[Hamza123]

A small Prequel

Harley Davidson !
Nope not the wrong name! I know the thread is about my Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500. But the love for cruisers began when I as a kid saw Terminator 2 for the first time. All the mambo jambo about the robots from the future and a robot looking like a human was a bit too much for my pea size brain to process but I distinctly remember the man with a strange way of talking riding a bike that looked like nothing else. Raw , muscular and brawny it was love at first site. Posters , post cards and multiple visits to the school library made me realise that this was the legendary Fatboy that I so wanted to and hopefully one day I will owe.
Bajaj then, in association with Kawasaki launched the low and swoopy Eliminator and it was again love at first site. It was no Fatboy but the design and that oh so sexy purple colour was to die for. But for a 16 year old kid to convince his parents to fork up 1 lac was a bit too much and I settled for a Kinetic Honda as my first bike. But the seed for cruisers was sown and a couple of years later I did go on to buy the Avenger and still owe it




9 years old,75000 kms and still looks like the day it rolled out of the showroom!

The hunt begins and the options test rode

So by the middle of last year, I finally started feeling the need to retire the Avenger. While it was running ok, it did start facing multiple issues, an oil leak which the company could not fix, and an engine that could not keep up with my daily running of 60 to 80kms and that too with a pillion and luggage at times. Needed something with a bit more power and a bit more grunt. Also since I was upgrading after nearly 9 years I wanted to upgrade substantially. Also, this was going to be my pure commuter city bike with an occasional highway run. I have a Ninja 650 already for touring and weekend riding. (A separate ownership review will come up short of that)

So ruled out all the 200 and 250cc and I anyways did not like anything special.
Test rode the Jawa and I looked like a circus bear on a cycle! Test rode the Benelli Imperiale and pretty much hated it.

Test rode the Dominar. While it was a good bike and the UG version was really good, I just could not connect with it. I considered it till the very end but then decided i still would want a cruiser retro-styled bike.
That bought me to the Enfield showroom...
These days most people when they talk Enfield they usually always talk either about the Interceptor or the GT. Took a test ride of the Interceptor a couple of times and it was a gem of a bike. The engine is in a class of its own, the rumble, the lovely exhaust sound everything made me very very tempted. But as most people have complained the seating position is not exactly comfortable. The footpegs are rear set and that makes the stretch to the bars a long way. Also every time I would brake in traffic, there would be some amount of pressure on the wrists and elbows. Also for the pillion, it was highly uncomfortable. The seating was the deal breaker for me and with a heavy heart, I let it go. Had I not had a ninja 650 for touring I would have bought the Interceptor hands down. But as a second bike to use for commuting it made it a bit of an overkill. Hence enter the Thunderbird.....
I have always been a Thunderbird fan since the day it was launched. The mini-ape handlebars, the large 20-liter tank, the imposing stance the sofa like seat, all the things that I was looking for. Add to that the lovely lazy characteristics of that long stroke UCE motor, made we want it even more. Reports started doing the rounds of the 500 line being discontinued. So I thought now or never. The wife was still trying to convince me to get the Interceptor, but I was firmly sold on the Thunderbird. Also 2 years down the line I could buy an Interceptor but may not be able to buy a Thunderbird So mind firmly made up that it was going to be the Thunderbird

Going down the pre-owned road
While deciding to upgrade and now decided what bike I wanted, I was really beginning to wonder if I should spend all that money towards a brand new Thunderbird. While i was going to retain the Avenger for sure as I was very emotionally connected with it and it was the first bike I bought with my hard-earned money, I thought maybe if i could save up some money and buy a pre owned one. After all i still have to buy the Harley and every rupee saved is every rupee added to the Harley fund. Also my two previous purchases were pre owned, my Honda City and the Ninja 650 and i was hoping to get third time lucky with the Thunderbird. Started hunting on olx and some other websites. Also proved that what you see is not necessary what you get..

Option 1
A blue 2015 Thunderbird with 6000 kms on the clock. Asking price 1,00,000.
However the owner was a real arrogant fellow. Refused to give me the bike till the RC was on my name,but wanted full payment upfront. Walked away.

Option 2
A lovely black 2016 Thunderbird in pristine condition with 11000kms run. The guy was a genuine biker and he had really taken good care of it. Even after looking hard i could not find a single scratch on it! Was asking 1,10,000 for it and i decided not to negotiate as i was really happy with the bike.After reaching home and speaking with the family, we decided to go ahead. I called him to ask him for his account details so i could forward some advance to him and we could get the process going. Thats when he told me his family is against him selling the bike so early and he cant sell it now. Was so frustrated.

