You will have to learn more about your bike if you are planning that... I remember my friends calling me from manali and asking me to check a noise one of their bullets were making. on the phone!! yes!

Yeah, thats why I planned next year.. lots of work to be done.

Initial Review

Odo: 250 Kms
Disclaimer: I am no RE expert. This review is purely based on my opinion and experience, comments, suggestions, critics always welcome.

Introduction: Year 2000: I pass my 2 wheeler license test on a 3 gear Chetak. I pass my 4 wheeler license test on a 1980 Ambassador. I'm in love with Ambassador. This is awesome. Now I need to a bike. Well, I wait.

2007: 7 years later, I get my hands on my first ever 2 wheeler. Honda Unicorn. Almost 4 years gone, clocked 51300kms. hmm... Its time. I need a macho machine. I can only think of one. Royal Enfield. Harleys... well, in my dreams for now. Future is perfect always.

2010: Cancelled my Classic 500 booking for xyz reason.
2011: Here you go, surprised all my friends. I hit the roads on May 5th. This is the first time I ever rode a RE bullet of any kind, make or class.

Initial feelings: After riding the silent, silk smooth Unicorn, this was like one hell of a Vibrator on the road. But I was loving it. When I hit the ignition, the very roar of the engine under me was like a lion in the jungle. Commands respect. The thumb, the feel and the sound was just mind blowing. I could not stop myself from smiling. I clicked 1st gear the this beast pulled me and my pillion (wife) like a feeling I never had before.

The sheer torque and power it delivered had no words to describe it. I just thought for a moment. What would a classic 500 deliver if a Thunderbird was so powerful.

As soon as I hit the roads, i attracted attention. Its not always you come across a brand new Thunderbird on the road, silver and shining. I did not get my crash guard yet, due to lack of stock. I was careful. This was my first time on such a powerful beast.

Technical review: As I rode down the road, I first realized. The rear drum break was for people who wished to go suicide. It was absolutely a waste. Unlike the drum breaks on the Honda which was fantastic. As I hit the disk breaks, this was something new. Very powerful disk breaks, better than my old Honda. Now that's better. I started using both break together as suggested by the manual.

Filled 300 Rupees worth petrol approx 4.5 liters and hit the roads again. Summer heat was grueling. My wife wanted to get back home. I oblige. We head home. Warning from the manual and all hundreds of review I read about RE in the past 2 years in xbhp and elsewhere - Stick to the run-in rules. Thats what I did. Stick to 60km/h.

Well, there was so much power the bike had, I couldn't get passed 4th gear in city limits. Somehow had to test 5th gear on over bridges and soon realized. Wow, yes. 5th gear is purely to cruise. This is amazing. Even though the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear delivers more torque, less speed, once you cross the 45km/h mark, this bull delivers some amazing power and cruising was butter smooth.

As I head to office at nights I forgot that I touched 70km/h couple of times, as I did not know how to harvest the amount of power this Thunderbird generated. I bow to thee... god you answered my prayers. Now its time to see what Incredible India can offer me. My country, my beautiful people, I'd love to see around on this BullBird of mine. And I prepare for it. Very seriously.

The next day, I realize, I lost all the fuel in the tank. Upon inspection, i realize fuel is over flowing from carburetor. My friend suggests me. Pull chock twice and give a punch of throttle 2wice. This is temporary. The techs need to release the float which is stuck in open position. This worked, but only temporarily. I was disheartened, frustrated, mad and above all demotivated. 1.17 Lak, what crap can I go through for it. But I sit, breath, think, calm down. Lets fix it. This is not a big deal.

Before I start to go back to the showroom to fix the Carb, Caput! The battery is dead/weak. Self start aint working. Hmm... well, lets kick start. Read the manual. Never worked the way the manual said, kicked 10 times, ohhh... now this is what it takes to own a RE. No problem, I will get through this. The beast finally comes to life. I will learn how to kick start this Macho as the days pass on.

I go to the showroom, with blood boiling. Im a different beast when insane. Walkup to the guy to sold me the Bird. Looked into his eye while he was trying to sell a bull to a new customer.

Told him - " I want you to replace my thunderbird with a better piece " He, went cold, numb. The new customer stand puzzled.

"W..what happened sir?" comes the question.

