First Impression 2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 - Ride and Review

[@andrewclark891]

Great sensible video and review, I'm thinking of buying one. Motorcycling is not all about speed...it's the pleasure and the freedom motorcycling gives. I've done the ton up and got the pegs down. I had more fun cruising at 55 through the bends on a mountain near Brisbane Oz

[@miapasternak6188]

Agree! It is a great bike for enjoying the ride at a leisure speed.

[@chrisandrew852]

Totally agree Andrew... a good and honest review. I'm on the Gold Coast and my yellow Fireball should arrive this week. Being 68 years old the Meteor will suit my pace of life down to the ground. I've added the windscreen and touring seat purely for the aesthetics, and like you, I'm looking to rides into the Hinterland. :)

[@miapasternak6188]

Thank you for doing a review on my bike! I have had a few people ask me what I like about the bike as a beginner and my answers have been: not too powerful so I feel more in control, the height is just right so that I comfortably touching ground with most of my feet (I'm just under 5'6"), the bright color is easily seen, the heel shifter is super easy instead of coordinating my toe around the shifter, the display tells me fuel level and what gear I am in, ABS makes me feel safer for sudden brakes, shifting is smooth, and the price point for my first bike was unbeatable for a brand new bike. 🙂

[@Happy12004]

Very good introduction of a new machine! I’m a73 yrs old man and I have always had a motorcycle. I’m just getting off my 1200cc Triumph four, as I’m not doing anything to do to really use it. I’m broken-hearted to think of giving it up, but I think I need a little toddler to do what I need to do these days, doctors appointments and watching the stuff that you are going to see as the world goes around, with a cuppa, in the shade. I have found a new thing Ornithology , I think? I like watching the Hawks hunting in my area. I just pack up some coffee, water, and stuff like my binoculars and a snack. Putt around in my area till I see some bird action, and park in the shade to watch them. Then I go home to read about my observations. It just beats the hell out of cartoons! I’m just getting started on the re-education of Poppa Jack, on modern machines. I’m just in shock! I don’t have any idea what these young brothers are talking about?

[@photographerjonathan]

Nice bike, I love the sound of it, I have been riding bikes for many years and I would consider this bike. I think once you've done the sport bike riding and knee dragging and all the crazy risk taking in your youth, you can appreciate just having a nice sounding bike to ride nice and easy through town. I used to own a Honda 350 many years ago, but it was a two cylinder scrambler.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

It is a fun cruiser. The only thing that would really give me pause is the total output of the motor and ability to ride comfortably 2 up if I wanted to.

[@lshort8842]

Great review. I just bought a Meteor. At 69 years old ( and 50 plus years on bikes,) I moved to smaller bikes to keep riding into geezerhood. The Meteor is perfect to ride to town on little errands, or cruise the backroads. I'm gonna put an old FLH tractor seat on it, and shocks from a late model Triumph. I'll probably put higher viscosity fork oil in it, and add a slug spacer to improve the preload on the front springs. I'm not small, so every little bit helps. It is a little underpowered for our 65mph highways here or the 80 mph freeways. I'm gonna keep a sharp eye out for a bigger displacement Meteor, IF it is as cool as my little thumper. ;)

[@kalonymos1228]

That's the best review of this bike I've seen so far, thanks man!

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Thanks.

[@roycspary8923]

old motorcyclist here. the human brain is hard wired to try to break any fall by extending the arm. injure hand, save head. makes sense for survival. please wear gloves or you will discover a world of pain the first time you fall off and loose the skin on your palm and fingertips. you also do this with your dominant hand and that will make wiping your bum or brushing your teeth a real problem. great review please don't learn the hard way , no fun to be had there. cheers roy

[@bigdaddyo1970]

Getting one in the next few days! Great review!

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Congrats. let me know how you enjoy it.

