Bullet ThunderBird

Cruisers are preferred for the great, comfortable ride position they offer. Low-slung, they offer a cosy seating position that makes the rider feel cosseted. Not surprising, in most cruisers the rider is actually closer to the centre of gravity of the bike than in any other type of two-wheeler. That is also partly why cruisers are easier to handle and comfortable even on long drives.

By design, cruisers are less demanding on the rider's shoulders and elbows. They are not necessarily better than other types of bikes in terms of reducing the strain on the rider's back. You may have to recheck the cause for your back pain before making the purchase decision. That said, while the Bajaj Avenger may be a good choice, you may also want to check out the Royal Enfield Thunderbird, as it will be able to offer you a better rider posture.

*Yes guys . to have a Royal feel and enjoy the good thumping sound of Royal enfield you need to experience a ride on Thunderbird.

Well there are lot of cruiser bikes now in market but one needs to understand the smooth cruiser ride in Thunderbird. As a rider you have good control over your bike and with good disc brakes even with urgent applying of brakes it doesn't skid thru it is a well balanced bike.

The position of rider the handling and control is just superb.

moreover i've found from few Thunderbird users that with regular maitenance and checkup of oil, filter and good tappid setting from authorised service centre this bike even gives them a mileage of 42 km per litre.

All that I can say to experience a good bike ride you need to ride on a bullet bike and to add to it, it needs to be Thunderbird it gives you power with control. People have all false understanding that Bullet is heavier but believe it is all wrong once you ride it you know the truth there is nothing like weight factor.

Also dont forget the good look that a rider gets while driving this power machine. All on goers look this bike as it passes by.*

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This is the most beautiful bike.

i was going for a karizma or a pulsar 180 cc.

my friend(a machismo owner) took me to the showroom . I saw the bike and couldn't give my reactions after seeing that drop dead gorgeous beauty.

still my biggest concern was its weight and the fuel economy.

now after  buying this vehicle all the doubts seem to be disappearing in air.

when a light bike like karizma and pulsar gives a mileage of 30 or 35 its not a bad deal to get 40kmph from a 350 cc bike.

about weight of the bike, once u start the bike and put feet up in the footrest, it becomes like a bicycle. if u think thats heavy stop dreamin bout this bike.

believe it I can go on writing bout this byke for my life to come.

this the most beautiful and aweinspiring thing of my life.

i would leave my girlfriend for thunderbird if I have to choose one.

Maintaining Thunderbird

Be nice to your bike in the break down period . that is by not exceeding speeds above 60 at the first 1000 km and 70 after the 1000 km and till its clocks 2000 km and not reving the engine over 3000 rpm for the first 2000 km . do the services at the specified km and also check whether the dealer has done the service properly . make it a routine after the service also to change the engine oils in some 3000 km periodically .check the oil level and battery water level once in a week . if you have a electric start model always kick start the bike when its used for the first time on a new day to maintain the health of the battery . wash you bike atleast in a week if possible .

also maintain a single brand of petrol. use only one brand, don't change it every time you fill her up. always try and get a full tank done. this avoids frequent refueling and prevents the tank from rusting. always lubricate all moving parts after you wash your bike. if you are using a disc brake, always wash the disc with plain water in the rainy season after your ride on the bird is over. this removes mud and dirt between the brake pads and improves life and performance

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My Hubby works with Taj hotels in Kovalam and is a avid rider /driver for past many years. He has done many long trips alone.

He has a Thunderbird for last 3 years. He has done approximately 40000 Kms on my bike in 3 years, ranging from Epic Jaipur-Leh-Srinagar-Delhi-Jaipur, Jaipur-Bhopal-Hyderabad-Pune- Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Jaipur, Jaipur-Delhi- Agra- Varanasi- Patna-Siliguri-Gagtok- Bhutan-Nepal-Gorakhpur-Lucknow-Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Agra-Bhopal- Hyderabad-Bangalore-Trivandrum, Trivandrum-Goa-Mumbai- Pune-Bangalore-Trivandrum, To mention a few and about a hundred small ups and downs

Now he plans to do something big. A National integration sort of trip 28x28. He plans to cover the entire country touching each capital each day and reach Delhi on the 28th day, after starting from Trivandrum on day 1.

Its about one day one state capital. It will speak a lot about the man, machine, quality of roads, people etc. He has travelled around India extensively so its not that I ll miss things on the way. He has planned his route.

It will be a showcase of India with man and machine doing which has never been done before.

