Meteor 350 With Almost Original Thump Gives Old Gen Royal Enfield Vibes
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is offered in three trims- Fireball, Stellar and Supernova
Meteor 350 was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated launches in the Indian market in 2020. The new cruiser from Royal Enfield is the stepping stone to the brand’s new generation motorcycles as it is based on a new platform and is powered by a brand new 350cc engine.
While it carries many traditional Royal Enfield elements from previous generation models, especially Thunderbird 350, Meteor 350 in many ways is not a traditional Royal Enfield motorcycle. The main point of focus here is the classical Royal Enfield thump which could be heard in older generation motorcycles.
Reason for dilution in classical Royal Enfield Thump
Ever since BS6 norms kicked in April 2020, Royal Enfield fans have complained that its traditional throaty noise from its exhaust note has been diluted to a certain extent. The conventional ‘dug dug’ sound usually associated with Royal Enfield motorcycles were suddenly seen missing. This was mainly attributed to the inclusion of a large catalytic converter which filtered most of its thump.
With the new 350cc single-cylinder motor the traditional thump completely gives way to a nice melodious exhaust note which is pleasing to one’s ears. While it may sound pleasing to an environmentalist, a classical Royal Enfield lover might not approve of this sound. Well, here is a solution that can be into if one seriously wants his Meteor 350 to sound like an Enfield from older generation – even if it is not advisable.
In a video uploaded by Abhinav Bhatt, the vlogger shows that by removing the collector box of a catalytic converter from the exhaust setup one can achieve an exhaust note which is somewhat reminiscent of the old Royal Enfield motorcycles. The catalytic converter is positioned at an intermediate stage where particulates of exhaust gas from the combustion chamber are filtered before passing through the muffler into the air.
Getting the Thump back
By replacing the stock exhaust with a straight line stainless steel pipe that connects the header to the bike’s exhaust can a throaty exhaust note is given out which though not loud will certainly be pleasing to the ears of a true Royal Enfield aficionado. Abhinav also takes a spin on this modified Meteor 350 after getting rid of the catalytic converter. Interestingly, it not only improves the exhaust note but also frees up 3.4 kg of the bike which might translate to slightly better fuel economy as well as performance.
However, this modification is not road legal as it clearly violates the current BS6 emission norms which mandate every vehicle to be equipped with a catalytic converter. The vlogger here does not endorse the idea of removing it from the bike and is just showing the reason behind the muffled exhaust note of Meteor 350.
Meteor 350 is powered by a 349cc single-cylinder engine which pushes out 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of peak torque. This motor gets an overhead camshaft setup instead of a conventional push-rod setup and is paired with a five-speed gearbox.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