[@kevindarkstar]

Funny how most of these videos are on the fireball variant for the little extra money I'd go for the supernova in two tone brown, including the windscreen and pillion backrest

[@MessyGarageBMW]

I know she chose the fireball because she liked the color better. I would have to agree with her choice as the windshield and backrest don't do anything for me on this bike and as I stated in the video I prefer the cleaner simpler badging on the fireball.

[@raghavbhavsar828]

Fireball looks much sleeker than the supernova variant

[@miapasternak6188]

@@raghavbhavsar828 Agree!

[@simonhawkins8913]

Fab video...very relaxed and very friendly and informal..loads of information!! I have a Royal Enfield Stellar Red Meteor 350cc..this bike is perfect for me personally, and what you said in your video..said perfectly, I have subscribed to your channel...great job!! 🏍️👍

[@tearingupthemiles1864]

Great looking bike!! Agree this would be a great beginner bike, but could definitely be a good bike for an experienced rider who just wants a nice bike for short in town commutes, especially if you live in a larger city!! Since there is not a lot of chrome, and I am not a fan of chrome, I would probably change the headlight bezel and gas cap to black if that’s an available option. I think a black gas would look great in contrast to the yellow tank. IMO!!!

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Great point. It is a fun bike to ride and would be a good bike even for experienced riders as a great in town kind of bike option.

[@miapasternak6188]

Black gas cap is an excellent idea!

[@chrro466]

Thoroughly agree. Chrome is tacky on a blacked out bike.

[@johnrogers7567]

Great review!! Great looking bike!! I agree with the badging comment!! *”Don’t mind the garage” name of the account is literally “MessyGarage”!!!!

[@MessyGarageBMW]

🤣😅 True 👍

[@dlittlester]

@@MessyGarageBMW Your garage is messy? Hold my beer!

[@lowend5566]

This is my first bike and it's awesome.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Fun bike for sure! Enjoy it and ride safe. Keep the shiny side up.

[@antoniocarneiroarnaudfilho3046]

Beautiful video. Congratulations. I liked that colour. Hug.

[@sn5953]

Nice video, but a bit jerky at around 13:25. Where was your GoPro mounted?

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Chin mount on the helmet for the riding portion of the review.

[@kyakaruvlogs2784]

Wished this will also come in other iterations such as 411cc, 500cc and 650cc. Anyway Royal Enfield is on a roll. The following models up for launch in the next few months - Classic Roadster Shotgun Hunter Sherpa Scram Flying Flea and An Electric Motorcyle Also BSA will be launching its single cylinder 650cc motorcycle by the end of the year.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

My son has a Continental GT and it is a very nice bike. I'm looking at adding another bike and one of the 650 twins is on my short list.

[@kyakaruvlogs2784]

@@MessyGarageBMW Oh well the Classic, Hunter, Roadster and Shotgun have spyshots leaked all over the net. The Roadster and Shotgun being 650cc. Maybe you can google them out. Royal Enfield have stated that they will be launching one motorcycle every quarter for the next few years. However what gets me more interested is the BSA 650 which will be launched by Classic Legends a subsidiary of Mahindra. As per latest scoops, the 650 will be a single cylinder mill producing about 50hp and 50Nm of torque and will be designed in the U.K., manufactured in India and Assembled and launched in the UK by the end of the year. Pricing however will be more premium than the Royal Enfields. I just hope that the quality will match the price that it will be asking. Can't wait to see spyshots of this bike since it's supposed to be production ready already.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

@@kyakaruvlogs2784 I'll be watching for sure. So many bikes, so little garage space. Do I need to add a cafe racer, a naked, a bagger, scrambler, so many choices.

[@kyakaruvlogs2784]

@@MessyGarageBMW Sometimes having too many choices is a problem, a good problem I hope. Things will only get messier in your garage 😁

[@kanekiken2002]

Are you a RE worker ? I have seen you on many comment sections.

