Triumph Speed T4: An alternative or an upgrade over Royal Enfield Hunter 350?

Triumph launched the Speed T4 as a more affordable derivative of the Speed 400 or essentially a watered down version of the latter. However, Triumph claims this to be a more accessible motorcycle in terms of pricing as well as performance. 

Yes, it is Triumph’s entry-level model in its entire lineup but the intention of the British brand is to get as close as possible to the 350cc range of Royal Enfield– the segment leader in modern classic motorcycles. So, how does the new Triumph Speed T4 fare against the entry-level model from Royal Enfield— the Hunter 350— not just on paper but in the real world.

Triumph Speed T4 or Royal Enfield Hunter 350: The one with better looks

Both motorcycles adhere to the modern classic styling with some sporty neo-retro highlights such as a round headlamp, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, short front and rear fenders, single-piece saddle, 17-inch alloy wheels, and minimal body panels. That said, the T4 is slightly more on the sportier side whereas the Hunter leans more towards the classic retro styling.

This fact even transpires with the choice of snazzy and modern colour schemes and liveries used by Triumph as compared to Enfield which has more subdued shades to offer.The Speed T4 looks slightly larger than the Hunter 350 because it is. Dimensionally, the Hunter 350 is smaller in every respect to its rival from the British icon which lends the T4 a slightly better road presence that the Hunter.

There is no doubt that the current-gen Enfield 350s are far superior over their predecessors in terms of built quality. However, the Speed T4 is just a tad bit better when it comes to overall fit and finish.

Triumph Speed T4 or Royal Enfield Hunter 350: The better equipped

This will be a quick one as both motorcycles are pretty bare bones when it comes to features. Triumph has stripped off most of the features offered in the Speed 400 to bring down the price tag of the Speed T4. It misses out on ride modes, traction control, and upside down front forks. Heck, it doesn’t even get a USB charging port and in a rare instance, a Royal Enfield edges past its rival in terms of features.

Although, it should be pointed out that the Speed T4 gets LED lighting all around while in the Hunter barring the taillight, everything else is bulb. A part-digital, part-analogue instrument console is common to both bikes. The Hunter offers larger rear brakes but otherwise there isn’t much to choose between the hardware of both bikes.

Triumph Speed T4 or Royal Enfield Hunter 350: The better ride experience

As mentioned at the beginning, the T4 is meant to be friendlier in the pocket as well as performance. For reference, the 398cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor in the Speed T4 pushes out 30.6 bhp and 36 Nm of peak torque which is a drop of around 9 horses and 1.5 Nm from the Speed 400, though peak power and torque arrive 1000 rpm and 1500 rpm earlier, respectively in the T4.

That said, it is still quite ahead in terms of output as the 349cc single-cylinder, air/oil-cooled motor in the Hunter 350 produces a peak output of 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of torque. But when you start riding theT4, you don’t notice much difference from the original motor in the Speed 400. It still feels that the engine needs to be revved hard to extract all its juice. On the other hand, the one on the Hunter 350 is a much more relaxed engine which ideally doesn’t suit its roadster credentials.

However, people who don’t care much about top-end performance will still favour the Enfield’s engine over the Triumph. The Triumph T4 is definitely the sportier of the two but its low-end performance is still not comparable to that with the Hunter. For perspective, both bikes can ride on 40 kmph in the 5th gear, but it is much easier to maintain this speed in the Hunter not having to think about playing the clutch, whereas in the T4 you need to be a little careful.

When it comes to ride and handling, the Hunter 350 is sprung very stiff for a road bike, something riders from across the country have complained about. And with the author of the article himself a Hunter owner for almost two years, we can confirm there is truth in this. The experience is not pleasant on broken roads but you get used to it. There is ample amount of real estate on the saddle, so that takes care of the rider’s butt to some extent.

On the other hand, the Speed T4 is also sprung on the stiffer side but is slightly better than its counterpart from Chennai. The rider won’t be tossed around, as in the case with the Hunter, but will definitely feel some jitters through the spine when encountering ruts and potholes.

Handling capabilities of both bikes are very impressive since they are built to mostly cater to the urban jungle. However, both motorcycles won’t disappoint if you show them a good, clean patch of winding tarmac on a highway. In fact, both bikes have more than decent cornering clearances which will bring a smile to the rider’s face. In that regard, the T4 will come out ‘Triumph’-ant since it has a more powerful and responsive engine to support the dynamic handling.

Triumph Speed T4 or Royal Enfield Hunter 350: Which one to choose?

This article was never about picking a better motorcycle out of the two since both are very good machines. But the main purpose of writing this is to understand if at all they attract the same set of buyers on account of similar styling and segment or not. The answer is NO. Both bikes may belong to the same category but have very distinct characteristics in terms of performance, ride, and handling.

The Hunter being a more relaxed bike whereas riders looking for more thrills can look at the Speed T4. That said, the T4 is neither a direct alternative nor an upgrade over the Hunter. Even for the top-spec Hunter 350, the Speed T4 is priced almost Rs 43,000 more, so it definitely can’t be an alternative. And for the overall package on offer in Speed T4 and its detuned engine output, it would make more sense to upgrade to Speed 400 or any other 400-450cc bike in the market over the Hunter 350.