A new Royal Enfield Thunderbird has been
spied by IndianAutosBlog.com reader Gokul. It seems to be a more affordable
variant of the next-gen Royal Enfield 350X. The camouflaged Royal Enfield
Thunderbird 350X has its rear indicators placed next to its taillamps. That is
similar to the present iteration of the motorcycle. However, the prototype is
shod with the new fuel tank (confirmed by the shape and central location of
fuel filling knob). Also, the chain is positioned on the left side of the rear
tyre, while the rear brake is based on the right side. Besides that, the
camouflaged motorcycle also has a split grab rail.
Interestingly though, all previous test
mules of the next-gen Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X have been seen with new
split seats. In comparison, this test mule has a single-piece seat, similar to
the one present in the BS-IV version retailed at the moment. Also, the rear
suspension is blackened out and misses out on chrome finish.
The current Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X
is powered by a 346 cc air-cooled, carburettor based engine. This will change
to a fuel-injected setup as seen in the BS-VI Classic 350 soon. Coupled to a
5-speed gearbox, the engine produces 20.07 PS of maximum power and 28 Nm of
peak torque. The next-generation Thunderbird family (of which the spied
motorcycle is a part of) is expected to get a bigger overhead cam engine
instead of the pushrod based setup moving the intake and exhaust valves of the
engine.