[@The404force]

Dude, I loved your review on the bike, straight to the experience with no rodeos. I´m thinking about getting this one as my first bike, do you know if it's comfortable for someone who's 6 ft tall? btw that scout bobber is my dream bike! I hope someday I can afford one! Greetings from Barranquilla - Colombia.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

I would think it should be comfortable for someone 6 ft tall. The seat is higher than my bobber and I've seen people your height on those.

[@julien.iledere]

Merci pour cet été c'est vraiment parfait et je pense que je vais en acheter une en France.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Merci d'avoir regardé!

[@bals81]

@MessyGarage I like the sound of your bike, the one you ride at the beginning of the video. What make/model is that and the sound is from the original exhaust?

[@MessyGarageBMW]

My bike is an Indian Scout Bobber Twenty. You can see it briefly around the 1:00 mark. I have the Vance and Hines Slashcut exhaust. There is a lot of content of the buildup of this bike on my channel.

[@bals81]

@@MessyGarageBMW Thank you for taking the time to reply. Great content!

[@FromaTwistedMind]

What if you put a 500cc engine into her & made her a twin? Perfection?

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Or the 650 twin from the continental GT

[@dlittlester]

Just wondering - I was trying to read the labels, was it built in India or Britain? I was under the impression they were British built, but could be entirely wrong. I had quite a long list of sporty bikes, including a 79 CBX. Now that I'm over 70, I feel kind of lucky to be alive when I think about the style I used to ride. This bike would fit me fine.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

They started as a British brand in 1901 and as the British motorcycle manufacturing hit tough times they moved to India. They have remained there for awhile and are still made there. It is the longest continuous brand of motorcycles.

[@dlittlester]

@@MessyGarageBMW I understand they sell more motorcycles than any other brand in the world. No, the reason I asked where it was made is because I heard they were opening a plant in England back in 2015 where some new technology was going to come from. Since this bike and the 650 twin are both kind of new technology, that's why I asked. Mind you, for that price, it's hard to believe the Brits could build and sell it.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

@@dlittlester gotcha. I'm not sure but I think they are built in India. I know they have a facility in England but I'm not sure how much of that is for R&D vs manufacturing. My son has a 650 twin and so far the quality on both of those bikes is impressive especially given the price.

[@dlittlester]

@@MessyGarageBMW Ah yes. R&D would make more sense.

[@hawedehre]

The rear disc is smaller than 300 mm, I think 270 mm but it’s not that important.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

You are correct. The front is 300mm the rear is 270. I have it correct in the video description but it is incorrect in the video overlay of the specs. Thanks for catching that.

[@sagarmeena0210]

great lookin bike

[@markymarknj]

MG, as an experienced motorcyclist (I've had 12 bikes) and Meteor 350 owner, I must disagree with you about one thing: this isn't just a beginner's bike. To characterize it as such is narrow, I think. For those of us who are retired and want an economical, easy to manage bike, this is just the ticket. I normally cruise my local city; hit the back roads; take day trips; or cruise along the river. For what I use a bike for, anything bigger and/or more powerful would be overkill.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Wasn't meant as a slight to this bike at all or people's needs/experience. I guess I was speaking from my point of view where I would want more power and an easier way for riding 2 up with that power. I think the Meteor 650 coming out would be a good bike for that. For 1 up riding, in town, this would surely be a good bike and I've enjoyed riding it.

[@bluzcat007]

Center stand. Navigation. USB port. Hey Japan, are you paying attention? You better be, this kid on the block might just catch up to you.

[@Royalbob123]

This bike is designed in UK and also India is very big in IT and navigation maps technology. Most of the Google maps( and others too) are done in Hyderabad, India. Definitely Japan should be alert I guess :)

[@MauriceTarantulas]

She let you ride her bike! Nice lass. Does she still have it?

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Yep. She still has it and has allowed me to film more how to videos installing some accessories. They are posted to my channel as well. It is a really nice bike.

[@sayanchoudhury4219]

going to by fireball, love from india

[@gregdavis4167]

I got mine for $105/month.

[@MessyGarageBMW]

You get a lot of bike for the money.

