dream come true bike...royal Enfield Thunderbird

dream come true bike...royal Enfield Thunderbird

Style- It's a true blue cruiser. LED tail lamp and projector headlamp set you apart from crowd. The instrumentation cluster looks very good with its blue backlight and is very informative. Overall road presence is awesomeCool.
Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox
Engine Feels a bit underpowered while cruising and overtaking. Otherwise for city rides its very good. Most suited for cruising @80-90kmph above that it feels a bit strained. Most comfortable between 2000-3500RPM. It has a red line at 5500RPM so 3000RPM means 80-85kmph in 5th gearWink. No overheating issues.
Fuel Economy RE says anywhere between 22-42kmpl. I get 44kmpl in the city and 47 on highway.
Gearbox Clunky. Hits false nuetral sometimes.
Ride Quality & Handling
Ride Quality Ride quality is exceptionally good for the rider thanks to exceptionally good ergonomics. Seats uses a generous amount of foam for long ride comfort. Although the same cannot be said for pillion rider as pillion seat is tiny.
Handling Well cruisers and handling do not go together but I think while designing new Thunderbird designers at RE had handling as top priority. It leans into corners very comfortably and will inspire confidence in riders. City ride is also easy but in heavy traffic maneuvering this bike is difficult due to its heavy weight.
Final Words If a cruiser is what you are looking for then Thunderbird is the best option available in the price range of below 2lacs.
Areas of improvement
1. The brakes could do with a bit more bite.
2. Vibes extremely high above 4000RPM.
3. Gearbox refinement and shift feel.
4. The Fuel gauge has a mind of its own.