Trivandrum

Bangalore

Chennai

Hyderabad

Panaji

Mumbai

Gandhinagar

Jaipur

Bhopal

Raipur

Bhubaneshwar

Ranchi

Kolkatta

Gangtok

Dispur

Itanagar

Kohima

Imphal

Aizwal

Agartala

Shillong

Patna

Lucknow

Dehra Dun

Shimla

Jammu

Chandigarh

Delhi

If any one of u r interested can see his site : https://royalenfield.com/tarun

and Hope u'll now feel that this is a coollllllllllllllllll bike as I love it too... have done one long trip with him from Trivandrum to Ooty and back .. rest couple of small trips from Jaipur to Delhi

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Bought a bullet thunderbird 3 months back . It was time to upgrade the

CBZ that I owned previously . Although the CBZ is high on reliabilty

what is lacks is sheer power . Wanted the most powerful Indian

manufactured bike. Also I do Mumbai - Pune a lot .This is what I

feel  - mind u I am looking only for a cruiser and ride

comfort  and not for fuel economy .

Pros -

Just simply smooth ride at 60-80 kmph . The feeling also was different

and good when I first rode the vehicle. This was missing in my previous

bike. Although the vehicle weighs in at a good 167 kgs it does not

really feel so while cruising . I would say that this is the true

indian cruiser.I dont think any Indian bike can match this cruising feel and this is the USP. I cannot comment on foreign bikes.

Also I think given the 350 cc engine the fuel economy is really good .

Cons -

Lots of work here. There is a constant leakage from the engine (engine

oil???)which I have got repaired twice .Hopefully it wont leak once

more. More work needs to be done on the breaking system , in spite of

having a disk breaks , I have to start breaking b4 to prevent a

collision!

Altho I think seating position is really good the pillion rider seems

to have constant cramps . I really dont know what the cause seems to be

.

I was expecting the engine to cruise at even 100 . This is not the case

. Seems like after 85 the engine seems to be kind of

struggling{grunting!!!) to match up altho it does go up to 100-105kmph.

Would I recommend it to anyone . Surely . I dont think there is

any option here given the pathetic state of Indian motorcycles .We are

still manufacturing engines which are 100ccs . This is shameful.

Bye

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In 2004 I did a 40-day 11,000 km trip around the country on my Thunderbird. I averaged 275 km per day and didn't have a single breakdown on the way. I got the oil changed four times, of course, and had to change a footpeg rubber. The case of the speedometer worked loose, but didn't fall off. Other than that, no trouble.

I had a little trouble with the guys in Enfield, in particular with one V Vikram, the National Service Manager, who seemed to be unhelpful and pompous, but the bike was fine.

The bike was very comfortable. It's not a proper cruiser, remember: the rider's feet are in line with his knees, or behind them. In a proper cruiser the feet are ahead of the knees in the recommended riding position. On bad roads, a proper cruiser, such as the Avenger, will give the rider a bad backache. But not the Thunderbird.

The problem with the bike is the heavy expenditure on maintenance. It needs a lot of oil changes, chain and sprocket changes every 20,000 km, and new tyres every 20,000 km. If you have the model with disc brakes and you dent the rim, you have to change the whole wheel rim. I sold the bike only because it was too expensive to maintain, and the attitude of the National Service Manager was discouraging.

If only Enfield would work out the quality problems this would be the best bike around.

A small update. I regularly got 40kmpl on the bike in the city, and 43 on the highway, always travelling at fairly low speeds: under 70 on the highway. Fuel consumption really drops when you push the bike: at 90+, you only get about 28kpl.

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It was my dream to own a Royalenfield bullet. I was very much impressed when I saw Thunderbird for the very first time. On the way to the office sometimes I used to stop in front of the Royal Enfield showroom and enjoy looking at the chrome beasts. Hmmm...

My dream came true by the year 2006, I bought a MAGIC BLACK THUNDERBIRD with Electric Start and Disc Brake for Rs.93,000/- on road and it is really a beast that steals everybody's thunder.

It has an amazing look and fantastic engine power. It is very much suitable for taller people (Min 6 ft.(well, I'm 6.2ft)). No matter if he is slim or well built, it is cool.

Few stuffs that are negative about this bike;

1. Headlight has not enough power to see the road. (definitely got to change)

It gives 36-38 Kms of mileage approx. for city ride and 38 to 40 on highways. What more can you expect?

The pick up is not bad. Good comfort. Perfect break system (apply both the brakes simultaneously).

My Experience:

Last month (February 2007) I decided to ride down on my bike to my home town (Tirunelveli) which is around 660Kms from Chennai alone. As it was a sudden decision, I couldn't take the bike for a check-up.

