Team-BHP - Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 Twinspark Ownership Report

The buying decision:

I have been riding two wheelers for close to quarter of a century now. I started with a TVS 50 XT asmy first two- wheeler and have owned a Jawa, a Yezdi and a Yamaha YBX 125 that I purchased in October 1998.
However, over the last 12-13 years my bike usage has fallen as I have been using cars as my primary means of transport. The odo on my YBX reads just 55.7 K Km after 14 years.

While I have been driving cars, it does not mean that I have outgrown bikes. I still ride my Yamaha, though only on weekends. However, I do not get the same pleasure in riding bikes as I did when I was younger and one reason was that the small commuter bikes lack character and did not hold any attraction to me ( to me they appeared more suitable for the ahem "Boy Racers". Though some new bigger bikes have been launched in the Indian market, in the last few years, none has held any attraction for me. Well, almost none, with the sole exception of the legendry Harley Davison.

The launch of the HD's in India a couple of years back rekindled my interest in bikes. It got me thinking and then planning. I resolved that I will gift myself a HD when I turned 40 in 2104 ( the cheapest one, the Superlow, costs 6 peti + and I would really need to be ready with the money. It would also need convincing my wife, as in her opinion there are a lot of ways that money can be spent more productively. It would appear to be an extravagance I can ill afford as a salaried employee. Moreover, my SX 4 would need to be replaced in about a year and I did not want to spend a significant part of my salary on Vehicle EMI's.

All this while I kept hearing opinions about HD's not being suitable for use in Indian conditions, and that they are best ridden on billiard table smooth tarmac sans the omnipresent speed-breakers as their low ground clearance makes them susceptible to scraping the bottom and the aah! so shiny exhausts!!.

In the meanwhile Royal Enfield was not sitting idle. They had been regaining the popularity of the yesteryears by continuously improving the charismatic RE Bullet and launching new variants.

I have always liked RE's, but there have been some sore points that have held me back from buying one of these. These are:

1) High maintenance due to poor build quality 2) Low reliability 3) Poor Brakes and electricals 4) Not very suitable for everyday commuting and 5) High prices.

Last year I changed my job. My new job required me to travel extensively. During my frequent trips I caught up with some college time friends some of whom are active RE riders. I saw their bikes, and liked what I saw.
I finally decided that rather than waiting for 2 more years for a HD, I will go in for a RE now ( I am not getting any younger). In end September, beginning October I read some previews about the impending launch of TBTS 500 and it was all the encouragement I needed to visit a RE dealership. The TBTS 500 was launched on October 11, 2012 and I landed at a RE dealership in Delhi's Patparganj Industrial Estate on October 13.
There were a number of RE models on display. I initially decided to go in for the RE Classic 500. However, there were the TBTS 350 and 500 on display as well. The owner of the dealership Mr. Babbar encouraged me to take a few test rides. I tried the TBTS 350, the TBTS 500, the Classic 500 and decided to book the Classic 500. The classic looks of the Classic 500 enticed me. However, Mr. Babbar recommended the TBTS. I kept vacillating, the retro original vs the new kid on the block. It was a tough decision. However, three things settled it in favour of the TBTS.

1) Lower saddle height. I am short and the TBTS felt more comfortable than the Classic.

2) Better brakes. The TBTS has a disc brakes ( front and rear)

3) Better instrumentation and electricals. The only thing I did not like was the new exhaust which looked out of character with the bike. But I was assured by Mr. Babbar that it is something that can be easily replaced later.

The second confusion was whether to go in for a 350 or a 500. There is a significant price difference between the two variants and the 350 can do most of what a 500 can. To help make the decision, I called up my friend Ajay. Ajay is a friend from college and he owns a RE 350 and a newer RE 500. He told me that in case I harbored any plans of touring, the 500 will be a better bet . RE owners oftnr go on road trips together and on occasions like these the 350 would be hard pressed to keep up with the 500's which due to higher power and torque make better touring machines. Moreover, owning a RE is all about passion and feeling good. Having the 500, (unlike the 350) would never make you think that you have compromised and could have gone for something better.

