Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 review

Royal Enfield says the new Thunderbird 500 is ideal for cruising down highways. We took a road trip to Ooty to find out if it really is the highway star, the company says it is

It might have been a cash-strapped company’s attempt to turn its fortunes around, but the Thunderbird today has a cult status. It is the bike of choice for many looking at touring on two wheels. However, it has gotten quite old in the tooth now, and its inherent shortcomings are becoming a tad too obvious; even to its die-hard fans.
To arrest this, Royal Enfield is now ready with a significantly updated version of the motorcycle. Called the Thunderbird 500, the bike gets all new styling and new-to-the-model engine and cycle parts.
The engine and gearbox is borrowed lock, stock and barrel from the Classic 500 with the gear ratios as well as the final drive having been left untouched. And, that's not a bad thing given the model gets a higher capacity, more powerful and modern engine compared to the older Thunderbird. As with the Classic, the new Thunderbird gets fuel injection along with tremendous portions of pull in the low and mid range. Whack open the throttle from as low as 2000rpm and the Thunderbird accelerates seamlessly and with gusto almost all the way to its 6000rpm redline.
It's also surprisingly quiet with the rider hearing the exhaust note above all else when on the move. The only issue here, in typical Bullet fashion, are the vibes that surface at 3000rpm but get really bothersome close to 5000rpm. These can be felt most via the fuel tank and the footpegs. The good bit though is, thanks to the gearing even when cruising close to 120kmph, the engine isn't revving this high. So, even after hours of riding there's no tingling sensation or scratching to be dealt with.

Moreover, the styling related changes work well too. The new motorcycle still has the characteristic Thunderbird stance with the round headlamp, high handlebar, the upswept tank and a stepped seat. The latter though is now a split design with the rear seat coming off for better luggage carrying capability. In addition, the headlamp is now projector type for better illumination, the fuel tank is larger for better range, and with the forward set footpegs, the seating ergonomics is more comfortable too.
But, the most outstanding bit about the new Thunderbird is the way it handles. It uses the same chassis as the Classic, but sports meatier front forks and a stiffer oval section swingarm. We rode the new Thunderbird up to Ooty from Bangalore and on the 50km odd, well-laid and seriously twisty ghat section, the bike surprised us with its willingness to turn into corners and make quick direction changes as well.
It feels light and neutral while tipping into bends and even when leaned over there's hardly any swaying or wallowing from the chassis; in fact given the weight and the size of the bike, it feels tight and confident while attacking corners. Thanks to repositioning of the front footpegs, the bike can be leaned more too before the footpeg scrapes around a left bend and the exhaust shield when leaned over to the right.
We aren't very happy with the bike's braking though. Sure, it does get a 280mm disc upfront and a 240mm disc at the rear wheel, but the feel from the brakes is wooden. Also the bite isn't great, so if you do get carried away and push a little harder, things can get hairy if you need to stop in a hurry. The MRFs though - the 90/90 19in at the front and the 120/80 18in at the rear offer decent grip, even in the wet.

If every new product launched by a company feels as if it is its best yet, the company is obviously doing something right. And Royal Enfield, in our opinion is now that company. It surprised us with the Desert Storm last year, and now with the new Thunderbird it has done even better. The bike not only has been finished with good attention to detail but it also sorts out problems Bullets were infamous for, particularly dynamics. It handles well, is ergonomically a lot sounder and with that torquey 499cc engine, the Thunderbird is also quick and well suited for highway cruising. It still is vibey and it could do with better braking, but there's no doubt that if you're looking at buying a Bullet for touring, or a Bullet, period, the Thunderbird 500, is clearly the one to go for.


Courtesy: www.autobild.in