Hi All, I am Senthilkumar Balu, 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.
Thanks for reading my Experience. Bye.
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