Detailed Comparison: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 vs Yezdi Roadster vs CB Highness 350

A detailed overview on how the RE Meteor 350 scores against its closest rivals, the Roadster and CB-Highness 350

If your priorities are a comfortable and relaxed riding stance and occasional long rides on highways with light luggage, then these cruisers would have definitely caught your attention. Here, we will talk about the three most popular cruisers currently trending in the Indian market. We will compare them on the basis of their specification and try to find out which one offers the best value for your buck.

• Royal Enfield introduced the Meteor 350 in November 2020 that replaced the Thunderbird. The Meteor is also the first offering from the brand to embrace its new 350cc platform.

• The second popular cruiser offering is called the Roadster and it is from the revived Yezdi brand.

• While the third contender is the CB Highness 350. The Highness has helped Honda explore the most potential motorcycle segments in India and even compete with one of the oldest players of this game, Royal Enfield.

Now that we have introduced you to the three contenders, let us get into the spec comparison details.

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 VS Yezdi Roadster VS CB Highness 350: Engine Comparison

The RE Meteor 350 also uses a new J series engine which is much more refined than its predecessor

Powering the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is a brand new 349cc, single-cylinder, air-oil cooled engine that produces a modest 20.2hp of peak power at 6,100rpm and 27Nm of peak torque at 4,000rpm. Royal Enfield has incorporated a balancer shaft to reduce vibration while the old pushrod valve system of the motorcycle is replaced with a SOHC, two-valve head.

The recently launched Yezdi Roadster uses a slightly modern 334cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled DOHC motor. The Roadster engine paired to a six-speed gearbox churns out 29 Ps of peak power at 7,300 rpm and 29 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. These are the highest power and torque number amongst its contenders.

the CB Highness is the only bike amongst the trio to feature an assist and slipper clutch.

The CB Highness 350 also gets a brand new engine specially designed for India. Unlike the Roadster, the Honda has taken the old school approach and used a 348cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that develops around 21.1 ps of peak power 5,500rpm and 30Nm at 3,000rpm. The engine is paired to a five-speed gearbox. Interestingly, the CB Highness is the only bike amongst the trio to feature an assist and slipper clutch.

All these engines have different characters, but the Meteor and the CB Highness use a long-stroke engine and their torque figures are delivered at lower rpm’s. While the Yezdi Roadster has a slightly high revving engine. It is also the quickest motorcycle in this segment (watch the Roadster in drag race video against the Classic 350 here). The Yezdi Roadster is also the only motorcycle to get a six-speed gearbox amongst the trio.

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 VS Yezdi Roadster VS CB Highness 350: Chassis

It also uses a new and improved double-downtube frame

The RE Meteor 350 employs a new and improved double-downtube frame. The Meteor 350 relies on a telescopic suspension setup at the front and twins shock absorbers at the rear. Unlike its predecessor Thunderbird expect the Meteor to offer a much better ride and neutral handling character.

The Yezdi Roadster underpins a double-cradle frame linked to a Telescopic fork at the front and twin gas-filled emulsion rear shock absorbers. The front and rear suspension on the Roadster offers 135mm and 100 mm of wheel travel.

The Honda CB Highness too uses a double-downtube frame with a conventional telescopic fork at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear handling the suspension duties.

On the safety front, the good news is that all the three cruisers get a dual-channel ABS as standard. The Yezdi Roadster, in particular, gets three ABS modes (Road, Rain, and Offroad).

Apart from the chassis and suspension setup, you will notice some differences in the wheels and brake sizes. All three cruisers use 19-inch alloy wheels at the front. The Meteor and the Roadster use 17-inch alloy wheels at the rear, while the Honda gets slightly bigger 18-inch wheels. All three cruiser features tubeless tires, which come in handy during long rides.

Coming to the stopping power offered by these cruisers, the Meteor 350 gets the smallest-sized front disc rotors amongst its contenders (300 mm to be exact), while the Yezdi Roadster gets the biggest 320 mm rotor at the front. The CB Highness 350 features a 310 mm rotor. However, the Meteor gets the biggest 270 mm rotor at the rear while its rivals use 240 mm discs.

When it comes to tank range, both the Meteor and the CB HIghness offer 15 litre fuel tanks. The Roadster on the other hand gets a smaller 12.5 Litre fuel tank.

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 VS Yezdi Roadster VS CB Highness 350: Features

Besides the new chassis and the engine the Meteor also gets many modern features like tripper navigation which was never expected from RE

Royal Enfield has stepped up their game by introducing a couple of new and exclusive features never seen before in any of their motorcycles earlier. The first thing that will catch your attention on the Meteor 350 is the semi-digital instrument console that offers sufficient information to the rider including, gear position indicator, trip meter, fuel gauge, clock, etc.

The cruiser also gets an Eco mode. Apart from the instrument console, the Meteor also features a separate pod with a TFT display that RE calls Tripper navigation. The owners can pair their smartphones with an application, and it will display turn-by-turn navigation via Google Maps data. The top-end Supernova variant also gets a windscreen as standard.

The Yezdi Roadster has all-LED lighting in addition to the full digital LCD instrument cluster. The motorcycle misses out on the Bluetooth connectivity and navigation feature.

The CB Highness 350 offers a powerful engine, impressive features and is also priced comparatively lower than the Meteor

Last but not least, in our list, the Honda CB Highness 350 gets the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), which can be switched on or off using a switch positioned on the left side of the meter. The other significant feature available with the CB Highness 350 DLX pro variant is HSVC. The rider can connect their Smartphone and access phone calls, navigation, and even incoming messages on their Bluetooth headset.

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 VS Yezdi Roadster VS CB Highness 350: Price

The RE Meteor 350 price starts from Rs 2.01 Lakh (ex-showroom) and it is the most expensive motorcycle amongst the trio. The Yezdi Roadster base price starts from Rs 1.98 Lakh (ex-showroom). The Honda CB HIghness 350, on the other hand, is the most affordable motorcycle amongst the trio, the base DLX variant prices start from Rs 1.96 Lakh (ex-showroom).

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 VS Yezdi Roadster VS CB Highness 350: Verdict

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 may not be the perfect bike, but it is a considerable improvement over its predecessor. It offers a modest power output but the engine is refined and at par with its rivals. The Meteor 350 also offers a couple of exclusive features which come in handy during long rides.

The Yezdi Roadster is the newest kid on the block, and although the power and torque figures look lucrative on paper, it misses out on a few key features that its rivals offer at this price point.

The CB Highness 350 offers a complete package, but Honda has not used the best strategy, by deciding to sell it only via their premium Big wing showrooms, which has limited the bike’s availability. The CB Highness also is a naked Roadster, and it might not be as comfortable as the Meteor 350 for long-distance rides.

Which motorcycle would you pick as your next bike amongst the trio? Tell us in the comment section below.

Keyword: Detailed Comparison: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 vs Yezdi Roadster vs CB Highness 350