Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X

Refreshed colours, alloys and revised ergos make the Royal Enfield Thunderbird X 350 a more appealing product to the new age buyer. The bike looks spectacular from the outset. Its strong visual appeal is what steals the show for us. The color shades on offer (Whimsical White and Roving Red) make the bike look peppy and even more enticing to buy. The freshness in the bike is not only due to the new shades but due to the presence of 9-spoke black alloy wheels that have been considered by the brand for the very first time and its all-black look. Plus, there is a new short handlebar, black grab rail at the back beside the pillion seat and the new comfy single seat. The tyres are new and are tubeless too. The headlight gets LED with daytime running lights and the digi-analogue instrument cluster is blessed with dual pods for the essential readouts. The combination of powertrain, suspension assembly and braking setup is what has been carried over from its predecessor.  The Thunderbird X 350 comes with a price tag of Rs 1.56 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Royal Enfield has showered some of the best design cues from its creative envelope to the new Thunderbird X 350. The style of the bike is pleasing at the first sight. It looks a lot bolder than earlier and compact too- bold due to the all-black look and compact due to the single-seat unit, shorter handlebar and uncluttered tail end. All the components, starting from headlamp, engine, exhaust, rear grab rail, spokes on the alloy wheels, mudguards, seat and the tail section are blacked-out which grants it a fairly powerful look. However, few bits get the chrome treatment too, including its dual pods on the instrument panel, headlight cowl and the bar ends. The instrument console is equipped with two pods adjacent to one another for speedometer and tachometer.  There is small digital display on the left pod for odometer and trip meter readings. The body-coloured pinstripe can be seen on the 9-spoke black alloy wheels that make the bike fancier. The laid-back stance, improved riding position and vibrant colour scheme make it up for all your sorted commutes.

Dimensionally, the Thunderbird X 350 measures 2040mm long, 1140 high and 830mm wide. The ground clearance of the bike sits at 135mm and the wheelbase at 1350mm. It comes with a fuel tank capacity of 20-litres which is quite generous considering your weekend getaways and long rides.

Under the flesh, the new Thunderbird X 350 gets the same 346cc power mill as its predecessor. The engine is air-cooled, single cylinder, twin-spark unit with a constant vacuum carburettor.  The power and torque figures go as- 19.8bhp at 5,250rpm and 28Nm at 4,000rpm respectively. The power mill is coupled to a 5-speed transmission system and it is likely to yield a fuel economy of around 40Kmpl. 

The braking duties on the new 350X are tackled by 280mm and 240mm ventilated discs at the front and back respectively. ABS remains absent though. The front wheel gets a diameter of 19 inches and is shod with 90/90- R19 section tubeless tyre while the rear 18-inch wheel is wrapped by the 120/80- R18 section tubeless tyre, similar to its elder sibling Thunderbird X 500. The bike is built on the single down tube frame and rides on the front telescopic forks of 41mm with 130mm travel suspension and twin gas-charged rear shocks with 5-step adjustable preload with 80mm travel suspension. Riding this bike on urban roads would be fun, thanks to its shortened handlebar, kicked out foot pegs and tubeless tyres. 

Providing the rider with much-required confidence on road are safety features like front and rear disc brakes, a big headlamp, which now comes with LED and DRLs that enhance visibility and makes it easier for the rider to travel at night and the tubeless tyres that not only grant stability and grip but an extended range in case of a puncture.