My Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is a city cruiser. So naturally, I took it on a dirt road moto camping adventure through the Bridle Track. Here's what happened and why I'd do it again.
There's a conversation that happens in motorcycle circles more often than it should. It usually starts with someone describing a ride they want to do, and ends with them abandoning the plan because their bike isn't up to it. Too small. Not enough power. Wrong tyres. Wrong suspension. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
I nearly fell into that trap myself. And I'm glad I didn't.
My mate Tim and I were heading out on a moto camping trip, nothing to hard core, mostly compacted dirt roads, that kind of thing. Tim was on a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Mana Black, kindly lent to us by Royal Enfield Australia. The right tool for the job. Purpose-built adventure geometry, proper off-road capability, and tyres that were born for this kind of terrain.
I turned up on my Royal Enfield Meteor 350.
Now, before you say anything, this wasn't a completely stock commuter being thrown at the deep end. I'd done some homework. The Meteor has been my daily commuter for a while now, and over time I've built it into something a little more capable than what rolled out of the showroom. But we'll get to that.
Was it still the wrong bike for this trip? Probably. Did that stop us? Not for a second.
Building the Meteor for Adventure
Here's the thing about the Meteor 350, it's a genuinely great platform to work with. Royal Enfield's J-series engine is massively over-engineered for what it is, which means there's real headroom to improve the bike without stressing anything out.
My build started with the basics and grew from there.
The biggest change for this trip was rubber. I swapped out the stock road tyres for Pirelli MT60s — a 70/30 tyre that gives you real capability on dirt without completely sacrificing road manners. If you're planning any kind of adventure on a Meteor, this is the single most important change you can make. The difference on loose surfaces is night and day.
To protect the engine on rough terrain I added a sump guard, and fork gators to keep the dirt and grit off the fork legs. Small additions, but the kind of thing you'll be glad you did when you're picking your way through some rocky terrain.
Then there are the TEC Bike Parts upgrades, which I've been fitting to the Meteor over time and genuinely rate. The TEC Performance Camshaft was a big one, promising 15-25% more power from the J-series engine, and combined with the high-flow air filter and aftermarket exhaust already on the bike, it's made a noticeable difference to how the Meteor pulls, particularly at highway speeds. The TEC Bar End Mirrors replaced the stock units that vibrated and never quite stayed where you put them, these are solid, look great, and actually let you see what's behind you. The TEC Adjustable Levers are one of those upgrades that sounds like a luxury until you've done a full day in the saddle and your hands aren't cramped, highly recommended. And the TEC Clutch Arm Cover is a small touch that finishes the engine case off nicely.
The Bridle Track: A Reality Check
For those who don't know it, the Bridle Track runs from Bathurst to Hill End in the Central West of NSW, following the Macquarie and Turon Rivers through some genuinely beautiful and genuinely rough country. It got its name because sections were once so narrow that riders had to dismount and lead their horses by the bridle. They've widened it since then, but don't let that fool you. This is proper dirt road riding.
The corrugations hit almost immediately. The Meteor's suspension, perfectly adequate for Sydney streets, made its feelings about this very clear. The rear was losing traction, the bike was bouncing around, and I felt like I was getting a physio therapist session I hadn't paid for.
I pulled over, softened the rear suspension, and got back to it.
And it worked. Not perfectly, not like the long travel suspension on the Himalayan, but well enough. The Pirelli MT60s were doing exactly what I'd hoped, finding grip where the stock tyres would have been completely out of their depth. The Meteor found its rhythm. I found mine.
One genuine limitation worth mentioning, the feet-forward riding position of the Meteor makes it hard to get your weight over the rear brake the way you naturally would on an adventure bike. And you can't stand on the pegs to read the terrain ahead. These aren't complaints, they're just the honest reality of riding a cruiser on a dirt track. Know your bike's limitations and ride accordingly.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
This is where I want to talk about something that I think holds a lot of riders back.
We live in an era of spec sheets. Horsepower figures, suspension travel measurements, ground clearance numbers. And look, those things matter, when they matter. If you're doing serious off-road riding every weekend, yes, get the right tool for the job.
But most of us aren't doing that. Most of us are commuting to work, doing weekend runs to a favourite café, or occasionally throwing the bike at something a little more adventurous than usual. And for all of that, the Meteor 350, or any low capacity bike is just fine.
The J-series engine isn't trying to win races. It's not supposed to. What it does is deliver smooth, predictable, enjoyable power in a package where the weight is managable and costs very little to run. It's the kind of bike that makes you smile at 60 km/h, which let's be honest, is the speed most of us are actually riding at most of the time.
The low seat height means confidence at stops. The relaxed ergonomics mean you arrive somewhere feeling good rather than feeling like you've been folded in half. The fuel economy means you're stopping for coffee, not petrol.
The Right Bike Is the One You Have
Here's what the Bridle Track taught me, or rather reminded me of.
The best ride you'll ever do is the one you actually go on. Not the one you're planning for when you eventually get the right bike. Not the one you'll do once you've upgraded. The one you do today, on the bike sitting in your garage right now.
The Himalayan 450 was more capable on that dirt road. No question. Standing on the pegs, reading the terrain, floating over the corrugations that were rattling my fillings loose, that bike was in its element. But I was right there alongside it. Slower in places, more cautious in others, but there. Experiencing the same loose gravel, the same slippery muddy sections, the same wallabies bounding into the bush, kangaroos watching us from the hillside, the same campfire, the same cold beer at the end of the day.
The Meteor didn't care that it was the wrong bike. It just got on with it.
What the Meteor 350 Is Really For
Let me be clear about something. I'm not suggesting you take a stock Meteor 350 on a serious off-road adventure and expect it to perform like an adventure bike. That's not what it's built for, and pretending otherwise doesn't help anyone.
What the Meteor is built for is simple, joyful motorcycling. And it does that better than almost anything else at its price point.
As a daily commuter, it's hard to beat. Light enough to filter through traffic without stress, economical enough that you barely notice the fuel costs, and comfortable enough that the daily grind actually becomes something you look forward to. I've been commuting on mine for a long time now and I still enjoy every single ride.
As a weekend bike for shorter runs, your favourite twisty road, a café run with mates, a cruise along the coast, it’s genuinely brilliant. There's something about the Meteor's character that makes you want to slow down and enjoy the ride rather than chase the horizon. Speed is way down the list of priorities, and that's exactly the point.
It's a bike that reminded me why I started riding in the first place.
Would I Do It Again?
Absolutely. Without hesitation.
The key is preparation. Swap the tyres for a decent 70/30 like the Pirelli MT60s, add a sump guard, throw on some fork gators, and make sure the bike is running as well as it can, the TEC Performance Camshaft made a real difference to how the Meteor pulls when it's loaded up and working hard. Do those things and you've got a surprisingly capable little adventure bike that will also commute you to work on Monday morning without complaint.
Because here's the truth that the spec-obsessed corner of the motorcycle world doesn't want to admit: the best adventure bike is the one that gets you out there. And the Meteor 350 will get you out there, keep you smiling the whole way, and cost you very little for the privilege.
Sometimes the wrong bike is exactly the right bike.
We stock the full range of TEC Bike Parts for the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 at bikertorque.com.au including the Performance Camshaft, Bar End Mirrors, Adjustable Levers, and Clutch Arm Cover. Everything I've fitted to my own bike, because we only stock parts we actually believe in.