Royal salute

The name Royal Enfield is synonymous to biking and adventure. So much so, that the moment a hardcore enthusiast hears the name Enfield, he tends to immediately have goosebumps. The typical thumping sound is how the bike is recognised the world over, along with a lot of heritage attached to its name.

The name Royal Enfield is synonymous to biking and adventure. So much so, that the moment a hardcore enthusiast hears the name Enfield, he tends to immediately have goosebumps. The typical thumping sound is how the bike is recognised the world over, along with a lot of heritage attached to its name. Today, we bring to you an insight into the recently launched Thunderbird 500 and find out if it manages to capture the imagination of an hardcore bike enthusiast or not.

Looks to spike for
Going by its looks, things definitely seem to have been spiked, if you talk about certain design elements in this bike. A distinctive black styling comes as a fresh change along with features such as a new headlight cluster incorporating projector headlamps with LED. Front and rear disc brakes add character as well as functionality to this cruiser.

The LED tail lamps further complement the bike. The introduction of the digital LCD display makes the instrument cluster look much better along with two independent trip meters. The new Thunderbird also provides split seats instead of a single seat. According to Royal Enfield, this has been done to provide better storage facility by simply removing the rear seat for those much needed long rides. Speaking of long rides, the seats weren’t that comfortable as one would expect them to be, considering that highway cruising is the main focus. However, within the city, the bike is pretty comfortable to move around on.

Rating the royal
Though the whole body is in chrome, the engine has a matt finish, which works pretty well for this machine. The 500 cc unit construction engine is a gem, as it feels well refined. The performance figures show that the Royal Enfield Thunderbird produces a maximum power output of 27.2 bhp with 41.3 Nm of torque. The introduction of an electronic fuel injection system works brilliantly, providing it an edge while riding it in the city as well as on the highway. With a 20 litre fuel tank on board, the bike provides a fuel economy of 30 kmpl within the city and 37 kmpl on the highway.