The Royal Enfield Thunderbird has been a popular
offering in the 350cc-500 cc segment in India. Now, the company has launched two
new versions of the Thunderbird in the form of the Thunderbird 350X and the
Thunderbird 500X.
This is where the Thunderbird X models differ from
the existing Thunderbird models. The new Thunderbird motorcycles follow a
blacked-out theme which is complemented by bright-coloured fuel tanks. The
Thunderbird X comes with alloy wheels and tubeless tyres, a first for Royal
Enfield, along with new seats coupled with the new grab-rail and shortened rear
mudguard.
The blacked-out theme is carried over to components
like the exhausts, front forks, side covers, headlamp cover, indicators and
grab-rail. In high contrast, the vibrant colours of the tank are coordinated
with other elements on the motorcycle, such as the stitching on the seat and
rim-tapes on the wheels. There’s also the inclusion of a new flat handlebar
giving the motorcycle an aggressive, and leant-in riding attitude. The company
is also offering disc brakes at both front and rear but has given ABS a miss.
The Thunderbird X models carry over the same engines
from the existing Thunderbird motorcycles and that too in the exact same state
of tune. The Thunderbird 500X is powered by a single cylinder, air cooled,
499 cc engine - fed by an electronic fuel injection system - which produces a
maximum power of 27.2 bhp at 5250 rpm and generates 41.3 Nm torque at 4000 rpm.
The Thunderbird 350X, on the other hand, comes with a single cylinder, air
cooled, twin-spark, 346 cc engine which produces a maximum power of 19.8 bhp at
5250 rpm and generates a maximum Torque of 28 Nm at 4000 rpm. Both these
engines come mated to a 5-speed transmission.
The new Thunderbird X comes with new and vibrant
colour options. The colour options available for the Thunderbird 350X are
Whimsical White and Roving Red whereas the Thunderbird 500X will be available
in Getaway Orange and Drifter Blue colour options.
The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X has been priced
at Rs 1.56 lakh whereas the Thunderbird 500X is priced at Rs 1.98 lakh. To put
it in perspective, the regular Thunderbird 350 is priced at Rs 1.50 lakh and
the Thunderbird 500 is priced at Rs 1.91 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).
This means that the new ‘X’ models come at a premium of about Rs 6,000 for the
350cc model and about Rs 7,000 for the 500cc version.