Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X and 500X Launched

Royal Enfield has officially launched the Thunderbird 350X and the Thunderbird 500X today. The Chennai-based manufacturer has priced the 350X at Rs 1.56 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), a bump of Rs 7000 over the Thunderbird 350. The 500X, meanwhile, has received a price tag of Rs 1.98 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), a hike of Rs 8000 over the Thunderbird 500.

Both the motorcycles are now designed to be street-friendlier versions of their siblings. They both get a shorter handlebar, LED DRLs at the front and LED taillamps at the rear. The split seat has been replaced by a single-piece saddle. In addition to this, the motorcycles now feature 9-spoke alloy wheels shod with tubeless tyres (first for any RE bike). Both the 350X and 500X feature a blacked-out theme over the exhaust muffler, fork tubes and centre panel, instead of the chrome on the standard bike. Additional accessories include engine guards, wind deflector and pillion back rest.

Mechanically, both motorcycles will continue to use their existing powertrains. The Thunderbird 350X comes equipped with the same 346cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine which makes 20PS of power and 28Nm of torque. The Thunderbird 500X, on the other hand, features the same 499cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine which delivers 27.5PS of power and 41.3Nm of torque. The transmission on both the Thunderbird models is handled by a 5-speed gearbox.

Suspension duties on the motorcycles are handled by 41mm telescopic forks at the front and twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear. Braking is taken care of by the same setup as the stock bikes: 280mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the back. However, they still miss out on ABS.

There are now a total of four colour options to choose from, namely - orange, blue, white and red. While these might not be major changes, we still expect both the models to attract a flock of customers who are looking for something more street-oriented and stylish.