I packed my things on the pillion seat and left home by 8:00 in the morning, filled the fuel tank and hit the road. Wow... it felt so wonderful to ride the bike on the highways. The road was too good and I was going in 110 Km/Hr. The bike didnt wobble or vibrate much. More faster you go more smooth the bike goes. At Viluppuram, some stupid govt. bus driver deliberately cornered me and I almost hit a parked lorry. Well, somewhat I managed to stop the bike and unfortunately as soon as my bike stopped it fell down and the right foot rest got bend. No injuries for me. So, I lifted the bike resumed my journey. But I started getting pain on my right leg as the foot rest was not on the right position. So I spent some 2 hrs to search for a good mechanic in Viluppuram and get it fixed. After that... no problem... I stopped twice on the way (10 min each) to have some coffee. Thats it, I reached my home town by 7.00 in the evening. Where ever I stopped, the people there wants to talk to me abt the beast. Happily and proudly I answered their questions. It was a very good experience. The bike gave 40 Kms/Lr during the trip (But guys I was going like a nut case on the road and for that its a pretty good mileage)

Me and my bike got a very good understanding after the trip. During the entire trip, I enjoyed the THUD THUD sound... Wow...

I didn't want to take the risk to ride the bike back to Chennai as HE needed a service. So I took the bike back to Chennai in the Train.

After that, I have traveled to so many places in my bike for example

• Chennai to Bangalore (several times)

  
  




• Chennai to Yerkaud

  
  




• Chennai > Bangalore > Coimbatore > Kochi > Madurai > Chennai

  
  

The bike didn't give any trouble and till now HE had never let me down. Most of the trip, I went on my own. And in all the trips I got loads of people's attention.

I and my friend are planning to go for an ALL INDIA trip. Just waiting to save enough money for the trip. The budget will be around Rs. 45,000/-. Anybody ready to sponsor? Pls contact me if u r willing to sponsor!!!

Somebody might say that they had some terrible problems with their bike but I would say "YOU SHOULD BE THE CHOSEN ONE TO RIDE THIS BEAST"

Well, overall its a wonderful, sexy, manly bike to go around the city and as well as on the highways. It might be expensive to get this beast but, its worth it.

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hi all, I own a thunderbird (TCI). Its a greatest cruser available on Indian roads...

+'s - Great riding comfort, with decent looks. -'s - Priced @ about 1,00,000 - The top end speed on the new thunderbird has deteorated. = Lightening handle suits better. = Original bullet scilencer sounds and definitly feels great. = Buys loads of clutch cables, its keeps snapping every once in a while (Expensive too). = The crome job on every bullet really sucks, all the nuts and bolts start to rust (after taking best of the care)

Oil leaks - get used to it. WELL A ROYAL ENFIELD IS DEFINITLY WHAT I CALL A BIKE!!!

i have done about 3 rides soo far and I have never had any trouble on the way.. I hope this continues and shall keep riding my bird...hehe

take care and cya

hi all, I own a thunderbird (TCI). Its a greatest cruser available on Indian roads...

+'s - Great riding comfort, with decent looks. -'s - Priced @ about 1,00,000 - The top end speed on the new thunderbird has deteorated. = Lightening handle suits better. = Original bullet scilencer sounds and definitly feels great. = Buys loads of clutch cables, its keeps snapping every once in a while (Expensive too). = The crome job on every bullet really sucks, all the nuts and bolts start to rust (after taking best of the care)

Oil leaks - get used to it. WELL A ROYAL ENFIELD IS DEFINITLY WHAT I CALL A BIKE!!!

i have done about 3 rides soo far and I have never had any trouble on the way.. I hope this continues and shall keep riding my bird...hehe

take care and cya

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Hey All,

2003:

I am going to office, crossing the Enfield Showroom, Lamba Enterprises on Jail Road enroute.

On display is the new bike from the Enfield stable... I see her and BOOM !!!! its love at first sight... Promptly get a proforma Invoice made for her, take it to the co-operative bank, scrounge my savings, make a down payment and posess her.

2006:

3 years down, I am still awed by the feel and the experience of riding her. This is one bike which grows on you. Initially, when I was a newbie on the T-Bird, had a difficult time kick starting it, but once you get the technique right, you can never fail. Even on the coldest day, 1-2 decompressions and she thumps to life.

Pros of the Bike:

Awesome power, 350 CC, 18BHP, gives it enough punch to take on the punishment dished out by the rugged terrains of Manali - Leh highway and ample enough to ensure that you zip through on the plains. This bike is at home in the deserts of Rajasthan as well as it feels right at home in the chilly climes of Khardung La, the world's highest motorable Road at 18000+ Ft.

I have done enough touring on it to confidently say that by far, it is the most reliable machine I have ever ridden. No flat tyres on the tours or any broken clutch cables, throttle cables, or anything else. just oil checks and tyre pressure check and oiling of the chain and you are good to go.

Some of the people come up and ask "bhaisahab iski mileage kitni hai"... I give the reply "Kabhi socha hi nahin uske baarey main"... this statement would aptly convey the Bulleteer's thoughts about petty things like mileage. When you are riding THE MACHINE, mileage is the last thing on your mind. However, for the die hard Mileage seekers, the figures were scattered from 25-50KMPL, due to the staggered ignition timings, but I guess a thing like this would have been taken care of in the 3 intervening years.

