Do you fancy the Redditch edition of Royal Enfield Classic series? If your answer is yes then you are in for a treat from the company. Royal Enfield is planning on launching two new models of its existing Thunderbird range of motorcycles. They are aptly named Thunderbird X 350 and X 500, “X” signifying the cool and hip nature of the bike. This is a practice used by many companies to cash on the young generation to sell their products but that’s an article for another time. For now, let’s take a look at what this new model of the Thunderbird series has on offer.
Design & Style:
The Design of the bike vastly changed. From colour on the fuel tank to the single seat, this new bike from Royal Enfield certainly looks modern. The headlights retain the same retro style and sport an LED bulb inside of it. The instrument cluster is carried from the previous generation Thunderbird series. The fuel-tank feels more massive than the previous generation Thunderbird and has a capacity of 20L.
The biggest change is the inclusion of alloy wheels, which is the first in the history of Royal Enfield. Before the Thunderbird X series, there was no Royal Enfield which came with alloy wheels as a stock option. This change is hilariously late to the Indian motorcycling market but “better late than never”. Rim stripes of the same colour as the fuel tank also gives the bike an awesome look. Besides the Fuel tank, everything else on the bike is in black attire with a mix of gloss and matte finish.
Another noticeable difference is the all blacked out matte exhaust from which gives the bike a sportier look. Kickstart from the previous generation has been retained but there is no backrest at the rear.
Engine & Performance:
There seems to be no change in the performance figures. The Thunderbird X350 produces 19.8 BHP @ 5250 RPM and 28 NM @ 4000 RPM and the X500 produces 27.2 BHP of power @ 5250 RPM and 41.3 NM of torque @ 4000 RPM. Both the bikes have a 5-speed gearbox. Judging by the power figures it is safe to say that the engine being used is still an LS “Long Stroke”, which will vibrate if pushed around enough. It may be the case that Royal Enfield may have used the newly developed vibration reduction plates from the Carberry motorcycles to improve high-speed performance, emphasize on “Maybe”. At the front and the rear, we have disc brakes of the same dimensions as before, 280 mm at the front and 240 mm at the rear.
There is no difference between the X350 and the X500 in terms of looks, both will be available in four paint schemes Blue, yellow, Red and White. Not in terms of performance but this update of the Thunderbird series will surely enhance the road presence of Royal Enfield motorcycles. Maybe Royal Enfield is taking baby steps to making a new bike, first they will make a visual update and then a performance update, but at the end of the day, emphasize on “Maybe”. For everything else related to motorcycles stay tuned to BikesMedia.
By: Yetnesh Dubey
Design & Style:
The Design of the bike vastly changed. From colour on the fuel tank to the single seat, this new bike from Royal Enfield certainly looks modern. The headlights retain the same retro style and sport an LED bulb inside of it. The instrument cluster is carried from the previous generation Thunderbird series. The fuel-tank feels more massive than the previous generation Thunderbird and has a capacity of 20L. The biggest change is the inclusion of alloy wheels, which is the first in the history of Royal Enfield. Before the Thunderbird X series, there was no Royal Enfield which came with alloy wheels as a stock option. This change is hilariously late to the Indian motorcycling market but “better late than never”. Rim stripes of the same colour as the fuel tank also gives the bike an awesome look. Besides the Fuel tank, everything else on the bike is in black attire with a mix of gloss and matte finish.
Another noticeable difference is the all blacked out matte exhaust from which gives the bike a sportier look. Kickstart from the previous generation has been retained but there is no backrest at the rear.
Engine & Performance:
There seems to be no change in the performance figures. The Thunderbird X350 produces 19.8 BHP @ 5250 RPM and 28 NM @ 4000 RPM and the X500 produces 27.2 BHP of power @ 5250 RPM and 41.3 NM of torque @ 4000 RPM. Both the bikes have a 5-speed gearbox. Judging by the power figures it is safe to say that the engine being used is still an LS “Long Stroke”, which will vibrate if pushed around enough. It may be the case that Royal Enfield may have used the newly developed vibration reduction plates from the Carberry motorcycles to improve high-speed performance, emphasize on “Maybe”. At the front and the rear, we have disc brakes of the same dimensions as before, 280 mm at the front and 240 mm at the rear.There is no difference between the X350 and the X500 in terms of looks, both will be available in four paint schemes Blue, yellow, Red and White. Not in terms of performance but this update of the Thunderbird series will surely enhance the road presence of Royal Enfield motorcycles. Maybe Royal Enfield is taking baby steps to making a new bike, first they will make a visual update and then a performance update, but at the end of the day, emphasize on “Maybe”. For everything else related to motorcycles stay tuned to BikesMedia.
By: Yetnesh Dubey