GENESIS
I bought a Magic Black Thunderbird in the first week of January after a lot of deliberation and thought (500 v/s the Bird). In the end, it was the left leg gearshift and AVL tech that made my decision for me.
DESIGN
The Bird’s design suits me just fine. I have read about people Bing about the 19’’ rubber and tall ride, but its perfect for a 6ft 1’’ 95 kg guy like me. The upswept handlebars give a relaxed feel to the bike like none other. The seat is wide and hard, which is a boon on long road trips (I’ve done Bombay-Bangalore-Bombay: 2500 kms in 6 days - https://royalenfield.com/numberplate/chini666) because it taxes the backside rather than the thighs and hamstrings. The long silencer is a bit suspect and I will change that to the classic short as soon as the warranty on the bike expires!!!
ENGINE and PERFORMANCE
The AVL-tuned engine is made more for long distance cruising than for traffic light duels. The Bird engine is extremely torquey and second to none among the current crop of bikes available in the market today. Some classic Bull enthusiasts do not fancy the engine ’’clatter’’, which is something I love, because it gives a feel of a real machine between the legs and has me more involved in harnessing the beautiful straight line power delivery of the Bird.
The bird maxes out at 120 k’s (with a definite speedo error - but who cares???!!!???), which is decent performance for a 350cc machine that weighs so much. The gear ratios could do with major improvements though, which is my most major peeve, a 1:1 final ratio is simply not acceptable for me.... but that’s just my opinion, I’m sure some would disgaree.
RIDE and HANDLING
This is where the Bird gets full marks. Gas shocks or no, this bike provides me with a feel like no other bike I have ever laid my hands on, not even the plethora of ’’firang’’ Jap machines. The experience of riding any Bull is extremely involving and the Bird is no different. For a bike that weighs as much as this one does, handling is surprisingly easy. It does not warrant slick changes in direction and speed, but everything about this bike is gradual, like time has shook hands with me and is always on my side.
STREET CRED
Let’s be honest, everyone notices a Bull. Whoever I spoke to during my trip to Bangalore - in the remotest villages and in the big cities, were of the unanimous opinion that a ride like mine could be done only on the Bull and no other bike available in India. And it made everyone’s heads turn - right from school kids hitching rides in tractors to the lucky few who owned Merc’s and passed us in the comfort of their artificially cooled environment.
SUMMING UP
The Thunderbird is perfect for those who want to enjoy the classic Bullet experience but want to enjoy hassle-free ownership and relatively modern technology. Reliability has never been an issue for me in 3 months’ ownership though I’m touching wood as I write this :)
So go ahead, buy it.
You won’t regret it.
I haven’t.