The aesthetics ave also been improved upon... the two tone paintwork makes it look snazzy and the electrical switches have been upgraded to be more user-friendly with the pass button/flasher being a boon as compared to the pull down version of the same which was initially offered.

Now, lets talk about the much debated aspect of a different engine and the gear shifter on the correct side of things in life. Many Bulleteers think that the T-Bird is not a true blue Bullet, and I would agree with them. The reason is that the motor powering the Bullet is different than the one powering the T-Bird. The cast iron block on the Std Bullet & Electra models has a meatier thump but the company had to go with the times and introduce better engines which were fuel efficient and still packed a punch.... the result of this search was the Lean Burn engine which is on offer on T-Bird, although a little noisy, still does what it is meant to do and more.

The only drawback in the entire package is the longer silencer, which muffles the exhaust note very efficiently. This has been provided by the company to meet the emission and sound level norms enforced by the government. This drawback can be rectified if you go in for the short silencer which would be readily available at the showroom. Once the shorty is fitted, the thump is considerably improved.

I can go on and on about the good things about the bike but space constraints dont allow me to do so... To wrap things up, dont be bothered by the oil leaks... these are quirks of all good bikes... Even the legendary harley Davidson leaks oil... and the way the company acknowledges this fact is by saying "A Harley never leaks oil... It marks its territory!" or by the problems of kickstarting ( for the delicate babies, the company has the option of ES)... Just go out there and possess and prepare to be posessed by the most awesome machine...

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Ah you want to buy an enfield. Maybe you are a hard core bulleteer or have suddenly realized that you need a bigger bike with mean looks. Whatever be your reason you must have read hundreds of reviews and queried hundreds of innocent bystanders and driven a few of the people at the showrooms nuts. Bulleteers kept telling you "Why that's not a bullet" and you keep telling yourself "yeah but it does look bloody good and the mileage does help too". Well as a person who has been there done that let me chip in my .02$.

Opinion among the bulleteers is that the TB is not a true bullet - Agreed since the original and now the standard are  Cast Iron engines and have gears on the right side. Frankly I don't give a tiny rats posterior about this. The bike sets out to do well in the areas that its supposed to have been designed for and that is why I was interested in the bike in the first place.

Lets see whether we can address a few common questions that keep popping into peoples mind when trying to decide.

1. What does it cost and ES/DB ?

I have purchased this quite recently from the royal enfield showroom at Bandra,Mumbai and the cost was 99018 for an Electric Start & Disk Break version. Add the front knee guard and the price comes to about 99500. Go for the ES and DB you will not regret it. I had an injured right leg for a few days and without the ES I would have further compounded the problem. DB is manadatory for even the smallest amount of City driving.

1. Mileage : Too early to say but on a proper maintained bike the mileage has been known to be between 39-45 on a highways. And these are user claims and not company brochure that we are talking about. But for a 350cc bike these figures are damn good

   
   




2. City Handling : Needless to say highway handling is a breeze and the bike does keep wobble free straight at higher speeds. But the city handling is what we are interested about and quite frankly the bike handle quite nimbly without a pillion, its almost feather touch there. It could be because I have driven in mumbai for 3 years now but I like to beleive that its possible that a new rider could also get into the groove in a few rides.

   
   

Though with a pillion and a really bad traffic snarl prepare to loose a lot of weight sweating profusely.

1. Maintenance : Come on admit it, this is what you really want to know. The TB has on successive iterations become better as most of the initial user complaints have been taken care of and the bike is in its 5th year now and is hassle free compared to its Cast Iron cousins.  But since the no two bikes are the same it all depends on the cards that fate has handed out to you. As omnious as that might sound its not that bad and you will be pleasently surprised. I have not had "bullet" leaks yet and everything has still held together. Stick to the service schedule and read the bullet user manual every night before going to seep and you should be OK. Also since this bike has a lot of Chrome/Shiny parts on it it means you will have to wipe it clean regularly and a weekly wash and polish is a must. It does mean that you will spend more time with your bike than human beings. But really who cares :)

   
   




2. Sound : Does it sound like the bullet ? NO it does not have the trademark bullet thump but a change of silencers should bring the sounds pretty close. Though don't fool urself into thinking that it can ever sound the same, these are totally different machines that we are talking about.

   
   




3. Kickstart - After having heard of tales of people getting decapitated trying to kick start an enfield you thought the ES was the only thing stopping you from loosing you foot. Well the KS on the TB will be one of the first things that the guy at the showroom will show you and 100 out of 100 times you will get it right the first time. There is just one extra step of decompression that you need to do otherwise its a nomal kicker no magic there am afraid.