Option 3
My wife said this is the last one we seeing else we will take a different approach to this. this was a 2018 black Thunderbird but was in mumbai. As fate would have it after speaking to the guy i had some work in mumbai the very next day. I confirmed with the guy that there is no rust,scratches etc and only then would i come to see it.He said it was scratchless. He could not have been more wrong or was blind! The entire silencer was rusted, had dents and scratches all over, and i made up my mind within 30 seconds of seeing the bike that this was not for me.
Strike 3 and we were done seeing pre owned!

[Hamza123]

The Booking Experience
After the Mumbai bike we drove back pretty quickly to Pune and were in town by late afternoon. With nothing to do or planned for the rest of the evening my wife,fed up of the pre owned drama, suggested that we drive straight to the showroom and book a new one on the way home. She said at most of us guys want to hear, "We live once might do whatever we want"

Walked into Plattinum Auto at Fatema Nagar, Pune and they had a shiny new Thunderbird in stock. When I asked the salesman he said sorry this bike has been allocated and we can’t promise you if we can arrange another one or not. He tried hard to sell me a 350 he had which I refused. Had planned to drop the purchase all together and wait for the Bs6 upgrades to happen. Left the showroom a bit disappointed , with the salesman asking me to come back the next day and speak to the manager who was on leave that particular day.
The next day I walked into the showroom and spoke to the manager. He had a confused look on his face and said “sir this bike is available if you make the payment today we can deliver it immediately to u !!” I was like I was here yesterday and was told it’s not available. Also alarm bells went off thinking there is something wrong with this one. Had a proper and major check on it and found nothing to be out of place. The bike was a October 2019 manufactured as per the Vin, had 2.8 kms on the odo and looked perfectly ok. With me trusting my heart instead of my head, decided to take the plunge.
Finally mine!!

Went back the next day and once again closely inspected the bike. Nothing seemed out of order. Paid the full amount via credit card and all the paper work completed. I asked them to keep everything in order as I would be coming with my little nephew for delivery and he would have turned the whole showroom upside down if he got bored

The Delivery
Finally d day arrived and we reached the showroom and the bike was washed and ready and was in the delivery area. Delivery was the standard affair with the big key given, some sweets and customary pictures taken. My nephew and wife jointly started the bike for the first time and he was thrilled.And wife relieved that till the Harley comes the torture is over



But you can trust Enfield to screw up something!
There was no air in the front tyre as I rolled out. The manager and the service guys ran here and there but could not locate an inflator. But was determined to not let anything ruin the day.Finally there was a tyre guy just outside the showroom so topped up the air and off we went.
Reached home and showed the black beauty to the family and they were thrilled. Took everyone out for dinner as is the custom in our family.

A note about Royal Enfield Sales
To be honest this was not my first attempt to buy a Royal Enfield. I was all set to buy The Desert Storm when it was initially released and I was smitten by its looks. However when I went to book one, the guy on the counter was least interested. He was more interested in playing the video game on his mobile than make a sale! However that was 5-6 years back and competition has finally caught up. Not only have they improved they have surpassed my expectations! Showroom was done up like a studio, the manager and staff were courteous and kind,follow ups were regular, and the paper work and delivery was smooth. Sure they have to iron out some rough edges but still they are much better than what they were initially.

The Small, but Significant Details.
Alternatives considered
The Interceptor, Dominar and The Thunderbird were the final three.
The Interceptor was rued out mainly because of the stock seat setting. I feel the Interceptor is a roadster and more suited as an alternative to the Classic. A gem of a motorcycle though.

Dominar my wife was firmly against it and I too could not connect with it. a very nice VFM though and for the price is an excellent proposition. Lack of colours was another bummer and all my dad said was 2 green bikes (referring to my Ninja 650 as the other)

On-road price & discounts -
Overall, I paid around 2.53 lacs. Additional 3000 for 2 years extended warranty.

Extended Warranties & Service Packages -
2 plus 2 years extended warranty. No Amc pack was offered and I probably would have not opted for it either. Warranty is 20000kms or 2 years whichever is earlier. Further 2 year warranty on body parts and other engine components.

Variant opted for -
Only single Variant with a single colour option was available. As the model was reaching the end of production.

Usage pattern -
My usage pattern as of now is mainly to work and back and a visit to my clients. Its a mixture of some traffic,some open roads and some long runs across town. Usually between 40 to 80 kms a day. Sometime I do have my staff or my wife as pillion and its not made any difference in the pulling power of this beast.

[Hamza123]

Got busy the next few days with work and since I did not have the registration number I did not ride the bike much. Was shopping around for accessories and finally came across a few that I really liked.

