One of the most surprising bikes of the 2024 launch season was the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650, thanks to how well it handles versus how laid back, cool, and relaxed it looks.
Out on the launch event, it proved to be a very accomplished B-road toy, with cute retro styling, bags of chrome brightwork and very few negative points that we could pick up on.
Now an American bike shop has taken the noble step of creating what it’s calling a 'Shotgun 350', by stripping back and then customising a Meteor 350 and turning it into an A2-ready cruiser bike for very new riders.
The bike came about as the team at the shop admitted to ‘loving’ the way the Meteor 350 rides and looks, but wanted to build a bike with a little less retro charm, and a little more 'dystopian' flair. To do this they started with a Meteor donor bike and then took it back to basics so they could start with a clean sheet. They then added some wider tracker bars and swapped out the wheels of the bike for the same hoops as found on the slightly more sporty Hunter 350. Not only did the change alter the look of the bike, removing the 19-inch front wheel and replacing it with a slightly more conventional 17-inch item which should help to sharpen up the handling quite a bit.
Styling was next on the list, and to improve the looks and remove the retro feel of the Meteor, the exhaust and silencer from a Classic 350 black was fitted. It’s joined by YSS black aluminium rear shocks, Diablo fork gaiters, and a Royal Enfield tinted fly screen. It’s finished with some bar-end mirrors, a single seat, and moody matt black paint.
Technically, the engine seems to be a stock J-Series engine, meaning you’ll be getting around 20 bhp of easy-going and unintimidating power and an authentic old-school single-cylinder soundtrack.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t an official model, but it shows that with a little work, the bike can be fairly drastically altered and we like it. Will Royal Enfield pick up on bikes like this and make an official version? Only time will tell!
This bike is for sale now on the Baxter Cycles website.