   
   




4. Seating : Am afraid but the stock seating that comes with the bike isn't vrey comfortable though compared to the pulsar that I used tro ride the "pain" sets in after 3-4  times as much distance :) This will be the first thing to change once I am out of the warranty period.

   
   




5. Suspensions : STIFF. You will feel it a lot less but your pillion rider needs to be the person who loves you the most to actually forgive you after a long ride on this one.

   
   

What do you know.. I think I have covered most of the things that I was worried about when I set out to buy the bike and hope that helps thouse currently on the look out.

No matter which bike you end up picking. Have a safe ride and njoy.

Edited on 22-Feb-2007 : Its been nearly 5 months since I got my dirty little hands on her and the euphoria is still to evaporate. :) I did a mumbai goa and back alone and subsequently a night ride from Mumbai to ganapatipule and I have still to face a big problem. But its not all rosy, spares are tough to find even in a city like Mumbai. The original new clutch cable format that comes with the 2006 TB is not available even in the Original showroom. The old cable can be used though and suprisingly the old type has outlasted the 2000 Km that I got from the original. The mileage is great on this bike, averaging 80KMPH all the way from to Goa I roughly calculated 38KMPL, not bad at all. I have now got used to the seating and have realized its all in the seating posture. Had little/no problems during both my trips. Just remember to sit ramroad straight. It does not look as cool as those guys make it look riding those crazy choppers but hell I rather travel comfortably than look it. Have not modified anything yet, have strangely even got used to the handles now, I guess she just grows on you. Till next time, ride hard ride safe.

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Get your adrenaline pumping astride a two-wheeled power house Everytime these motorcycle lovers ride the ‘big’ machines, they feel a shiver go down their spines

T here are bikers, who love the thrill of riding big, powerful machines. For them the hum of a 350 or a 500 cc engine is pure music. Taking inspiration from Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, these motorcycle lovers are moved by the roar of the engine. Whether riding within city limits or going on long trips around the country, they simply love to ride.

Royal Enfield, the maker of bikes like the Thunderbolt and the Bullet, has its own fan following, Reds, being its official India online club.

Numerous Enfield clubs have sprung up all over the country and biking afi cionados get together once a year for “Rider Mania.” Held in a dif ferent city every year, it is an op portunity for rid ers to meet and share their pas sion for bikes. Be sides, the look of a bike is important too. And a Harley Davidson (though not available in India) ‘look’ remains a favourite. Delhi, too has its share of biker clubs, who ride the Enfield. Thugs: Short for Thunderbird Underground Slickers, it is a group of 18 men, who started off in July this years. Under the leadership of Kushagra Aggarwal, the only requirement to be a part of this club is to have a Thunder bird. “We love talking about bikes and bike modifications, besides sharing a general sense of camaraderie,” says Kushagra. The members of the group have been riding around the city, and have also taken trips to Karnal and Gurgaon. Soon, they will be off to Jaipur. Nomads: Imran Khan aka ‘Mountain Tamer,’ the group leader, has been biking around for six years. Nomads have travelled around the country, and there have been times when they have spend nights in front of ATMs or even on sidewalks. “Riding my Thunderbolt is a thrilling, revitalising experience,” says Imran, whose girl friend Mahima Nijhawar, is also a part of the group. This club comprising of 28 people, can never stay in Delhi for too long.

“Like nomads we keep moving from place to place and though we do not usually have a particular destination we just head in a certain direction!” says Imran. When in the city, they usu ally hit Central Delhi. The group has ridden to Chennai for the ‘Rider Mania,’ while Imran plans to participate in the Raid de Himalaya later this year.

Also in the pipeline is a trip to America through Pakistan and Turkmenistan. Royal Beasts: This bunch of bikers has been in Delhi for five years, with the Qutub Institutional area being its weekly hang-out. Members of this club have ridden to as far as Ladakh and Goa.

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Hi..guys..there's an information to be passed to all the Royal Bull Lovers...Most of you might be knowing about the Royal Enfield community site.. for people who haven't browsed this please go check out.. the following url: https://royalenfield.com

The website is all about Royal Enfield bikes..U could find a community where u could join and share your views with all like minded people.. A lot more stuff to munch dudes.. not only about the bikes but u could also find special events happening throughout the world that pretains to Royals'..

Altogether you would love the site ...as u go inside a nd scan ...

"I bet you can't stop browsing ones"..!!!! ha ha ha ...

Rather me saying about the site u could scan this to know more about Royal community and other stuff...Hope u wuld enjoy it.

Happy riding.. Royal Bull lovers..!!!

..santosh

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Welcome to the new era of biking on indian roads. I dont give a damn if there r guys who like to arch their back and ride thei pulsars, karizmas and yamahas cutting through city traffic , I believe in comfort and thats why its the Thunderbird.

