Royal Enfield Hunter 350 — Simplified Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the simplified maintenance schedule and service intervals for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, a compact and simple cruiser released by Royal Enfield in 2022, but made available in most markets for a 2023 model year.
The Hunter 350 is a relaxed, simple motorcycle with a comfortable all-day rider triangle. The base engine is the same as that in the Meteor 350, a 349 cc single-cylinder fuel-injected air-cooled engine that makes 14 kW (20 hp) at 6,100 rpm.
The final drive is via a 5-speed gearbox and chain. Like its stablemate, the Hunter 350 is a very simple motorcycle to own — including to ride and to service — and that’s its charm.
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Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Service Intervals
Generally, the service schedule for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is:
- A minor service every 5000 km / 3000 mi or 6 months where you inspect a lot of items (oil, filters, leads, hoses, terminals, fluids, lubrication of moving parts) and adjust or lubricate as necessary.
- A major service every 10000 km / 6000 mi or 12 months where you also (in addition to the above) change the oil, check the valve clearances (only two valves on one cylinder), check/adjust/replace the spark plug, change the air filter, and clean the throttle body.
There are a few other items to be done more infrequently on the Hunter 350, like replacing electrical terminals, the fuel filter, and rear wheel cush rubbers — see the schedule below.
Royal Enfield also asks that you change the fork fluid periodically.
Finally, make sure you regularly service the chain (see notes below)
What you need to service the Royal Enfield Hunter 350
Royal Enfield almost expects you to service your own motorcycle. There are quite a few resources in the owner’s manual, and many guides on YouTube on how to do everything from an oil change to checking the valve clearance.
As there’s only one cylinder head and only two valves, servicing the Hunter 350 isn’t hard — which is lucky, as the service intervals are quite short at only 3000 miles / 5000 km or 6 months!
Aside from basic motorcycle maintenance tools, here’s what you need to service your Hunter 350.
| Part | Hunter 350 spec |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | SAE 15W-50 API SL grade JASO MA2 Semi Synthetic. (Oil capacity 2.2L) E.g. Mobil 1 15W-50. |
| Oil filter | You need to get a standard Royal Enfield Hunter 350 oil filter. |
| Brake fluid | DOT 4, e.g. Castrol DOT 4 (full synthetic) |
| Spark plug | M12 Bosch, YR7MES. Spark plug gap 0.7-0.8mm |
| Air filter | Either use an OEM one from a dealer, or use DNA air filter R-RE35N21-01. |
Maintenance Schedule for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350
Below is the maintenance schedule from the manual for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, but adjusted and cleaned up for legibility.
We also clarified some points that made no sense (e.g. it said to clean the chain every 1000 km and every 5000 km… but intuition says the former is the more important one), fixed typos (“solvant” –> solvent, “alchol” –> alcohol), and tidied it up.
Despite the typos, the manual is quite good and has a lot of detail in it on how to do basic maintenance procedures — which is lucky, because you’ll have to do them quite often.
Royal Enfield Hunter 350 — Regular service items
The below items are things you should do on your Hunter 350 more often (every 1000 km).
| Part | Regular service item |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | Check oil level and top up as necessary. |
| Chain | Clean, lubricate and adjust chain. |
| Clutch lever & cable | Adjust the clutch lever and cable free play and replace if required. |
| Hand and foot levers | Lubricate hand and foot controls and adjust as necessary |
| Brake fluid | Check brake fluid level, and top up as necessary. |
Standard inspection checklist
In the below maintenance schedule, we refer to a “standard inspection checklist” that you do at every 5000 km / 6-month service.
| Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Standard Inspection Checklist |
|---|
| Engine oil level – inspect * See below for replacement schedule |
| Air filter — Clean * More often if motorcycle is used in dusty conditions * See below for replacement schedule |
| Throttle cable – adjust Adjust earlier if required |
| Intake adapter rubber hose – inspect for cracks |
| Vent pipe under air filter box – inspect |
| Battery terminals (apply petroleum jelly) – clean, apply petroleum jelly |
| HT leads – inspect for cracks, wear |
| Starter motor & starter relay connections – inspect |
| Injector hoses – Inspect |
| Brake Pads – Front & Rear — Inspect wear levels |
| Brake fluid level, front and rear disc – inspect |
| Front and rear brake hose & banjo bolt – inspect condition |
| Lubricate moving parts (side stand, centre stand, pillion foot rest, gear shifter, brake pedal, levers) |
| Steering ball races play – inspect * Service more often if riding in harsh conditions |
| Swing arm pivot bush and spacer – inspect, and lubricate if necessary * Service more often if riding in harsh conditions |
| Front fork – inspect for leaks |
| Tire wear pattern front and rear – inspect |
| Evaporative Emission Equipment rubber hoses – inspect Drain the overfill by removing plug |
| Side stand switch operation – inspect |
| All mounting fasteners in vehicle – Check for tightness |
Royal Enfield Hunter 350 — Regular maintenance schedule
In addition to the above items, follow the below maintenance schedule.
Notes on the maintenance schedule
- Follow the shorter of the time or distance interval.
- Throttle body cleaning: Just use a dry microfibre cloth. Don’t use throttle body cleaners or any solvent or alcohol-based liquids to clean it.
| Kms (x 1000) | 0.5 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles (x 1000) | 0.3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | |
| Months | 1.5 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | Every |
| Perform full inspection checklist (above) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Engine oil – replace | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Engine oil filter – replace | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Engine oil strainer on left crankcase – Clean | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Inlet / Exhaust tappet setting – inspect / adjust See below for specs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Note: Most manuals only have a distance requirement (not necessary every year) | ||
| Throttle body – clean | ✓ | ✓ | Clean with dry microfibre cloth | |||
| Spark plug – Clean/Adjust, Replace | C/A | R | ||||
| Air filter element – Replace | ✓ | ✓ | More often if motorcycle is used in dusty conditions | |||
| Earth wire eyelet contact – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Front fork oil – Replace | ✓ | |||||
| Wheel rim run out front and rear – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Rear wheel cush rubbers – Inspect / Replace | ✓ | |||||
| Brake fluid – Replace | ✓ | Note: Most manuals only require this every 2 years (no distance requirement) |
Other long-term maintenance
The manual also specifies the following longer-term maintenance items for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350.
| Maintenance item | Period |
|---|---|
| Fuel filter in fuel pump – Replace | 30000 km / 18000 miles or 36 months |
| Evap hoses – Replace | 40000 km / 24000 miles or 48 months |
Hunter 350 Valve Clearances
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has just two valves on one cylinder. Per the service manual for the 350 motor, the valve clearance specs are:
- Intake: 0.08 mm
- Exhaust: 0.18 mm
Hunter 350 Chain Maintenance
The manual specifies that the Hunter 350 has a 104-link chain. It’s of type 520 (5/8 inch, with 1/4 inch width).
You should clean the drive chain regularly and use chain lubricant (like Motul Chain Lubricant, a popular item).
You also need to regularly check chain slack. Royal Enfield recommends checking it every 1000 km (600 mi), but you can probably afford to just eyeball it every now and then.
Checking Chain Slack
To check chain slack on your Hunter 350:
- Put your motorcycle on its side stand on a flat surface.
- Find where the chain slack is tightest as well as loosest by rolling the bike around and watching the chain move.
- Measure the total deflection of the loosest part of the chain, midway between the sprockets. Measure on the same point of the chain (e.g. top).
Target chain slack for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350: 25-30 mm (1-1.2 in)
If the slack is out of spec, you need to adjust it.
Adjusting Chain Slack
To adjust chain slack, follow the below procedure.
- Hold the axle from the left hand with a screwdriver through it and loosen the axle nut with a 24mm wrench
- Loosen the chain adjusters on the left-hand and right-hand side using a 6mm Allen wrench.
