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#1
After owning this beast for 6 months, I decided to write the ownership review of this bike. Mostly, this bike is ridden by my dad and I have only done 500kms or so on it. So here is the ownership of my bike :-
My dad was riding a Yamaha FZ-S in blue colour upto 2013. But, he got pretty bored of the bike and thus he wanted something bigger and more powerful. The options considered were :-
- Bajaj Pulsar 220
- HH Karizma ZMR 225cc
- Honda CBR 250R
- RE Classic 500
- RE Thunderbird 500
Since my dad and me are of the bulky types, we decided to go for a Royal Enfield for its look. Also the RE is mostly suited for the bulky/well built types. Now the dilemma was between :-
- RE Classic 500
- RE Thunderbird 500
I was inclined towards the Classic 500 for its classic looks. But dad wanted a modern bike as he was used to the Yamaha FZ-S. Also, I personally liked the Thunderbird's handle.
Dealership Experience :-
We booked our bike with Siddh Auto, Pune. The dealership experience was very good and luckily we hardly had to wait since there was a Thunderbird 500 already in stock. We booked a Plain Black colour. The dealer was very kind to our requests and delivered the bike at a time we wanted.
Pros of the bike
- POWER! - The beast has got lots of power and can easily touch 120 km/h on the highway
- Comfort - The comfort for the rider is too good and you can ride for a long time without complaining of back aches etc.
- Looks - The bike looks fabulous and has the right proportions and styling.
- Attention - The bike is a crowd puller and I often get questions about the bike by random people.
- Feel - This bike has a better build than the older RE bikes and it feels premium with the right accents of chrome it has.
- Reliability - I know people have issues with RE bikes. But for me, there have been no issues with the bike and the bike is running trouble free till now.
- Tyres - The MRF tyres that come with the bike are also pretty good and offer good grip.
Cons of the bike
- Low FE - Fuel Efficiency is very low being a 500cc. Also most of the running of the bike is in traffic thus reducing the efficiency.
- Weird Fuel Meter and Clock - The fuel meter keeps on changing and shows different readings so one has to check inside the tank to get an accurate idea. Also the clock doesn't set properly.
- Silencer - You won't be happy with the stock Thunderbird silencer so you have to change it.
Accesories bought :-
- A loud silencer (Don't know the name)
- LED lamps on the side (front)
Some pics ( Sorry for the bad pics since the bike wasn't washed that day and clicked using my iPhone 4S)
The RE Thunderbird Logo (prefer this anyday over the new logo)
The Keys of the bike (Keychains bought by me)
Headlights with the LED lights installed by me
The speedo and tacho meter
The odometer
Trip A Meter
Trip B Meter
RHS Switchgear
LHS Switchgear
Pass Light Switch
Accelerator and Front Brake Lever
Gears and Side Stand
Kick Start Lever and Silencer
MRF Tyres that come installed with it
Rear brakes
Rear LED Taillight
Seats (rear seat scratched by stray cats)
Front Telescopic Forks
Electronic Fuel Injection Logo
The bike
My dad was riding a Yamaha FZ-S in blue colour upto 2013. But, he got pretty bored of the bike and thus he wanted something bigger and more powerful. The options considered were :-
- Bajaj Pulsar 220
- HH Karizma ZMR 225cc
- Honda CBR 250R
- RE Classic 500
- RE Thunderbird 500
Since my dad and me are of the bulky types, we decided to go for a Royal Enfield for its look. Also the RE is mostly suited for the bulky/well built types. Now the dilemma was between :-
- RE Classic 500
- RE Thunderbird 500
I was inclined towards the Classic 500 for its classic looks. But dad wanted a modern bike as he was used to the Yamaha FZ-S. Also, I personally liked the Thunderbird's handle.
Dealership Experience :-
We booked our bike with Siddh Auto, Pune. The dealership experience was very good and luckily we hardly had to wait since there was a Thunderbird 500 already in stock. We booked a Plain Black colour. The dealer was very kind to our requests and delivered the bike at a time we wanted.
Pros of the bike
- POWER! - The beast has got lots of power and can easily touch 120 km/h on the highway
- Comfort - The comfort for the rider is too good and you can ride for a long time without complaining of back aches etc.
- Looks - The bike looks fabulous and has the right proportions and styling.
- Attention - The bike is a crowd puller and I often get questions about the bike by random people.
- Feel - This bike has a better build than the older RE bikes and it feels premium with the right accents of chrome it has.
- Reliability - I know people have issues with RE bikes. But for me, there have been no issues with the bike and the bike is running trouble free till now.
- Tyres - The MRF tyres that come with the bike are also pretty good and offer good grip.
Cons of the bike
- Low FE - Fuel Efficiency is very low being a 500cc. Also most of the running of the bike is in traffic thus reducing the efficiency.
- Weird Fuel Meter and Clock - The fuel meter keeps on changing and shows different readings so one has to check inside the tank to get an accurate idea. Also the clock doesn't set properly.
- Silencer - You won't be happy with the stock Thunderbird silencer so you have to change it.
Accesories bought :-
- A loud silencer (Don't know the name)
- LED lamps on the side (front)
Some pics ( Sorry for the bad pics since the bike wasn't washed that day and clicked using my iPhone 4S)
The RE Thunderbird Logo (prefer this anyday over the new logo)
The Keys of the bike (Keychains bought by me)
Headlights with the LED lights installed by me
The speedo and tacho meter
The odometer
Trip A Meter
Trip B Meter
RHS Switchgear
LHS Switchgear
Pass Light Switch
Accelerator and Front Brake Lever
Gears and Side Stand
Kick Start Lever and Silencer
MRF Tyres that come installed with it
Rear brakes
Rear LED Taillight
Seats (rear seat scratched by stray cats)
Front Telescopic Forks
Electronic Fuel Injection Logo
The bike
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