"I lost fuel worth more than 300 rupees, can you pay me and replace the bull or what you want to do?. The battery is dead as well!"

He immediately calls the head mechanic and diagnosed, dirt in the carb from fuel tank. Opened and cleaned carb, reset pin and idle speed. Replaced the battery. All this took a well 45 min. He comes back to me to apologize that he was really sorry this happened. I told him, I'll let you go now. This may not be your fault, maybe RE's fault. But the next time the reoccurs everyone will be sorry.

Leak stopped, Self start has worked from then. So far, im good, no issues. I was warned of false neutral, but i haven't gotten any yet. I just shift gears and when I hear the 2 sounds 'tuk tuk' then I know the gear has been properly placed. I have had lots of false neutrals on my Unicorn. Compared to that, This bird is a marvel.

Reviews complained mainly of dead battery, false neutral, leaking oil, lots of vibration. I dont have oil leaks, Vibration is at par wit the amount of torque and power the vehicle generates. No complaints.

I can give you more technical reviews only after I hit the highway in a few weeks. Untill then Im not going to give any advices. I follow my heart and suggest you do the same, because that's one decision you will never regret

I am amongst the legends. And Im proud of it. Thanks for reading.

suggestion pls...

morning first time,

1. should i use self start?
2. should i use kick start with choke?
3. kick start

note: i have observed using self start, you need few try's to make the engine on....
mine is classic 350.. hw abt thunderbird?

1) Preffered And Tested Method :
Kick start first thing in morning
Use Choke and Pump Clutch before kick start.
2) Easy way and Second Option: Pull the choke , Pump the clutch, Button Start --> Idle for 10 sec (to send oil rev) ...if not started in First press..wait for 5 sec before approach second time.

850 Kms

Few updates after 1st service and covering 850 kms in 10 days: Mileage: 42km/L in city condition however still testing to get constant numbers.

Tyre grip: Pathetic and absolutely useless. I have used Ceat before and they are awesome. I will switch to Ceat after running sometime in stock.

Engine: Engine has freed up. Much smoother and absolutely wonderful.

Drum Brakes: Still useless. Braking power is sucidal.
Disk Brakes: Powerful and accurate feedback when braking.

Carburetor: Fuel leak as of now fully resolved. Still monitoring.

Maintained: Wax/Polish done fortnight to prevent any chance of rust.

Throttle response: Fantastic. No Jerks.
Electric start: Starts every first push. So far great. Have to idle for atleast 1 min for normal/better engine response.

Vibration: Left mirror vibrates extensively. Right hand mirror is fine. Left Foot peg vibrates more than the right foot peg. Vibration of front handle during idle noted, however this is normal and all Japanese bikes doe the same on a lower scale.

Torque & power: Loads of torque, reserve torque available when slowing down, gear shift is minimal in city. 60km/h is the normal speed you can take at 5th gear, you cant ride below that. So 70 or 80 km/h is piece of cake.

Lamps: Rear lamp is powerful. Increases your chance to be spotted from rear. Head lamp is a sad story. 35w is best suite for city. On Highway, please change to 60w or HID for your own safety. However Full DC setup is a added advantage and I love it.

Clutch & Gearbox: Clutch is smooth. I don't get stressed. Gear box is not hard at all. However if not used properly, you will come across false neutral. Is an art and you have to master it.

Steering: A bit difficult to steer in traffic, turning radius I feel is larger than other bikes on the road. But slow and steady is the way to take this beast.

Looks: Killer on the road. Definitely attracts lots of attention and curiosity.

Riding gear: Got gloves, tank bags, helmets. More gears for touring on the way. Safety first.

Legal: Permanent registration complete. Waiting for numbers.

Future upgrade plans: Only change to 35W HID or 60W halogen and aux lamp for highway. Will do in few months.

Anything I missed Ill update next post. Thanks for reading. Ride safe.

Guys i am having some problem with my bird some knock knock sound is comming in the front i'm not sure weather it from the engine or not. Already visited twice this week to svc.
Those svc guys are just useless they dont even check whats the problem they just tightened the nuts of the crash guard & said it ok but now the sound has increased. Planning to call the regional manager(bangalore-jayanagar) today any one hav his no.. . I'm fed up with these guys. The sound comes when i change the gear- my bike has clocked 6k kms & is 8 months old. Plz help me guys.

