After having driven most of the performance bikes in our country, finally I got a chance to get the feel of Royal Family i.e. none other than Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350. You will find people still very obsessed with Royal Family bikes even after 10 or more years of ownership. When the cruising segment sub 500cc is asked for in our country then two names are more popular & as follows Royal Enfield ,Bajaj Avenger. The duos are the most driven & reasonably affordable to masses.
Features:-
1)Looks:-
Coming to the looks department the new Royal Enfield Thunderbird has undergone some very appealing changes that made its fan crave even more to own this bike. Completely new colour options namely Stone Black, Marine Blue etc adds to its beauty. Projector Headlamp along with Corona LED Ring makes it quite distinguished in cruiser segment & simultaneously giving very directional luminance during night time. The semi digital console with blue LED light looks very impressive. The speedometer and tachometer being the conventional analog one but to add to its multi functionality and small digital display is also there which shows the odometer, fuel level indicator, 2 trip meter etc. The rear back rest also shortened a bit to add up the overall looks and also there is not much compromise with the pillion rider comfort level. The LED tail lamp increases the looks department giving the bike a complete premium look. The black covering on the silencer is another one step taken to glam up the chrome silencer. The petrol tank lid is shifted towards the upward left so that even if the bike is on side stand the petrol tank gets full to the top leaving no empty space.
2)Design and Ergonomics:-
This is what this bike is mostly loved for. The seating postion of the rider is very comfortable with wider seat and the uplifted handle bars provide an easy grip with lesser stress on hands & shoulders. The wider petrol tank with a capacity of 20litres with 3D Royal Enfield logo gives a intense passionate feel and even gripping the tank is also easier. The rear seat for pillion is also wider and the back rest provides good support during sudden acceleration though decreasing the size of rear back rest has lead to lessen the comfort as compared to old models. The front foot rest is ahead in position giving an ease to the rider for longer rides. This bike is best suited for people having a height of 5ft9” or more and with good physical build up. People who are a bit shorter in height also suits the bike well but having a good muscular build is a prerequisite.
3)Performance:-
First Drive of any bike is the most exciting one but judging the bike which has created history completely on this basis will be unjust. But I would to share some of my experiences with my first ride. The bike is known for its thumping rather heart thumping sound!!! Getting a self start was an easy choice for me and well the bike also came to its life no sooner did I pressed the ignition button. Getting a 19.8bhp @5250rpm under the belly is not a new thing for me but having a massive torque 28Nm @4000rpm is thing to be taken care of. Yes of course this bike’s performance is purely meant for cruising & in the 1st gear reaching 25-28kmph on the speedo is just like cake walk. In 2nd gear achieving a speed of 40kmph is quite easy & it just glides on the coming successive gears i.e 3,4,5 gears. Maximum speed which I have attained is 100kmph at which the bike’s engine is not that stressed but since the riding position is suited for cruising purpose only so the wind blast effect is more and cruising up on the flyover is a bit deflecting one since one cannot grip the tank tighly and lean forward for better stability. The best speed limit for utmost performance is 85-100kmph whereupon one can sit relaxed & enjoy the ride. If you want to test its limits then you have to get ready to test your limits also because on higher speeds say 120 or more there will be vibrations which can suddenly take away the pleasure of cruising. On the first gear when I tried to attain higher rpm but suddenly I could feel the vibrations on my hand and the irritating noise from the front mud guard made me to shift to the next gear. Comparatively the vibrations are less when other Royal Enfield models are taken into consideration but since I was very new to it so it was a new lesson for me to learn. The 120cross section tyres form MRF Nylogrip Zapper provides much confidence on turning and getting a better lean angle on sharper turns. Handling this bike on low speed is of more significance and when it comes to park on narrow spaces then is the real test for endurance of the rider because 192kgs of kerb weight is not a child job!! Don’t ask me what will happen if the petrol tank is empty or the tyre gets punctured!!
Since stopping distance of a vehicle is also of utmost importance as its acceleration is. Here this work is handsomely achieved by 280mm 2piston caliper Front Disc Brake and 240mm Rear Disc Brake and the tyres are sure to provide you with greater confidence under sudden braking.
4)Maintenance After Sales Service:-
Since I am very new to this bike so getting an exact maintenance cost still remains unclear but from the previous ownership experience I can tell that since its Engine Oil requirement is 2.5lts, none of the tyres are not tubeless so these things are going to add extra amount to your billings on frequent intervals. On the other hand oil filters, air filters, cone set, brake oil, disc pad etc are to be changed for most of the bike and the life, cost of these parts varies upon riding condition and depends upon companies respectively. Plus valve tappet sound which is set a bit loose initially by the company needs to be adjusted after 2000kms of the odo.
Coming to the after sales service it varies regionally for every bike manufacturers and since in Chennai there are two plans of Royal Enfield so there is easy availability of spare parts.
Overall you should be prepared to get your hands dirty as well for basics troubleshooting of the bike and even the cost on your wallet will be more both for owning this bike & for it’s maintenance.
5)Mileage:-
This is one of most important aspect of every Indian buyers, be it a car or a motorbike. For a 350cc engine it is very surprising that some people have claimed to get a mileage of 50kmpl!! Indeed it can be achieved on longer rides but for general city riding getting an average of 35-40kmpl is expected. Further it varies from person to person driving condition and other factors.
These are some of the experiences encountered by me, if any other peculiar instances are there then surely I would like to hear from all.
Signing off:-
Md. Afzal Ansari
B.E. Mechanical Engineer
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