Leg Guard
First to the Enfield showroom to get the leg guard fixed. Opted for the simple one rather than the gate type one which I think takes away from the overall look of the bike. Also opted for the black powder coated one since its almost invisible. Costed 2300/- and no fitting charges. This would be essential if the bike ever tips over the guard would take most of the damage saving the bike.


3m Ppf Coating
And then to the 3m showroom to get it washed properly, waxed and polished , and the ppf flim put. Have got it done on my Ninja and it has held up really well . The flim needs to be trimmed around the edges once after 15 days of application and then once again after 2 3 months. The application can be a whole day or even a day and a half. Also the flim hates curves! So more curvy the bike is the more hard work it is and the more cuts that are needed. As per 3m the flim lasts for 2 to 3 years after which it may need to be redone. A lot of factors depend on it like if the bike is parked in open or close ,expose to sun rain etc.





The final result


A part of buying any Enfield, (or Harley for that matter ) is the amount of customisation you can do with them and the amount of accessories available in the aftermarket space. Of course too much of everything can lead to it looking cheesy rather than classy. I had decided to stick with changing only few asthetic changes for now. Loud silencers horns and disco lights were a definite no no.

Seats
One thing that I always liked on cruisers were having old vintage seats. After doing some research online I connected with Sahara Seats from Hyderabad. Had seen some of their work with some moto loggers on YouTube and I was pretty impressed with their work. After connecting with them on WhatsApp the pain staking process begun. These guys are really professional and incorporated every little detail I asked them to. They made at least 3 full samples to show me before making one for me! I honestly have not seen anyone go through so much trouble to satisfy a client. Highly recommended for anyone looking for customized seats. The quality is really good and gives a sense of pure leather even though it is PU leather for being waterproof. Super happy with these!




Windsheild
Here is another place that Enfield could improve. Keep Accessories in stock. I always like windshields on my bikes, not only do they aesthetically look good, during the monsoons they help protect my jacket and helmet from the muck flying off splendors and activas and all the others who don't have mudflaps. I had requested the showroom to install the windshield at the time of delivery itself but they did not have it in stock. they tried hard to sell me the Interceptor and Himalayan windshields but neither looked good on the big and bulky Thunderbird. Infact they refused to acknowledge that there was something that was made especially for the Thunderbird till I opened the website and showed them!
Anyways looked at some options online and could not find any. Luckily a newly opened showroom in Pune had one and I immediately picked it up. The windshield comes in 3 parts, The glass, the logo kit and the fitment kit. If either is spoilt and needs replacement can be bought individually rather than buying the whole kit. It was a pricey 6500/- for the entire set but with no options available I went in for it. Fitment was pretty straight forward.



Finally after everything fit and ready to roll



Hand Grips

In some of my pictures, you will see the bike sporting a brown colour grip cover. Those were from Trip Machine. Made of pure leather and required a bit of planning to fix. Unfortunately i dont think they are really suitable for our Indian weather. Also Trip Machine recommends them to keep them as dry as possible. Again a hard thing to do.
Finally after a month I installed Grip Puppies. I have had them on my Ninja for almost a year now and finally got them on the Enfield. They have made a world of a difference especially to dampen the vibrations and overall the comfort level has gone way up! Highly recommended


Trip Machine Handgrips


Grip Puppy Handgrips


After spending a month with the bike in which I covered close to 700kms here are some of my observations

Pros

Looks
Come on how can you not love the looks of a classic retro! The smooth lines scooped out seat, bulky fuel tank,ape handlebars, round headlamp, they all drip in nostalgia. There is an almost romantic emotion attached with cruisers and retro bikes






Engine and gearbox

Butter smooth engine and gearbox. Yup pretty surprised at that.
The rumble from the big engine and the muted growling exhaust is truely addictive. Although I feel the engine will take a bit of time to open up further.Feels a bit hesitant lower down, but once upto cruising speed its amazing. This is not an engine to redline and to set zero to 100 timings on for sure. It needs a bit of maturity and understanding on the riders part and to hit the sweet spots of the rev band.


is it me or it looks like a heart from certain angles


Overall fit and finish
Ya surprised this being a pro instead of a con in an Enfield thread. But I feel the effect of the twins has trickled down to the other Enfield models as well. Sure there is always scope for improvement but then its much better than before. Everything works as it should, nothing broken or fallen off yet. Hope it stays that way.


Exhaust Note
Love the throaty muted exhaust note. Sure its not as thumpy as the older enfields but there is a satisfying growl that emits from the exhaust when you twist the throttle. Its very very addictive


Cons
Brakes

Even with the addition of abs the brakes are not confidence aspiring. Maybe they need a bit more time to bed in but braking requires a bit more planning than on my other bikes.