So the decision was made to go for the RE flagship (the Classic owners and lovers would dispute it) and I booked my bike by swiping my card for a booking amount of Rs. 5000. The long waiting period for the Classic 500 was also a factor that aided my decision. I wanted my bike early so that I could ride it for some time before the winters really set in. Moreover, my birthday falls in mid- November (Diwali was also in Nov). I was told by Mr. Babbar that he would try to deliver by first week of November.

Now began the wait. I was in touch with the dealership on a regular basis. Around October 28, I got a call from the dealership that I could expect the bike in the first week of November and could expect the delivery by November 3. On October, I was Informed that the truck that was carrying the bikes had met with an accident and it would take some more time. On 3rd November I was informed that the truck was expected in the next 2-3 days and in case I wanted to take the delivery of the bike, I should make the payment. I made the payment on Sunday November 4, and was told that I could expect to get the bike on Nov 9. Since my office is near the airport, and I did not want to take the day off, the delivery date was fixed for November 11, which coincided with Dhanteras. ( a very auspicious day to buy vehicles/jewelry/property)

The delivery process:

As fixed with the dealership earlier, I reached the dealership around 1:15 P.M. I had been informed that it would take around 45 minutes for the delivery process. However, due to the large number of deliveries and the lackadaisical attitude of the staff, I finally got the bike at 4:40 P.M. I also bought a suitable helmet and a side bag in addition to the antirust treatment and the Teflon polish. When I saw the way the anti- rust treatment and Teflon treatment was done, I was most disappointed. I would advise any other buyers to give it a miss. They can have it done outside in a much more professional manner and would cost a lot less as well. I was hardly given any instructions on the bike except for the fact that I should not attempt to start the bike if the malfunction icon is on. It has been a while since I took a two wheeler delivery but even TATA Motors does a better Job with Nano delivery. This was for a bike which cost close to Rs 2 lakh. REML can do well to look at training the dealership staff better with a key emphasis on attitude. During my internship during my MBA program I have worked at a TVS Motors dealership for a few months in Pune. Even a TVS 50 or a Scooty Customer got better treatment. I would rate the dealership and the delivery process 4/10.

The initial usage report:

I sat on the saddle and thumbed the starter and the engine roared into life and settled into a lazy idle. I rode to a nearby petrol bunk and got the bike fuelled. Since this bike is based on relatively old design the bike needs to be run in for 2000 Km. In the first 500 Km the speed is restricted to under 50 KPH. The next day was the day before Diwali and we had a Pooja at the office. Since I was keen to complete the running in of the bike at the earliest, I rode it to my office at the Airport ( a distance of 32 Km).

The clutch is not very heavy and the gears mesh reasonably well. The instrument gauges have two trip meters, a clock, 2 average speed indicators, side stand indicator, a graphical fuel gauge and hazard warning lamps . The Speedo is calibrated in both KPH and MPH and is marked till 200 KPH. The Tacho is marked till 8000 RPM and redlined at 5500 RPM. There is an engine kill switch near the RHS handle-grip, the choke lever (which has to be kept pressed when used) is on the LHS handle-grip , as is the flash to pass switch.

In the morning I warm up the bike for around 2 minutes before riding off. The first thing that you feel is the width of the petrol tank. The Thunderbird has a 20 L tank that is pretty wide and you sit with your legs wide apart and it took me a couple of days to come to terms with it. A slight blip of the throttle, the bike pulls like a locomotive. The low end torque is really great. The bike rides well at 40-50 KPH in the fourth gear.

However, the new engine is not really comfortable in the fifth gears at speeds lower than 50. I frequently found myself shifting to 4th at speeds less than 45 KPH and on the slightest inclines. (There are a number of over-bridges on the Outer and Inner Ring Roads in Delhi).

The bike is relatively easy to handle in traffic although it never lets you forget that you are astride a 200 Kg heavy machine. Keep this in mind and you will have no trouble. To completer the running in fast, I have taken the bike my office on 4-5 occasions. The only problem I have faced is the almost non existant rear braking. This I put down to poor PDI .

The Big Thumper went in for its first service on Dec 1 with the odo reading 457 KM. The rear brake issue has been sorted out and the bike is a lot smoother after the oil and filter change. The first service cost me Rs 770 ( 2.5 litres of Motul oil and an oil filter). The mileage I have got so far is approx. 30 KPL which is reasonably good.

With the first service behind me, I can now take it till 90 KPH. I will update the thread in a few days time and also add some photographs.