I am new to biking and I learnt to ride my first bike , the TB, nothing comes close to the learning experience on this bike.

Here is the summary

Model : Thunderbird (2006 Make), Disk Brakes , Electric Start

Learning Curve : Great !.Good news for learners who can balance on a cycle / Non gear motorcycle/Scooty , u can get on the road (Pune roads) within 3 to 4 days. Push it to a week incase u dont have enough time to practise or if you are slightly slow at learning things.

Maintainance : Clean it regularly for that shine on the chrome, else doesnt need much.

Km/Litre : 35 to 42 Never below that

Stability : awsome !!!, u will never find a bike that you can balance at just 5 kmph without much handlebar movement.

Comfort : 1)Rider : Good , no backache

2)Pillion : Good , No backache, Back rest gives good support

Style : Commanding looks , everybody will definitely give a second look

Negatives : Once you ride the thunderbird , you would never want to even touch another bike on indian roads.

Price (Subject to change) : 77K Factory Outlet + 8K VAT + 2K 3rd party insurance + RTO 1 to 6 K= 89K to 95K

Go pick yours right away

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HI FRIENDS I OWN A RED THUNDERBIRD SINCE NOV'2004...SO LET ME SHARE MY VIEWS ON THIS INDIAN HARLEY...

ABHAY GOEL...

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I year past, I got this bike in bangalore. First 10 months no problem at all, I enjoyed a lot of biking to many places within 200 Km from bangloare. But my bird cought into major problem. Bike stated getting problem with Tappit volve. I have replaced it around three times. Once this volve broke out, which is never expected in any opf the bike. Specialists in bullets told me that Thunder bird has some design problem with "Gear Shifting", "Oil Pumping" and "width of Tappit volve". All starts with cranking sound from the engine. Please let me know if anybody has got any problem with thunder bird ( jahagirdar.gopal@gmail.com). I am planning to replace the tappit volves with that of Bullet, I have seen these volves of bullet, they are much thicker and wider. I have already spent around Rs10,000 on the bike for this problem (excluding service). The specialist has told me that with this replacement he will give me 5 years assured. But I expect at least two years. Any body has any idiea on this?

Manufacturing company too knows it, they have told that they ae about to launch new model of thunder bird with these problems rectified in it. But I do not knot when?

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Hi All,

Owning this Bull since Sep-2005 in B'lore, by then the 2005 edition of ES/TB/Machismo were all just on the release and I think I might have been one of those early birds....

Before that owned an 1990 STD (2nd Hand) ...made some modifications to it and recklessly rode and again that bugger now is in Madras at a friends place... You just cant sell a bull...its like "Virasat"... You inherit it from Elders when you are ready and later pass it to an eligible heir and that goes on...

I dont drag within city limits..thats dangerous to others...so its always a duel on the highways and believe me with proper riding techniques all others are just kids...probably like young guns who would like to prove themselves to elders. I like their attitude but they just are not MAN enough....So when you mature riding and reach a "Seen it all, Done it all" stage... thats exactly when you admire one...

Why I bought this bike ? - Not out of passion...not out of preference... just coz Iam used to itI. I grew with it and started to ride it when I was in 7th grade ... Its a very easy bike to control and I know how to maintain it so when I think of a bike..... I think of a Bull and nothing else (all other's bycycles).

Decision was easy for me, just walked into the showroom and had a glance....Coz any bull would do...Took small test rides just to check the feel of bikes and I felt that Thunderbird gave me a bit taller stance than other Bulls and also it was 5 gears/electric start/disk brakes (By then it was only machismo and ES was still to come)...that was it...booked a Black ThunderBird.

I think it takes a relaxed and stable mind with a good physique to ride this beast. I’m 6"1 and weigh about 95kgs and didn't find even one apt bike to carry me in comfort and in safety....forget about style.

I made few a few modification's to this BULL as well,again the seating, side box, sproket/air filter and a little bit of other modifications as well, but not for the time being.

I dont think this bike looks strange but people do and also enjoy the comfort (I just dont care abt anybody...its my bull and my style)...As for my wife she can load anything on my bull and be taken in comfort where ever she says and when ever she says, the broad seat with a good back rest and she is very happy... Moreover she gets exited when somebody enquires abt the bike and enjoys all that attention that we get on the road. I'm used to it now :).

I took to long rides only after 6 months of city riding and after adhering to all preconditions and speed limitations. Nowadays its mostly with my wife as pillion.

