2020 Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Spied With Design Changes

The motorcycle comes with an all-new engine

[Update: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Spotted Sans Camouflage, Launching Soon]

Spy shots reveal new design elements. The taillight is completely different and gets a retro-treatment.  It also misses out on the cushioned backrest which the outgoing model comes with as standard.

The 2020 Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 has been spied testing once again. This time, only a close-up shot of the rear has surfaced but it reveals quite some interesting details. For starters, the tail lamp looks a lot more retro with the circular chrome housing. Interestingly, it appears to be of bulb type unlike the outgoing model’s LED unit. Also, the indicator housing is blacked out and moved further below, along with the licence plate holder. 

The split seats’ profile appears to be different, with contrast stitching. There appears to be slightly more cushioning in the pillion unit as well. The motorcycle gets split grab rails but more importantly, the cushioned backrest is missing. We feel the design of the bike looks relatively cleaner without the backrest and it is likely that Royal Enfield might offer one as an accessory. At the rear, the bikemaker has swapped the twin gas-charged shock absorbers with conventional ones, just like how it is in the 2020 Classic 350. 

A closer look at the rider’s footpeg reveals the linkage for the gear lever. You can also make out the new blacked-out gearbox casing whose shape looks similar to the one in the recently-spied 2020 Classic 350. It is evident that the transmission is new, and the drive chain’s relocation to the left also reinforces this fact. You can read all about the new powertrain here.

Other minor changes include circular rearview mirrors (in place of the oval ones) and redesigned footpegs. We believe Royal Enfield could launch the motorcycle early next year and it is likely to be priced around Rs 1.7 lakh to Rs 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom). When launched, it will go head-to-head against the 2019 Bajaj Dominar 400.

Image Credit: Rushlane