The Tiger of Nagpur: Garuda Machina’s Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Tracker

# Summary Garuda Machina of Nagpur converted a Royal Enfield Hunter 350 into a street tracker called Pench for Royal Enfield's Hunterhood festival. The build keeps the Hunter's 349 cc air-cooled single and EFI while overhauling chassis, suspension, wheels, and styling to create a compact, aggressive tracker that references Nagpur's identity.

# Why this build matters Royal Enfield asked for a bike that captured the Hunter's urban, youth-oriented energy. Garuda Machina answered with a tight, pared-back tracker that fuses modern mechanical updates with retro visual touches and local artwork tied to Nagpur's association with tigers.

# What they changed

• Subframe and seat: The shop removed the stock subframe and seat, fabricating a trellis-style subframe to support a heavily abbreviated, ultra-thin tracker seat. Comfort was traded for a minimal rear profile.

• Rear suspension: The twin shocks were discarded in favor of a monoshock conversion. Garuda Machina added bracing and updates to the factory swingarm to accept the new layout, altering stance and handling.

• Front end: Instead of the Hunter's telescopic forks, the bike uses a vintage-style springer front end. That choice is uncommon on modern trackers and creates a visual contrast with the Hunter's contemporary chassis.

• Wheels and tires: The builders laced 18-inch rims and fitted Shinko E270 sawtooth tires 4.5 inches wide. The bulbous, heavily treaded rubber gives the bike a retro, muscular look at the expense of some nimble cornering.

• Lighting and number plate: A custom tracker number plate evokes dirt-oval racer styling. A high-intensity LED headlight is mounted behind the aluminum plate and shines through drilled cutouts, combining old-school form with modern illumination.

# What stayed and how it was finished The stock Royal Enfield fuel tank remains, but receives a burnt metallic orange finish that references Nagpur's nickname, the "Orange City." Hand-painted Warli-inspired pouncing tigers adorn both sides of the tank, linking the bike visually to local culture. The orange contrasts with a blacked-out engine, frame, and springer front end to create a clear two-tone scheme.

Pench pairs conflicting elements deliberately: a modern monoshock and contemporary EFI engine with a period springer front end and retro sawtooth tires. The result reads as a stripped-down, aggressive urban tracker that also functions as a visual homage to Nagpur through color and Warli-inspired graphics.

# Practical notes The build prioritizes aesthetic clarity and a specific street-tracker vibe over long-distance comfort. The abbreviated seat and thicker vintage-style tires will change ride comfort and cornering behavior compared with a stock Hunter 350, while the monoshock and swingarm bracing adjust handling characteristics.

# Bottom line Garuda Machina's Pench is a tightly focused custom that turns the Hunter 350 into a compact, city-facing tracker with clear local references. It's a festival centerpiece that balances a modern powertrain and chassis work with vintage styling cues and region-specific artwork.