Have done B'lore to Madras couple of times... Madras to Pondicherry, Madras to Chidambaram, Madras/B'lore to Tirupathi (so distance is between 180 km to 360 km). Bike is always comfortable and stable for cruising. Never made any extra preparation...just checked whether the weekend would be sunny and the regular air pressure, oil and petrol stuff. I am a sane rider and below 60 on a highway, bike seems to stroll and is happy when I do 70-90, keeps me happy as well...rather very very happy (mileage :)) )

Mileage is one thing which many onlookers ask me....I would say for my kinda riding its 40+ (City conditions) always... Initially between 1st and 2nd service it used to be 35 or so never below 32 or 33. Now on long rides with a pillion rider and some load (equivalent of a cabin bag 10 to 15 kilos) this gives me 44 to 47 which to me by any standard is amazing. My "Tiger" (previous bull gave me between 34 and 39 always).

Summing it all, Thunderbird's a great bike and can be converted to look like a family bike (else go for any other bull to give you that conservative look and keep that low profile).

Importantly it gives me a tall stance which somehow receives my attention all the time. 5G's are smooth (Always are...even my Tiger was smooth).... Mileage is also good.

Will recommend a bull to any aspiring young hot blood or a mature warm blood to go for this bike. And ride it atleast 5 to 10 years (atleast 5) before even commenting on it...I assure you will be a proud and well pleased owner.

Ride safely...

Cheers,

MJ

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This is such a good bike which one want to drive as ths is the only indidn bike which I like as ia m crazy abt forein bikes and cars but I like ths bike too much bcoz it gives a royal look to a persons personality................ a wnat to thank the person who designed ths bike.........- ths is a bike which I like to recument fr every opne who like to ride a bike.......................

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as I m font of hayabusa and all but its a good bike fr indian roads this is such a good bike which one want to drive as ths is the only indidn bike which I like as ia m crazy abt forein bikes and cars but I like ths bike too much bcoz it gives a royal look to a persons personality................ a wnat to thank the person who designed ths bike.........- ths is a bike which I like to recument fr every opne who like to ride

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Hi This is my second review of TB.

My Tb is now 3 months old, so have a fair picture of the bike

First, I bought the bike, coz, wanted a leisure bike, something to take to the gym, and go for a spin in the evenings. For the rest of the work use an alto car. Incidentally, I still have my 100 cc CD 100 Hero Honda.

My experience with the bike has been great. It is a head turner. People ogle at it with envy all

the time.

Who should buy the bike, well for starts, people who are loaded can buy this bike. It cost me 1,04,000/- in Baroda, Gujarat. And people who are below 5’.6" can look pretty short on the bike, for it is huge monster and short people look even shorter. So it is not advisable for them.

Lets us see the pros and the cons of the bike

THE GOOD

1. A beautiful, sleek monster with power to give you an adrenalin rush

   
   




2. Disk Front brakes, to stop without burning rubber and the usual screeching involved in short braking

   
   




3. Liquid filled rear shock absorbers to give a pretty comfortable ride

   
   




4. Electronic starter, you can get this brute roaring with a click of a switch, no more, decompressing no more kicking , no more rupturing a vein.

   
   




5. Lockable unlike older bullets

   
   




6. Powerful headlights (Halogens)

   
   




7. Good Battery, no more riding with just the two tiny lights switched on to save battery

   
   




8. Good front shockers

   
   




9. Comfortable ride

   
   




10. Decent average of 35-40 kmpl

    
    




11. 5 gears unlike 4 in the old bulls

    
    

THE BAD

1. It is very costly, 1,04,000/- on Road

   
   




2. The bike lacks refinement

   
   




3. Although being 350 cc bike lacks the power in the lower gears

   
   




4. Oil leaks continously from the engine

   
   




5. Leg guard does not come as standard part of the bike, you have to buy the guard extra

   
   




6. The battery cover and side cover take forever to come off and fit back. Effectively no storage space even for your goggles or documents

   
   




7. Although it is fantastic looking bike, takes on the harley davidsons (HD) as far as the looks go, but the engine and the performance leaves a lot to be desired, this can become a global bike if it is refined further for it has history to back it up and the price in international market is peanuts as compared to HDs

   
   




8. The ride is pretty bumpy and not as comfortable for longer distances

   
   




9. The clutch is tough and can cause you blisters

   
   




10. As there is neutral gear between every gear, changing gear can be pretty tough for TB has a irritatating habit of slipping into neutral very soon.

    
    

THE UGLY

My biggest grouse against this bike is the engine developed by AVL. It lacks the trademark firing of the bullet. The sound which sounded your arrival from 2 kms away. The engine lacks the punch, the firing is muted, and it is not audible. To add to the woes the tappets and the timing chain create a ruckus like a blender full of nails.

OVERVIEW

Overall I would say, it is a beautiful looking bike but lacks the refinement. But you dont have any options in the country for a 350 cc bike.

For prospective buyers, I would advice do not get taken in by the fantastic looks of the bike, but do take a test ride, not a short spin, but do go for atleast 3-4 kms ride.

