2012 Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 Review plus some more Details inside.

Royal Enfield’s solitary launch for 2012 will be the Thunderbird 500, a motorcycle that wowed show goers at the Indian Auto Expo by literally being the showstopper at the Royal Enfield pavilion.

The Thunderbird 500 has been perhaps one of the most anticipated offering from the Royal Enfield stable considering that the Thunderbird 350 has been doing yeoman service for the last ten years. The Thunderbird has built for itself a reputation of being a comfortable touring motorcycle and is often the first choice amongst the Royal Enfield models for touring enthusiasts. The Thunderbird has earned itself the reputation of a capable highway tourer and established itself firmly in the cruiser market. The Thunderbird broke away from the mould of Royal Enfield’s traditional motorcycles and redefined a new lineup. In that direction, the new Thunderbird has come as fresh motorcycle.

Royal Enfield is nothing short of a phenomenon in countries where it’s standing out since the past many generations that have passed. Thunderbird is undoubtedly the most stylish and performance oriented addition to the lineup. The bike is the attractive mix of both retro as well as modern concepts in styling and technology both. The bike falls under the cruiser segment and this time the rider could be sure of more comfortable ergonomics and refiner power coming after that throttle roll.


Design & Styling :

The ‘black’ engine is one of the first styling elements that catch your attention the moment you see the motorcycle. The seat has been completely redesigned to suit the new foot pegs position. The handle bar too has received changes for better reach and ergonomics. The seat now opens using a lock mechanism, accessible through the side panel.

The instrumentation also includes two digital trip meters, allowing riders to keep a track of total trip mileage as well as intermediate mileage between tankfuls. The speed and engine rpm are shown via tastefully designed analogue clocks, housed in all new twin pods at the front.

Engine and Transmission :

The engine is 499 cc 4 stroke, single cylinder version that could make a 27.2 bhp power output through an electronic fuel injection system and delivers a prodigious peak torque of 41.3 Nm torque in the chamber. The bike is said to be featured with Classic’s 500cc UCE engine with EFI. The engine is mated to a five speed gearbox and uses maintenance free hydraulic tappets.

What's new in the Thunderbird 500 ?

The bike comes up with features like digital twin pod LCD console to make tracking speeds smoother in the night and low light conditions.
The saddle height has been reduced to enhance the stability and overall comfort during those long trails with no one else but you under the sun. The front wheel is a 19” spoke rim which has the sturdy grip of 41mm forks to hold them to their place.
The headlight has also got a projection type headlamp of 55/55 W H7 Bulb that could illuminate the roads much brighter than you could imagine. The rear wheel has also been given a 240 mm Disc brake to help it reach a halt in time.

Top Speed
The Thunderbird 500cc could get a maximum of 130 km/h on the road.


Dimensions
The length of the bike is 2120.00 mm, width is 750.00 mm and the height 1080.00 mm.

Shades Available
The color of the bike is only going to be in contours of black like Midnight, Matte and Arctic Winter Black.


Price and availability
Actual sales of the vehicle may begin only near mid 2012. It comes with a price tag ranging between Rs 1,40,000 to 1,90,000  for the Indian buyers.

RE Thunderbird 500 high points at a Glance :

• Matte black finished engine
• Seat has been completely redesigned to suit the new foot pegs position.
• Separately mounted pillion seat can be removed to accommodate luggage.
• Bungee hooks are provided to strap up that extra luggage during those long rides.
• The most noticeable is the tail lamp which is LED, unlike the earlier round shaped tail lamp. We found this to be a little out of sync with the design of the bike.
• The trip meter is now digital and a projector lamp is provided for low beam along with a halogen lamp for high beam.
• Rear Disc Brake

With increasing demand from several locations across the country, Royal Enfield has also embarked on widening its reach and improving after sales services . In addition to production and dealer ramp up, the company is also charting to launch its Thunderbird 500 motorcycle, which was showcased at the Auto Expo, in May or June. With this, it hopes to strengthen the brand position further in leisure motorcycling in the country.

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Royal Enfield plans launches, capacity ramp up

After a record sales year in 2011, iconic Bullet manufacturer Royal Enfield Motors intends to ramp up its production capacity further due to strong order book amid long waiting periods. The company also has a strong pipeline of new launches that it plans to roll out beginning second quarter of the present calendar year.

The company, part of Eicher Motors, recorded a volume growth of 42 per cent at 74,626 units in 2011 and also achieved its target of monthly production and sales of 7,000 bikes by the end of calendar year 2011. With demand continuing to outpace supply with waiting periods of over six months, the company intends to ramp up the production capacity to over 8,500 units a month by the end of 2012. “Our intent is to grow well above 90,000 units in the present calendar year,” Venki Padmanabhan, CEO, Royal Enfield Motors told Financial Chronicle.

