Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

So i finally got my Thunderbird 500 yesterday and am super exited and looking forward to all the miles i have yet to cover. Here are some of the things that i have observed :

Delivery process:

Pro's :

1.) Was mostly smooth, the guy at the showroom was quite friendly and explained to me all the things i needed to know.
2.) Last minute checks and documentation was tediously done.

Con's ;

1.) Not even a Free key chain for a close 2L bike.
2.) Did not clean my bike properly before delivery, should have at least done it properly. A guy came at the last moment and just wiped the surfaces with a cloth.

The Bike :

I am in love with the absolute pulling power that it has. It is so difficult to have control over the wrist when you know the amount of torque impatiently wanting to roar between your legs. The manual says do not go over 50 till the first 500 KM. But 50 is achieved soooo quickly, and you get bored going like that. Also because of its mass, 50 seems like 30, so you can imagine the agony i face. I am still not totally in-sync with the bike and i think it will take some time to get used to it.

I will be writing a full review soon and will be posting the pictures, but till then i am hoping my friend TranquilRage and all you other can give me pointers and suggestions to the following :

1.) The front disk brake makes a queering noise. Its not that prominent, but its there. Is this a problem or will it get right after running in and servicing?

2.) The while riding, there is a tik-tik kind of noise which is audible, it seems like its coming from the engine, but today in the morning when i kept my ears close and listened to it, it did not seem like it was coming from the engine (but i maybe wrong). When i rev a little, the noise disappears. While ridding too, it is only when i pull the clutch to slowdown and change gear, the sound is more clear. Any idea if this is a major problem or should i sit tight for the run-in and hope it goes away?

3.) As mine is a stone black, what are the steps to take to maintain the color? (it seems can't use soap,wax,shampoo or polish)

Thanks again..

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

So I finally got out on my bull and have been riding in the city. Have managed 125km till now and so far the ride has been amazing!! Posting a pic. Will be writing more soon... :-)

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Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Glad to hear that. If you keep at it, you will be crossing 500Km in no time. Noticed that you have installed a crash guard & the photo appears to show that it's too close to the silencer bend pipe & the brake pedal. Hope that's not the case.

Also noticed that it shares the same plastic chain cover from Electra. It's known to break quite often on some bikes (near the first bolt). So, ensure that it's not too tight or loose after every ride.

Cheers

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

congrats! it looks awesome. The crash guard looks good & its also in black matt. from where you got it done..?
wishing you Safe riding.

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Thank you pskanp. I got the crash guard from the dealer itself. He charged 2000 for it which i knew was a bit more. I could have got the same for less outside, but as it was a new bike and i wanted it before i took it out of the showroom, i agreed to it.

santhoshknn : No no... i double checked before installing the guard, it does not interfere with the foot pegs or the pipe.

Till now, i have been riding my bull very sparingly. I don't always ride it as i am using my 150 Pulsar for my commuting purpose. I have completed 250KM till now and below are my findings :

1.) The pull is just awesome as i have already said before.

2.) The tappet noise which used to be more pronounced before, seems to be slowly dying down. But its still there. But i have come to learn from various sources, especially from gyan_recl350 that the tappet noise will be there. From what i could figure out, i guess its a trademark of the bull :P

3.) The thing which is of the most concern to me right now is the fact that i am getting this "thuk-thuk" noise when the front suspension is hit hard. It's not like i was taking the bull intentionally into ditches, but i was cursing at 55 yesterday and observed that when small bumps came up, the suspension made that noise. This noise is not heard at low speeds but. I don't know whats causing this problem. Guess will have to get it checked out at the first servicing.

4.) The build quality is very good. Feels heavy and planted on the ground. I had read that it is very difficult to take the bull in bumper to bumper traffic, but on the contrary, i have found that it was not that difficult at all. I mean its no pulsar, but its quite manageable. It won't give you such a hard time.

I'll be glad if some of you could share your views on point 3.

Regards.

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Congratulations TBTS-500 I noticed the same poise at slow speeds on the T-bird which i never experienced on an Electra or the 500 (Carb) in the city. Infact, taking a U turn was a delight as the bike was just so balanced and I never had to put my foot down.

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Hello TBTS350,

Want to share my views on point No. 3, I was facing similar issues with my Bull when it was new. Me and the RE service center guys wracked our brains on it. Changed the Cone set checked for T plate issues nothing was wrong. Later we realized that it only happens at certain speed with a certain pot hole and not all the time.
Then just for piece of mind i asked him to put any rubber ring (which has some cushioning) between the Instrument cluster and the metal part in front of the bike key lock with some fevi quick. To my surprise the noise vanished

This is just to tell you how stupid an reason could be and how much we stress on it. So just get you bull checked on your first service!

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Wow brother... Today while riding the bull even I thought about it. It came to my mind that maybe its not the suspension but the console hitting the T. Thank god that you cleared it my friend. Another big relief for me.

And about the tappet sound... Its kinda very weird. Sometimes when im cursing at 50 on 4th gear... The sound aint there. When my speed changes due to traffic and all and I hve to regain speed the tappet sound reappears.

Any thoughts on it brother? Is it normal or should I just wait the first servicing and not bother about it.

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Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

The sound could be due to an issue with "steering play" of the handle. Ask the ASC mechanic to check for the possibility of this issue.

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

I am having B500 which is 6 months old, wanted help from you guys, can anyone advice or provide tips on replacing the silencer, I am getting mixed opinion, few says its no big deal you can change it to goldie-glasswool , some says it has to b annual made silencer such that the maintenance of silencer is easier ?? few says not to go for it as it impacts the engine and performance, apart from mileage and pickup, which anyone is least of my worry

all I want is good decent thump without impacting the engine performance, but I am ready to take hit on mileage ? can anyone advice on this please

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Today, my Blue Bird electric-started in the very first cranking after sleeping for 15 continuous days! I rode her for a big round and got the air pressure checked and filled to the specified limits. I was away on a 7 k km-long mega trip in my Linea. In order to avoid Blue Bird feeling jealous of her elder sibling, I must take her to an one-day trip atleast.

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

I am waiting for a long & solid trip log on your TB500. Do you feel any difference in ECU mapping between your C5 & TB500? in rains, daily use etc? People who own both a C5 & TB500 are a rarity for now...! Only you can give a down to earth comparison between the 2. What is your height?
Waiting.....

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

I will post the details with photographs after completion of the trip.

Absolutely no difference as far as engine, power and pick-up are concerned. Both are the same.

Having the said that, I find my Thunderbird 500 has better ride and handling qualities as compared to Classic 500. The additional gadgets make Thunderbird 500 a premium bike.

183 cm [6'].

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Thanks for the details Ravi ji. I'm close, 185 cms. You are the best one to ask for the physical comfort level etc. in TB500.

Re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Finally, the mighty beast, the beautiful tb500 arrives. Taking delivery tomorrow, as RTO is closed on Saturday. Had a look at the bike and it was just mindblowingly awesome.
The showroom guy showed me the new guard specially designed for tb. Its powder coated but looks puny for a bike the size of Tb500. And it cost around 1500. I am thinking of installing a stainless steel guard if available.
What should I check before taking the keys of the bike?? Please help
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