Mates,
Test drove the news TBTS a few days back. I must say it was far better than the outgoing model. Less vibrations, firmer grip on the road, braking has certainly improved and you get a feeling that you are in 'Solid' hands. Booked the bike immediately. Waiting time is 6 months, had a friend who knows the Manager of the showroom, said they will try to deliver in 2-3 months. Eagerly awaiting my new bike.
Does anyone else have booked the bike and waiting for delivery? Please post your comments here, would love to hear your views after the test ride and also promised delivery time for you.

Its the same in many bikes. Rear brakes wont bite as good as front. Thats why I prefer rear to be drum I can tweak easily how ever I want.

@Vinay : How good is it for city rides ?
@All : Does it makes sense to buy this bike for daily commute(~50kms) and perhaps a bit off weekend riding here and there. I am still not sure whether to cancel it or not Have time till Jan

im using it for daily commuting as im a family man as well a businessman i use it for daily commuting of 7-8kms and weekly once for family outing of about 25-30kms....there is a bit of tourer in me so once every two months i take my vehicles on a ride early mornings at 4am on highways....have an overall trip of around 150-180kms....come back home RELAXED!!!
I can surely say its a complete vehicle for our multi-purposes needs...whether a highway cruiser or a city commuting bike or a family vehicle...it accomplishes all our needs with ease...

@all

let me once bring to everyones notice here...i have taken a 25km ride as a pillion upon it and i didnt feel any poking kind of thing into me but yes it didnt give as much rest to my back a backrest shall give...i have a harley in my family and im a HOG member as well...i have seen many ppl there going for as much small back rest as much they can as it makes there vehicles have that bulgy look intact...or u can say it makes ur vehicle look sexy...as 95% buyers use TB for city commuting & week off's it makes sense to compromise on the pillion's comfortability upto some extent...it certainly isn't better than old tbts but it definitely makes ur TB look much better than old tbts.

Today I went to the dealership and they told that it will take another 1month but when I told him that I am waiting for the last 6+ months(angry manner) situation got changed,he opened his diary and told that "3 vehicles are ready for delivery so if you make the payment today you can take the delivery on Friday" since my finance not ready due to bank holidays I told him that will make the payment by Friday... so I may get bike by next Tuesday hopefully..

My friend made the full payment(Credit Card) for his TB 500 today and he will be getting his bird on Friday....

That is great news Sree. I dont want to congratulate yet. Let me know once you are near the D-Day. Are you taking the latest generation or its predecessor? Either way this is good news. Hope we can ride together soon.

You know about bulls better than me, so I wont tell you what to check during pre-delivery

I agree with you 99% . However when a manufacturer designs and builds a cruiser, they are supposed to build A cruiser, not based on a hunch that 95% buyer would be commuting in cities. Thats where Harley stands a winner. Their cruisers are actual cruisers. Its going to take another generation before the middle class afford one of those beautiful Harleys. Until then those who want to cruise are going to buy products that are within their reach. The TBTS 350 is a winner, and hardcore tourers take pillion riding seriously. For those who want to commute in traffic, the RE Classic makes a lot of sense. In Hyderabad I see more Classics than Thunderbirds.

Another point I agree with you is that there is a lot of hype on the design of the rear rest of the TB 500. I dont know if many of them noticed. The back seat rest hardly makes any difference to pillion comfort. Whats very important is rear suspension, correct seat width/height vs leg rest position and type of foam material in the seat. The back rest plays the final role. And for a long cruise like lets say, riding for multiple days thousands of kilometers, what you need is the right riding gear that supports your spinal cord.

help

guyz although i have booked TB500.because i loved the torque.but my major riding would be office commute(Solo)-20kms/day.as of now will not be doing any touring ever.because of which thinking of shifting booking to TB350.have only test driven TB500.so dont know whether both will have the same fun factor for city riding.
is TB 500 only for city driving an overkill?(price diff is 40k but i m willing to shell out if its more fun and lesser headache in terms of maint.)
please advice how much average to expect from both bikes?
I am 5'7,75 kgs.this will be my first RE ,i currently own a uni
please advice.

Advice needed from people who have ridden/owned 500 and 350

I will be getting the new version of TBTS 350..RE stopped its TB predecessor model's production and delivery long back itself..If there is a option between the old and new version 100% I will go for the old version since the new version's testing is still going on and RE may change the design or parts if they get some bad feed-back from the users, and the old version is there in market for the long 10+ years and it is free from any design flaws.I am not giving much importance for cosmetic changes..

I need you advice on PDI of TB..In case if I found some defects what I should do?.. please guide me...

A big "yes"
You will probably need a ltr of petrol everyday. TB500 mileage may be 25~30, in city it might go down. Its not good for rush hour traffic.
Since you have a Unicorn, I think you can purchase TB500 instead of TB350 and use it for weekends for fun rides in city/highway.

If you are not selling your Unicorn so that you can use it for city ride then you can consider buying TB500 for touring purpose...In my Test ride of both 350 and 500 I felt that 350 is more convenient in city traffic(Handling and fuel economy). On highway there wont be much difference in mileage between 350 and 500(+10 km/ltr) but in city traffic the difference will be more and the top end speed difference is just 15KMs...

I am not planning to sell my unicorn.but will be using TB for regular commute(speeds in range of 50-80).cant afford to invest 1.4-1.8 lks just for weekend trips which will rarely/may never happen in my case.
thats why i am confused.i just cant get out of my head the way TB500 pulls.although 350 seems to be the practical choice.how are both bikes performance in speeds of 50-80.

http://royalenfield.com/ridermania/e...w-gallery.aspx
guys please go to this link and open these two pics there & like them...plz

[QUOTE=surajit09;890744]check the tension of your chain. If your chain is loose this will happen.
You can put the turtle wax on the chrome, no problem. But avoid the silencer part and the bend tube.

i think tightening chain has helped a little bit, but dont know for sure because bike jerked to a stop while slotting into gear the next day. i think that the clutch is not engaging probably, but it works fine at other times. rather hard to get to the root of this problem, especially as it can be experienced only during first time bike is taken out in the day. will post back after seeing what happens for a few more days.


tb 500 is overkill, viewed from point of petrol price. Since the mechanicals are the same, it should not be any lesser/more headache than TB 350. On the other hand, even in city riding, u can zoom along on a less congested stretch and feel all that torque and power. I suggest this - if u've got the money, go for it. Else you might regret not getting a 500 later. Of course, u might also rue how much petrol it drinks !

Talking about touring, try going out for a ride on your unicorn. If you like the touring experience, then all the more reason to go for the 500cc!