Check all fastners and look for any excessive vibrating parts around engine. 6 K and 8 months old UCE tbts should not make any such noices. If you are sure that noice coming from engine head then it must be of Valve train issue. Check and diagnose the noice root cause with other fellow rider opiniono. In mycase i took almost a month to diagnose valve seating noice issue after 3 mechanic visits.

Well had been to SVC today they said that some spring is making the noise they have asked to me leave the vehicle on saturday & the vibrations have increased a lot the the silencer,horn,left mirror vibrate like hell @ 2rpm ....

Few queries related to TB(twinspark)

Dear Friends,

I am interested to buy a new motorcycle. I am particularly interested in Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark. But, recently some apprehentions have crawled onto my mind, and i want to clear them. A friend of mine said a few things and i want to ascertain the truth. Since, you guys are experienced riders on TB i have a few question to ask from you all:

1. Is RE TB underpowered for a 350 CC engine? Is 19.8 BHP@5250RPM power and 28Nm@4000RPM torque sufficient for a 350 CC engine?
2. Since, it has a 350 CC engine, ain't max. speed of 120 Kmph quite less?
3. How is the pickup of the bike in lower RPMs? Like when starting from Zero or accelerating after a traffic light stop.
4. Does the bike vibrate too much??
5. How is the performance of the front hydraulic disc brakes?
6. On an average how much mileage are you able to obtain?
7. My friend also stated that driving this bike at constant speeds like on a highway, will increase the wear and tear of the bike. So, he suggested to keep varying the speed while driving.
8. Is the bike comfortable if i take it upto 120kmph??? or will it rattle a lot due to vibration?
Pls answer my above queries.

Thanks and Warm Regards,
FASTBILLA

Answers in Bold

Hey Jayanth, thanks a lot for your replies. They have eased my apprehentions to a great extent. There is one more thing i would like to share. I have read and am reading a lot of reviews about royal enfield bikes. Almost everyone, complains of something or the other, some queries and their replies are too complex to comprehend.
Why does these bikes lack refinement or the reliability of parts? Why instead of enjoying the ride, we worry about the bike dying on us? Is it worth the time, effort and money?

Thanks and Warm Regards,
FASTBILLA

Decide

I agree with Jayanths' replies. This is a bike with loads of torque. Its build for torque. If you want power, pls go for those japanese make. And for heavens sake please dont compare a Yamaha or Honda with a Royal enfield. They are build for total different purpose. You may not get top speed, but you get torque, take it to the hills with loads of saddle bags, jersy cans, and pillion, this monster will take you up without a jerk where the japanese makes will stress out.

If you want the mother of all torque then go for the CL 500, ofcourse I wont talk about the Harleys. So please decide what you want. A mean Royal enfield which will give you trouble if you dont maintain it or you want a fill, shut forget japanese make.

Yes, all RE owners complain of something or the other, I have had my share of trouble. This is not a machine made with japanese precision, there are quality issues. But learn how to maintain it and I can promise you, you will fall in love with it and the RE will not let you down. The testimony is here to prove by decade old owners, i do not have to repeat it here in words.

I myself am just learning about my Thunderbird. I am already crazy, madly and unconditionaly in love with it. It has this thing that you dont get in a Honda or Yamaha.

Follow your heart and you wont regret what you decide.

Take care.
Gun

Dear Gun,
Thanks for clearing the clouds above my mind. With the help form your reply, i now know that i want more torque than power. And, a matter of fact we rarely do touch the max. speed, so why care about it???
You also wrote about 'learn to maintain the bike". What are the ground rules for doing this?? Run-ins, i have read about, riding your bike no more than 40 - 60 kmph for first 1000 kms. Are there more things besides this that i should take care of?
Also, can i expect avg. mileage of 30-35 Kmpl from CL500 and 38-43 Kmpl from thunderbird in city driving???

Thanks and warm regards,
FASTBILLA

I dont know about the CL500 but the TBTS gives around 36-40(Stock silencer 38-39 Golden star -36-38) atleast for me. As i have read in the reviews most of them get around 35-40 but some say 42 in city which is very difficult to achieve in bangalore traffic.