Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X

Thunderbird 350 is one of the oldest motorcycles sold by the Royal Enfield in India. The motorcycle was launched back in 2000 and in 2009 the company had launched its updated with a new 346cc engine. Now to offer it a more modern touch, the company has launched a new Thunderbird 350X. This is the first time, the motorcycle has been offered with alloy wheels and tubeless tyres.

The new Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X looks sporty and modern. The motorcycle features new matte black alloy wheels instead of wire-spoked wheels, matte black silencer and tubeless tyres. It gets an all-black treatment and comes equipped with the black casing for the projector headlamps, low-set flat handlebar, LED taillamps and a new single-piece seat instead of the split seats from the regular Thunderbird 350.

 

In terms of its dimensions, the Thunderbird 350X measures 2,040mm in length, 830mm in width and has a maximum height of 1,440 mm. The wheelbase is 1,350 mm. The motorcycle weighs 195 kg and comes with a 20-litre fuel tank. The motorcycle rides on multiple-spoke, 19-inch alloys, which are wrapped with 90/90 section tubeless tyres.

 

The motorcycle has been designed to be a comfortable long-distance highway cruiser, and that is evidently seen from its handlebar and seat setup. The build quality is very promising and finish levels are good too. The motorcycle comes with twin-pod part-digital instrument cluster which features an analogue speedometer, trip meter, fuel gauge, odometer etc., while the digital unit contains all the other information such as fuel warning indicator, service indicator, clock etc.

As 350X has no mechanical changes from the standard 350, the performance of the motorcycle is also the same. The motorcycle offers linear power delivery and boasts of a strong mid-range making it ideal for long rides. It will satisfy a lot of owners who would be using it on the daily commute and in-city duties, with even the occasional long highway trips. The top speed of this motorcycle is around 120 kmph.

 

The motorcycle comes with a decent ground clearance of 135mm, which provides stability while taking corners. The suspension system consists of telescopic, 41 mm forks in front and twin gas charged shock absorbers with 5-step adjustable preload suspension at rear.

Overall, the new Royal Thunderbird 500X looks very attractive and it will appeal to the buyers those looking to upgrade to a sporty cruiser.

The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X comes with a 20-litre fuel tank capacity. The average mileage of this motorcycle is around 35 .kmpl, which gives it a riding range of 700 kms on a full tank in real-world conditions

The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X is powered by the same 346cc air-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine as the regular model, which produces peak power of 19.8bhp at 5250 rpm and 28Nm of torque output at 4000 rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox.

Braking duties are carried out by a 280-mm disc brake up front and a 240-mm disc brake at the rear, both of which are ventilated.

The new Thunderbird 350X will compete with the likes of KTM Duke 390, Mahindra Mojo and Honda CBR250R in the Indian market.