Royal Enfield ThunderBird 350 Review

Hi All, I am a 25 years old Engineer from Chennai, India. I am a die hard fan of Royal Enfield. From my childhood I am having a crush towards Royal Enfield. Last year September 2011 I took a test ride of Classis 350 and Thunderbird 350 and immediately went for Thunderbird 350. After a waiting period of six months, the beast was delivered to me on March 9 2012.

The beast comes with UCE Engine, Front Disc Brakes, Self Start and other latest features. The Bike is very beautiful blend of technology, design and attractive Wine red color. My experience with the bike has been wonderful. Till now I have completed 1620 kms in my beast and I enjoy each and every second spent on my beast. The beast is having a very good balance between power and Fuel efficiency.

Ride and Comfort

The riding position was very comfortable because of the single piece stepped seat. The firm cushioned backrest gives the pillion rider an awesome comfort. The front suspension is of hydraulically damped telescopic forks. This allows the front wheel to react to bumps in the road while isolating the rest of the motorcycle from that motion.

The main advantage of these hydraulically damped telescopic forks is that it is relatively simple in design and also relatively light compared to other designs. The rear suspension is a short swing arm with five way adjustable shock absorbers. As it is with five way adjustable shock absorber it enables the ride height to be maintained whether riding solo or with a pillion rider.

Engine and Mileage

 The engine used in thunderbird twinspark is Single cylinder, 4 stroke 350 cc UCE that generates a maximum power of 18 bhp and a torque of 28Nm. The engine is fitted with a constant vaccum carburetor for assisting combustion. The cold starting problem of the engine is taken care by CDI ignition system.
The engine is of aluminium with lean burn technology and because of this I am getting a mileage of 43 kms in the city. I have changed my Exhaust silencer to Open type Silencer for better beat. The silencer was made by Quality, Chennai. The company claimed that the bike has a top speed of 120 km/hr, though i have never checked it myself as it is brand new.

Brakes

The bike has a 280 mm Hydraulic Disc brake (Front) and 6″ internal drum brake (rear). The rear brakes are good but if you want to bring the beast to a sudden stop you need to employ the use of front disc brake also. The rear brake needs to be adjusted once in 10 days for a better handling.

Looks

The bike is having a Stunning Crushier looks combined with lots of Chrome features. The Chrome features make the bike more attractive. The color has become attractive with strong vibrant shades.

Handling

The bike is very easy to handle in traffic (based on my experience). But taking a very sharp turn is kind of difficult because of the crushier style. I usually ride around 50 kms per day. The stability is also good while taking turns, I used to take a turn at 60 kms per hour on the butterfly bridge at Guindy and it’s really an experience you can’t express in words. While applying brakes at high speed the balancing is perfect. The bike weighs approximately 186 kgs, and because of its weight it is stable and steady at high speeds.

Verdict

The price tag for the bike is little heavy (Rs.124256). The company claims the bike is maintenance free though only time will tell. So far I haven’t faced any maintenance issues except rear brake adjustment.

Overall the bike is very good. It may not have a huge followers like for Pulsar but is liked by people who want a classic vintage ride experience. You might not see 100s of these on roads, but one on road and it is definitely a head Turner.