Royal Enfield Thunderbird Variants

Get details of all Royal Enfield Thunderbird versions



It comes like a thunder fall and flies like an eagle in the sky. It has got no barriers, no competitors and the best is wandering everywhere and enjoying its sole dictatorship in the Indian roads. That is the Thunderbird, the flagship brand of Royal Enfield. It is known as the Harley Davidson of Indian soil. The Thunderbird series is specially designed for typical long drivers who wish to keep cruising all the way. Before the entrance of the Thunderbird, Indian riders didn't know what the comfort of a cruiser motorcycle. Meantime, the Indian roads were tracked by fuel efficient 100 cc bikes. Shutting down all obstacles, Royal Enfield introduced India's first fully loaded cruiser, the Thunderbird in 2002. Equipped with an AVL lean burn engine and five-speed gearbox, the motorcycle was more than fun. The bike was specially designed for Indian customers and RE never planned about exporting the machine. The Thunderbird became a huge success in India. In the same year itself the machine was rewarded the BBC Wheels Award for the best cruiser in India in 2002.

In 2009, the whole Indian motorcycle world witnessed a huge overhaul in the Thunderbird. The bike got upgraded with a new 346 cc Unit Construction Engine (UCE) and the bike was renamed to the Thunderbird Twinspark. This same UCE engine is still used in the Thunderbird 350 and in the Classic 350. The 346 cc, Single Cylinder, 4 stroke, Twinspark, Air cooled engine generates a maximum power of 19.8 bhp @ 5250 rpm and a maximum torque of 28 Nm @ 4000 rpm. The upgradation of RE to the new engine benefited the company to increase its brand value. Since the UCE engine was made under the Euro III compliant, the company commenced exporting the Thunderbird to European countries.

In 2012, Royal Enfield added the most expensive beast to their garage, the Thunderbird 500. The cruiser grabbed the “Bike4Sale Bike of the Year Award 2012”. It replaced the Classic Desert Storm 500 to become the flagship motorcycle of the company. The machine featured a lot of technologies and washed all criticizes that rooted on the cult brand, Royal Enfield. The Thunderbird launched with the same 499 cc, Single Cylinder, 4 stroke, Twinspark, Air cooled engine, that is used in Classic 500, Classic Battle Green and Classic Chrome. The engine produces gorgeous power of 27.2 bhp @ 5250 rpm and enormous torque of 41.3 Nm @ 4000 rpm. The highlight of the engine is its fuel supply, Keihin Electronic Fuel Injection, which ensures the best economical result. Moreover, the headlamp console of projector and LED light guide Halo ring, digital LCD display, split seats with a seat lock mechanism, rear disc brake, LED brake light, all black engine and 20 litre fuel tank rose the Royal Enfield brand to a next generation motorcycle manufacturer. Along with the Thunderbird 500, the Thunderbird 350 also got modified in the same platform of the Thunderbird 500. Today, the thunderbirds of India, the Thunderbird 350 and the Thunderbird 500 offer the most splendid and leisure drive on highways.