Perak vs Meteor 350: Can The Bobber Trump The Cruiser?

The Jawa Perak and the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 come from brands that share a rich history and even an emotional connect with our country. But both these bikes are as different as chalk and cheese. While the Jawa Perak has got the visual appeal owing to its bobber-styling, the Meteor 350 ticks the sensibility quotient. But how do these two offerings from Royal Enfield and Jawa compete against each other with respect to real-world performance? We get you the answer. 

Acceleration

The Jawa Perak’s thoroughly modern, short-stroke engine pumps out 10PS more than the Meteor 350. Additionally, it is 16kg lighter so the difference in acceleration really doesn’t come as a surprise. Royal Enfield has made a big step-up in terms of performance on the new Meteor 350 compared to the Classic 350, but the Perak is in a different ballpark altogether.

The theme continues in the roll-on acceleration tests as well. With 10PS and 5Nm more than the RE, the Perak beats the Meteor 350 here as well. So, on the Meteor 350, you will have to calculate your overtakes, while on the Perak, you just roll the throttle harder in a carefree manner.

Braking

It might not be as brisk in gaining momentum, but the Meteor 350 does a better job in coming to a halt. The bigger 310mm/270mm disc setup on the RE, coupled with less-intrusive ABS, helps the cruiser shed speed faster than the 280mm/240mm disc setup on the Perak. However, in our 80-0kmph braking test, the Perak still has the upper hand, so at city speeds, the Jawa is better at braking.

Also Read: Royal Enfield 650 Twins Switch Shoes From Pirelli To Ceat

Fuel Efficiency

The Meteor 350 wins this battle quite comfortably. The easy-going engine and the tall gearing results in less fuel consumption. Out on the highway, the gap widens to almost 8kmpl, which along with the Perak’s 14-litre tank capacity wouldn’t work in its favour. Expect the Perak to offer a range of about 431km on the highway on a full tank, whereas the Meteor could take you more than 550km on a full tank.

While performance figures are certainly important, you wouldn’t pick a motorcycle without knowing how comfortable it is, right? To know how comfortable that floating seat is on the Jawa Perak, read our road test. As for the RE Meteor 350, it has a lot to live up to, given that it has replaced the Thunderbird. But does it? Find out here. If you are looking for a more powerful cruiser, the upcoming 650cc cruiser from RE looks promising.