[@FirinMahLazer1]

120mph on the dash is pretty generous eh? 😂

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Depends on how steep the hill you are going down is. 🤣

[@joecamel6835]

@@MessyGarageBMW cliff

[@kevindarkstar]

Mmm dress for the slide not the ride, all the gear, all the time! Ask dandanthefireman

[@zoec444]

Was commenting this really all that necessary 😐

[@jonathandeeley6276]

Agree 100%, full protection at all times! I have had a bike accident in the UK and although wearing full protection my boots were ripped to shreds within seconds, image what would happen if you hit the deck with bare skin. I also attended a 'biker down' course and the Paramedic service said that more injuries and fatalities in motorcycle accidents are caused by riders not wearing appropriate gear.👍

[@miapasternak6188]

Apparel is the choice of the rider. It is always interesting to me how people make comments on youtube videos of how somebody lacks the safety gear - when most riders that I have seen in reality do not wear the gear. I have seen multiple riders in India in flip flops on their bikes which make me cringe but I don't judge. I dont know about you, but it would never cross my mind to walk up to some of these long-time bikers on the road to say "hey man, all the gear all the time, tsk tsk". 😂 I have to believe that riders know the risk when riding without gear. Personal choice. My nursing professor rides without gear and tells me she rides because it is therapy for her PTSD from her years of military service. She knows the risk. I respect her decision as it's her own freewill to live how she wants. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@miapasternak6188]

@@toqtoq3361 I work in healthcare. Yes those people can choose not to receive care. Especially if they have a medical directive that clearly defines whether they are to be resuscitated or not...or whether to be intubated or kept alive by mechanical assistive devices. So yes, it is a choice. Every rider makes the choice to ride knowing the risk. Gear is reducing injury severity which mostly involve skin injury. Gear is also not 100% protective as a study discovers a good percentage of failure rate (see article "Motorcycle protective clothing: protection from injury or just the weather" DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2011.04.027). The safety course I took explained the biggest dangers are the other drivers, and that as riders we need to always be aware and looking out because of other drivers. So if we want to stress social responsibility then really the drivers need to increase their awareness of riders and follow traffic safety laws by not running lights at intersections. We may just have to agree to disagree...I believe it is a choice and maybe you believe it should not be choice? 🤷🏻‍♀️ I choose to wear some of the gear but not gloves because gloves hinder my ability to grasp and grip quickly and I felt it was more unsafe for me to ride with gloves. Thankfully, I live where it is not mandated but recommended. My hands get sweaty in the heat and it effects my proprioception in my hands. So I guess you would label me as socially irresponsible for not wearing all the gear all the time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@MessyGarageBMW]

@@toqtoq3361 you do realize you can not watch right? You don't need to jump on the comments and try to be a badass... just walk away, make your own personal choices. Get out of your moms basement and stop picking fights on the internet.

[@spiritofe629]

What's with the terrible roads out there?

[@MessyGarageBMW]

Winters are rough on the roads and they do a terrible job maintaining them for some reason.

[@tearingupthemiles1864]

There tends to be more potholes in regions affected by snow and freezing temperatures. Temperatures fluctuating above and below freezing lead to freeze-thaw cycles of moisture that undermine pavement sub-surfaces. Over time, when repairs of small cracks and potholes are inadequate fissures grow naturally.

[@kalonymos1228]

Believe me, these roads are amazingly good to my standards. I live in Brazil and let me tell you this: you guys have no idea what a real terrible road is like. 😁

[@zoec444]

Meow

[@brahnseer3512]

Please do not stick your hand in my face when changing camera. It is very rude.

[@seanfarrell5341]

A tall man 6,1

[@simonhawkins8913]

Fab video...very relaxed and very friendly and informal..loads of information!! I have a Royal Enfield Stellar Red Meteor 350cc..this bike is perfect for me personally, and what you said in your video..said perfectly, I have subscribed to your channel...great job!! 🏍️👍