Keeway SR250 vs Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Key Differences

For starters, you should know that there are limited direct rivals to the Keeway SR250. The main competitors of the SR250 include the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and the TVS Ronin. Interestingly, all these three bikes have nearly identical pricing, which is Rs 1.49 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi.

Besides that, you can explore other Keeway bikes that cater to different buyers as well. Yes, they do have a wide portfolio that will go on sale later this year. As for the SR250, the bookings have already commenced but deliveries will start soon.

Just so you know, there are two iterations available from Keeway’s SR series: SR125 and SR250. These are scrambler bikes that can be taken on-road and off-road. It’s a blend of two worlds. So, if you are planning to upgrade your bike or want to kickstart your bike ownership, and that too with an exclusive brand- the Keeway SR250 should be on your wishlist. In contrast, you can consider the 350cc entry-level offering from one of the most popular two-wheeler brands, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Speaking of which, there are other Royal Enfield bikes that cater to 350cc-oriented buyers.

Since these two bikes are similar in all aspects- let’s see how the Keeway SR250 stacks up against the Royal Enfield Hunter 350.

Under the Frames

For starters, let’s talk about the newest offering, the Keeway SR250. The Hungarian automotive marquee built the Keeway SR250 on a single cradle tubular frame, which supports a 223cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine, which is tuned to produce 15.78 bhp at 7500 rpm and 16 Nm of peak torque at 6500 rpm.

It is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission.

On the other hand, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 boasts a double-downtube frame, which incorporates a 349.34cc, single-cylinder, air/oil-cooled engine, which can churn out 20.2 bhp at 6100 rpm and 27 Nm of peak torque at 4000 rpm. You can check out the Hunter 350 price on the autoX website if you are a performance-oriented buyer.

This locally-produced bike also sends power to its rear wheel via a five-speed manual transmission.

As far as the transmission is concerned, these manual bikes have a sophisticated clutchplate, which is lubricated, due to which, they are more durable than the conventional dry multiplate clutch. Gone are the days, when owners used to get fed up with fixing or replacing get their dry clutch plates. That’s one advantage of the wet multiplate clutch. There are more pros, as well, as they also tend to offer buttery smooth gear shifts at low and high revs. If you take the bike to the hills also, it won’t make the bike jerky, even on uphills.

Speaking of hills, the Keeway SR250’s engine output shouldn’t let you lament the rideability, especially on the hills. But, there is time to know the actual capability of this upcoming bike. You can, however, check out the Keeway SR250 price on autoX.

As far as the mileage figures are concerned, the ARAI-certified mileage of the Keeway SR250 and the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 are 40 km/l and 36 km/l, respectively. The ARAI-claimed mileage of the SR250 is more because it has a lesser power delivery than the Hunter 350. As you may have heard “less power means less consumption,” due to which there is an increased mileage.

However, the average real-world mileage of the Hunter 350 is around 34 km/l, whereas the Keeway SR250’s real-world mileage remains unknown, as its deliveries haven’t commenced yet. Besides that, the Hunter returns good mileage, especially considering its weight of 177kg. You can check out the Hunter price on the autoX domain. 

In addition, it is also worth mentioning that these real-world mileage figures are as per the feedback from the owners.

Apart from the engine performance, let’s talk about the suspension setups on these two bikes.

Let’s begin with the Keeway SR250. Well, this bike has a conventional suspension setup as it consists of telescopic arrangements at the front and rear.

On the contrary, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has a better suspension arrangement, and that too at this price point. So, this bike offers a 41mm telescopic fork at the front and a twin-tube emulsion shock absorber with a six-step adjustable preload suspension at the rear. The Hunter 350 will offer a better ride than the SR250 because it consists of an adjustable rear suspension. That lets the rider set the suspension as per the road condition or terrain, for that matter.     However, these two bikes can absorb the bumps from potholes easily, as the Keeway SR250’s suspension setup is common among all mass-market bikes, and they have proven to be effective on Indian roads. But, as mentioned earlier, customers expect a better setup, especially considering the Keeway SR250’s price.  

Furthermore, the Keeway SR250’s suspension works in tandem with standard dual-disc brakes, while the Hunter 350 offers both disc-drum and dual-disc brakes. Speaking of brakes, the Keeway offers a dual-channel ABS as standard, while the Hunter 350 offers an optional dual-channel ABS.

For your reference, a bike with dual-channel ABS and dual disc brakes will always tend to offer better safety, as it can prevent the bike from making a stoppie or skidding, and that too at an emergency braking.

However, you can get to know the rideability of the Hunter by checking out the Hunter 350 review on autoX. 

Asides from that, both bikes run on 17-inches rims. As for the rims, the Keeway SR250 has a tyre profile of 110/70 R17 and 130/70 R17 at the front and rear, respectively.

And a broad tyre provides more stability at high speeds, especially around the corners, making cornerings much more safer.  

Prices and Variants

As hinted earlier, the Keeway SR250 is only available in one standard variant. This scrambler bike carries a price tag of Rs 1,49,000. In parallel, Royal Enfield sells the Hunter 350 in three variants. The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 price starts at Rs 1,49,900 for the base model, the Retro Factory, and it goes up to Rs 1,71, 900 for the top-of-the-line Metro-Rebel variant.

All are ex-showroom prices, New Delhi, as of February 2023. Please note that these prices are subject to change without any prior notice to the customer. As you may already know, you can visit the autoX website to get the latest location-based price list, along with other information and reviews, for your dream vehicle.