All-new for 2021, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is a light, approachable, affordable cruiser. (Photos by Kevin Wing)

These days small-displacement motorcycles all too often get classified as starter bikes, which is a shame. While light, economical, approachable motorcycles are certainly a better choice for new riders than heavy, expensive, intimidating ones, smaller bikes also have a lot to offer experienced riders. Things like simplicity and purity. By stripping away a lot of nice-to-have but not need-to-have features, what you?re left with is the essence of riding.

And let?s not forget, Robert M. Pirsig, as recounted in his book ?Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,? rode from Minnesota to California on 305cc Honda CB77 Super Hawk, with his son Chris on the back and laden with camping gear. They didn?t get there fast, but then again, it was more about the journey than the destination.
In Supernova trim ($4,599), the Meteor 350 features a chrome exhaust, a windshield, a passenger backrest and two-tone paint, either Supernova Brown (shown) or Supernova Blue.

Royal Enfield, which celebrates 120 years of continuous operation this year, specializes in small to midsize motorcycles. For years it was best known for its classically styled Bullet, powered by a 500cc single. RE?s Himalayan is a 411cc, single-cylinder adventure bike, and its Continental GT and INT 650 are powered by a 648cc parallel-twin. All of the engines are air-cooled, designed for rugged dependa...