With increasing demand from several locations across the country, Royal Enfield has also embarked on widening its reach and improving after sales services. “We have added new dealers in poorly represented markets as most of our customers have to drive over 100 kms for good service support. Last year, we crossed over 200 dealers across India. All the new dealers are investing heavily in sales and service infrastructure (service bays), and we have set up two repair technician training facilities in Chennai and Chandigarh for equipping the dealer’s staff in servicing the new Bullets sporting our new engine platform (unit construction engine) besides older iron barrel motorcycles. We have also increased our spare parts supply to the market considerably, he said.

In addition to production and dealer ramp up, the company is also charting new launches beginning middle of this year. It will launch its Thunderbird 500 motorcycle, which was showcased at the Auto Expo, in May or June. With this, it hopes to strengthen the brand position further in leisure motorcycling in the country. The next launch is that of the Cafe Racer and is expected during the first quarter of next year. “In our opinion the reintroduction of a classic racer is a new segment in India and response of its preview at the Auto Show was overwhelming,” said Padmanabhan.

“Exports will be a key focus area with significant ramp up visible from 2014-15 onwards and their contribution is expected to grow over 10 per cent from the present six per cent.
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Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 to be launched in the first half of 2012 !

Royal Enfield, which is known for its masculinity, is said  to be working on the release of 500cc Thunderbird . Royal Enfield’s solitary launch for 2012 will be the Thunderbird 500, a motorcycle that wowed show goers at the Indian Auto Expo by literally being the showstopper at the Royal Enfield pavilion.

The Thunderbird 500 has been perhaps one of the most anticipated offering from the Royal Enfield stable considering that the Thunderbird 350 has been doing yeoman service for the last ten years. The Thunderbird has built for itself a reputation of being a comfortable touring motorcycle and is often the first choice amongst the Royal Enfield models for touring enthusiasts. The Thunderbird has earned itself the reputation of a capable highway tourer and established itself firmly in the cruiser market. The Thunderbird broke away from the mould of Royal Enfield’s traditional motorcycles and redefined a new lineup. In that direction, the new Thunderbird has come as fresh motorcycle.



Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500cc Price in India:

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500cc is expected to be priced around Rs 1.6 – 1.9 lakh.

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500cc is expected to be released  in the first half of 2012. Though there are no official confirmations from the company, it is believed that the price and launch date will be the same as mentioned.

With bullet lovers increasing gradually for its style and engine, the new Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500cc is expected to get a warm welcome among the bike lovers.  The bike is said to be featured with Classic’s 500cc UCE engine with EFI.The fuel injected, twin spark 500cc unit construction engine produces a peak power of 27.2 Bhp and delivers a prodigious peak torque of 41.3 Nm. The engine is mated to a five speed gearbox and uses maintenance free hydraulic tappets.


Fast Facts About Thunderbird 500 :

- It now comes loaded with a 500cc Unit Construction Engine (UCE).


- Night time visibility has been the biggest challenge faced by most motorcyclists while cruising on the high hence the new headlight with a 55w projector lamp for its low beam and a 55W halogen bulb for the high  beam addresses that issue. The lighting is at its brightest with the high beam on, working in combination with the projector lamp giving ample spread and penetration on the road.


- The ergonomics are now oriented to the cruiser character of the motorcycle. The seat has been completely redesigned to suit the new foot pegs position. The handle bar too has received changes for better reach and ergonomics.


- Stopping power has been aided with the addition of a disc brake at the rear. The braking system is supplied by Bybre, a fully owned subsidiary of Brembo.

For latest news and previews about Royal Enfield Click Here

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Royal Enfield's long waiting periods to get shorter in 2012.

Royal Enfield fans smitten by the very retro looking Classic 500, often are having to stare at waiting periods running up to ten months. Frustrated, many of these potential customers even junk their plans of buying the Royal Enfield Classic 350/500 because of this inordinately long waiting period.

Royal Enfield has, for long been a niche player in the motorcycle market and was thence totally under prepared to deal with the huge demand that played out with the launch of it’s latest range of reliable and fuel efficient UCE engined, retro motorcycle models.Finally things seem to be moving at Royal Enfield, with the firm now planning to up production to 100,000 units a year in 2012.

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Royal Enfield’s Stall at the Auto Expo 2012

Royal Enfield takes the crown of one of the most exciting two wheelers launches at the Auto Expo 2012. The Thunderbird 500 is definitely an enthusiast’s delight from the very angle you look at it. Situated at not one of the very best of places, it seemed made out of a little haste.

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Royal Enfield unveils Thunderbird 500 at the 11th Auto Expo

Motorcycle maker Royal Enfield today unveiled its 500cc bike Thunderbird 500, which will hit the Indian roads later in the year.

"After 10 years of launching the Thunderbird, we have completely redesigned the model, especially for the urban and the long distance travellers," Eicher Motors MD and CEO Siddhartha Lal told reporters here.

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