Check out the Electra 5 S, which has the traditional engine, gives you the original firing, has disk brakes, electronic start and is comparitively cheaper and has 5 gears

You should look out to get the Electra 5S modified to look like a TB. This would be the ultimate choice, for you get the best of both the worlds. I dont know why Royal Enfield does not offer TB in the older engine as well.

Hope this feedback has been useful to you.

Ciao

Parvez

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Hi to all bullet lovers,

First of all, I would like to tell you that I do not own any of the bullet till now, but I have driven most of them and its my dream to have one. About 4 months back I had a chance, but I bought a pulsar 180, coz no one in my family would allow me to have a bullet as this age(18+).and with milage of below 40.

There are lots of things which I would like to discuss. but first, as the title suggests, the myth.

The Myth

I have read many reviews and heard many of the people keep on complaining about the top speed of this monster. so let me tell you this bike has got top speed of 145+kmph.(i dont think anyone would like to cross it on indian roads with this kinda bike, if you want go for rd350 or ninjas...etc)

how ? yeh I am gonna answer that. when you are on 115+kmph on some smooth road (hard to find), just pull the choke and this monster under ur butt will change its sound a bit will carry on till 145+(i have done this upto only 145kmph speed). and keep in mind not to do such thing on speeds less than 110kmph, or the bike may stop runnig .try it and let me know.

now Looks And Power

Everyone is aware of its macho looks and sound, to me its more than great. i dont want to say anything more. But, there are many modifications available nowa days for bullet and believe me it rocks (if done correctly). I have seen some modified bullets and have stared them as long as I cud.

i believe that bullets suites everyone, even he/she is well built or not. height is not a big factor but bigger, the better. you gotta HAVE THE SKILLS NOT THE POWER TO RIDE THIS. you dont have to drag that bike around, you just have to sit and let the throttle do the talking.(bcoz this bike is much more easy to handle than others).

It is so smooth ( if maintained properly ) that you wont even notice that you are runnig 100+kmph.

i have to confess one thing that new thunderbird is not comfortable at all....

Maintenance : Most important

If you want ur bike to work fine and be reliable to you, then you have to maintain it. its maintenance is not costly but you have to be regular. (i can tell you bcoz I have seen the people starting their bullet by kicking by hand)

i think its enough for now, will tel you more, if I bought one.

bye and happy driving....

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He guys again me...

I got to cruise this bird when I was comming back from Shimla.. that was a ride to shimla from HCL organized by HCL Mavericks... all HCL folks only and we had lots of biks...

I was on my CBZ all the time except I drove this heavy machine

I have driven this machine for a log distence on NH1...

For all the folks who wanna ride fast and sporty looks I would say its very disappointing. it reaches a good speed 120+ but when you drive it you can feel a tractor under your seat... which is vibrating your ride like hell.

not smooth....

One good thing is the size of the bike and the balance if you ride straight.. you dont need to bother bout the bad road... big tyres and disk brake are great.

But drive it only if you have good height..

I dont kneo if its because of my low height but I got pain in my back after driving it conineously for one ohour without break. I hope its for guys of a good height not for like me of 5.3

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No, I am not writing this out of spite or ignorance. I owned a Bullet earlier and also a Yamaha RD 350 for a long time.

I recently - about 1 week back got into the - I want a bike - syndrome. So I was looking for a cruiser type only - thats the only one kind to my age, height and back :-)

So, went looking and got just the Thunderbird - after riding it, I thik it says more if you call it Thudderbird, and the Avenger.

Needless to say, Avenger won on all counts hands down - my requirement is city riding anyways. Imagine the plight of people trying to ride a Thudderbird on long distance...or maybe imagine the plight of people's sore backsides!

Thudderbird, as I saw it, has many unique features and a few of them are - you dont need a horn - the silencer noise is enough; you don't need a horse - the seating position gives you the same feel; you dont need a wooden bench - the seat is a chiropractor's nightmare; you dont really need speed - the engine is so ancient that it belongs in a museum. Aaaahhhhh - thats your back screaming - because of the suspension. Man, the company really needs to go back to the drawing board and redesign every little piece of that bike! The only thing they did a near decent job of is with the paint job - so kudos to that! Price - AAAAARRRGH!! 96K !!

Thank you very much! I went and bought the Avenger next day and I am smiling:-)

I can imagine the negative remarks I am going to get with this review but my only suggestion is - go test ride an Avenger. No it does not have a 350cc engine, but tell me, which road in India really lets you use that? And btw, having a 350cc prehistoric pieces of metal welded together does not a bike make.

Frankly, I am looking when India will get a real cruiser. Not sad excuses for one. So why did I buy the Avenger? It is currently the ONLY bike that comes near to being a cruiser.

Let's see what new bikes come up in this category.

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