- Adjust the chain tension by moving the axle back or forward. Use the alignment marks to make sure the adjustment is even on both sides.
- Tighten the adjusters.
- Tighten the axle nut.
Tyre sizes and pressures for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350
The manual for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 specifies tubeless tyres in the following sizes and with the following recommended tyre pressures.
| Wheel | Tyre size | Tyre pressure (cold) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 100/70-17 M/C 54P | 29 psi / 200 kPa / 2 bar |
| Rear | 140/70-17 M/C 66P | 32 PSI / 220 kPa / 2.2 bar (36 PSI with pillion) / 250 kPa / 2.5 bar |
Note that these tire sizes and pressure are different from those of the Meteor 350.
About the Royal Enfield Hunter 350
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is a relaxed roadster based on the single-cylinder engine first seen in the Meteor 350.
Like the Meteor 350, the Hunter 350 is a low-tech, low-power, but highly engaging motorcycle that’s designed to be versatile in the hands of experienced riders, and approachable for new riders.
It has a small engine, which makes it economical on fuel (aided by the fact that you’re unlikely to really hammer such a bike), and it’s easy to service, which makes it cheap to own — as long as you don’t mind pulling out your wrenches.
The Hunter 350 isn’t just the Meteor with a different skin. For the Hunter, Royal Enfield swapped out the cruiser-spec rims and gave it 17-inch front and rear tires. This doesn’t just help with looks (though it does), but also changes the geometry and makes maneuvring more responsive.
While the Hunter 350 only has five gears, the 5th is technically an overdrive (with a ratio of 0.875), which lets you cruise at freeway speeds without much fuss.
While it’s a simple motorcycle, the Hunter 350 is fairly advanced compared to the classics that Royal Enfield used to produce. For example, it has:
- Fuel injection. This may sound obvious. But many low-capacity single-cylinder engines have a carburettor. While a carby works fine, it does involve more maintenance.
- ABS. The Hunter 350 comes standard with ABS. So it’s better for beginner riders who may accidentally panic brake by grabbing the levers, or who may over-brake on uneven surfaces.
- Turn-by-turn navigation (optional). The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has an optional “Tripper” display that indicates the next turn you have to make. Royal Enfield has had this since one of the iterations of the first-gen Himalayan.
With only a ~15 kW / 20 hp engine, many wonder about the top speed of the Hunter 350. Can it keep up with highway traffic? In most parts of the world, yes — but I wouldn’t take it onto highways in California, the faster roads in Europe, or of course the Autobahn.
Even if the engine can be pushed to 75 mph, it takes a while to get there. And there wouldn’t be any power left for passes once you’re at that speed. Besides, riding at 75 mph isn’t too pleasant on a naked bike anyway.
But that’s not why people would either buy or be dissuaded from buying the Hunter 350. The major downside of the Hunter 350 — like that of the Meteor 350 — is the frequent service required. Servicing the valves of a bike every 5000 km (3000 mi) is a bit of a chore. It really sneaks up on you quickly.
Of course, you won’t be using the Hunter for long distances. But even if you do a bunch of short runs (say 200 km a week as a commuter for 50 weeks a year), then you’ll cover 10000 km a year (6000 miles), which means two oil changes and valve inspections a year. It’s not the end of the world, but it could be better.
The Hunter 350 targets a new generation of riders who want something “fun” and cool looking without having to pay for an Indian Scout Bobber, for example, and who may not even have the roads to fully exploit such a bike. For such a crowd, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is ideal.
The upside of the relatively frequent service of the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is that it’s not only easy… it’s part of the ownership experience. And if you feel uncomfortable, there will be not only many people who can do the service for you, but many who’ll show you how for next time. There are even Youtube videos that show how to do it. This is a good explainer.
Reference — Manual for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350
The above maintenance schedule came from the manual for the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 (which was released in 2022). Below are screenshots from the maintenance section of the manual if you want to cross-check anything.
You can download the original manual from Royal Enfield’s website here.
