occupy similar price brackets, they represent two very different philosophies of "modern-retro."

Here is my take on how these two stack up for the 2026 rider.

1. Design and Character

• Royal Enfield Hunter 350: It is a classic roadster through and through. It feels compact, approachable, and unmistakably "Royal Enfield" but with a youthful, urban edge. It’s the bike for someone who wants the RE brand without the heavy baggage of a Classic 350.

• TVS Ronin 225: The Ronin is a "genre-bender." It’s part scrambler, part cruiser, and part roadster. With its USD forks and offset instrument cluster, it looks futuristic yet retro. It’s the pick for the rider who wants to stand out from the crowd.

2. Performance and Ride Quality

The spec sheet tells a surprising story: despite the displacement gap, their peak power is nearly identical, though the delivery is worlds apart.

• The Hunter is all about that low-end "thump" and torque. It’s effortless to pull away from lights, though the clutch can feel a bit heavy in peak Bengaluru or Mumbai traffic.

• The Ronin is significantly lighter and more refined. The 4-valve engine is zippy, and the Slip-and-Assist clutch makes it a breeze to operate. It also features "Glide Through Technology" (GTT), allowing the bike to crawl in traffic without throttle input—a godsend for daily commutes.

The Ronin, meanwhile, has an extremely light clutch action and comes with a slip/assist clutch. Speaking of light, the Ronin also weighs nearly 20kg less than the Hunter, despite the fact that the latter is currently the lightest RE you can buy. You feel the difference for sure, but to be fair, the Hunter is agile, light steering and easy to ride. Both bikes have sub-800mm seat heights, which also helps. Weight is not something to really be concerned with here, but there is another issue we have with the Hunter – its suspension.

The front fork is quite soft and it’s actually rather underdamped on the rebound stroke, but the twin rear shocks are unforgivingly firm – and they come set on minimum preload from the factory. If you live in an area with bad roads, this can get unpleasant, especially for lighter riders. In comparison, the Ronin’s 41mm USD fork/monoshock set-up feels supple and plush. 

A lot of folks expressed concern online about the Hunter’s 150mm ground clearance, but we haven’t faced that issue so far, even with the weight of a pillion – that’s probably one area where the hard shocks are a benefit. Speaking of, neither bike has excellent pillion comfort, but the Ronin’s seat, grab rail and foot peg placement are a little better than the Hunter’s.

As for handling, the Hunter is definitely the more fun and connected machine. In comparison, the TVS feels light and easy, but its raked-out front end isn’t as communicative and the foot pegs can scrape more easily. As for brakes, both are just about adequate in terms of power and feel, although the actual braking distances in our tests were nearly identical.

3. Tech and Features

This is where TVS usually runs away with the trophy.

• Ronin: Offers a fully digital console, Bluetooth connectivity (turn-by-turn navigation, call/SMS alerts), two ABS modes (Rain and Urban), and adjustable levers on higher trims.

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• Hunter: Keeps it analog-digital and simple. While you can opt for the "Tripper" navigation pod, the base experience is much more "old school."

4. Real-World Efficiency

• TVS Ronin: Expect a healthy 40–42 kmpl in mixed riding conditions.

• RE Hunter: Stays in the 35–37 kmpl range. If you're looking to save at the pump over a long ownership period, the Ronin has the edge.