Lights

The throw from the projector is good, but could have been better. May switch to a better bulb in the future

Lights off


Lights on


Missing Features

The double horn setup and the hazard light has gone missing from the list of features. As per the service center the hazard light caused a lot of problems in the meter console.


Vibrations.
Let’s get this straight. An Enfield will vibrate. Even the twins do to some extent. But honestly the way people describe it it’s a bit exaggerated. Sure if you come from a Honda or Kawasaki you will feel them. But they are not a deal breaker.



Fuel Gauge
Has a mind of its own.Sometimes no matter how much fuel i fill it will always show a bar less.Sometimes after riding the bike for a while the bars will increase/decrease on their own. To be fair though most digital fuel gauges are inaccurate. Have reported the problem to Enfield and they have promised action at the earliest.


Mirrors
Pretty useless after 60kmph due to the vibrations. Have been planning on getting the touring mirrors from the Interceptor installed although they are a pricey 4000!




Some other things to keep in mind.
- If you are a first time Royal Enfield buyer like me, remember it will take some time for you to understand the bike.Ride it as much as possible to get the hang of it. Dont panic if something goes wrong. It can happen to any motorcycle.
-The vibrations and gearshifts will smoothen out after the first service,and as the kilometers climb. This is not your usual average 150cc engine.
-Please please look elsewhere if redlining and riding fast,or chasing your KTM and Dominar buddies is your thing.You will be sorely disappointed if you have bought this bike for that. Dont be disheartened if a Pulsar zooms past you. This one is meant for relaxed cruising.

-Test ride bikes at different showrooms.Multiple times. At least in Pune,various showrooms had various bikes with various degrees of abuse.
-The Thunderbird is the tallest bike in the Enfield lineup after the Himalayan. Am 5 foot 8 and i can flat foot the bike on one leg.Being a broad bike i cant flat foot both my feet.Although its not much of a problem.
-Dont fit every accessory available for your Enfield. Some may void warranty and some may spoil a perfectly good looking bike and harm the engine. Cheap after market exhausts are a big reason why Enfields have earned a poor reputation in my opinion. Thankfully they illegal now.




Replacements and Warranty
Royal Enfield have provided 2 years or 20000kms, which ever comes first, warranty on all the models except the Twins. This is up from the 1 year or 10000kms warranty provided earlier.
A couple of claims had to be made


Fuel Tank
The first time i filled fuel it was at night so never noticed anything.The second time when i filled fuel in daylight i noticed a patch of rust on the neck of the tank. After visiting the workshop the manager convinced me to have it repaired, have the coating redone from inside etc. I refused to budge demanding a replacement. Then i heard the most bizzare reason given for trying to deny replacement.

"Sir you have done PPF flim on the tank"
me- So?
"Sir we cant replace it in that case as this shows the tank has been tampered with"
Thats when i blew my fuse.
me- "If i was claiming a paint damage with the flim on i can still understand you denying my claim. But this is inside the tank, has nothing to do with the ppf flim!"
With no other solution in mind i immediately raised a complaint on the customer care helpline. By evening the same manager called me and agreed to replace the tank, although after 10 to 15 days as they did not have a tank in stock and would be needed to be called for from the company. I agreed to wait. They also agreed to replace the fuel sensor for correcting the fuel reading at the same time.
Got a call after a couple of weeks and both were replaced. Took around an hour and a half, and no labour was charged for the same.
Only downside is that i lost the ppf cover on the tank and it will have to be redone again.




New tank installed. Sorry i lost the picture of the one which had the rust on it.



Overall been happy so far. Sure there are rough edges and always room for improvement. But one thing is for sure an Enfield experience is like no other. I hope it stays that way. Stay tuned for the 1st service experience

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[SJQIL87]

Congrats on your purchase. Thunderbird looks stunning.
I have a thunderbird 350 X which is my daily commuter for around 90 kilometers per day.
As you said, the fuel indicator cannot be trusted and it forces me to open the fuel cap and look inside sometimes
From my experience, those initial vibrations will go after some kilometers.
I previously owned a classic 350 and I can say thunderbird is far better.
Happy Motoring!

[Hamza123]

Thank you
Yes I did find the Thunderbird better than the X variants as I like retro looking bikes more. Also the flat handlebar of the X was not to my liking and hated both the colours available on the X 500.
Yes the vibration is become lesser as the kms climb. As per the technician the Thunderbird uses a different swingarm than the classic hence the ride quality and vibes are far lesser on the Thunderbird.

[navin_v8]

Hamza mate congratulations on buying Tbird500. Yours might be one of last few 500cc models before BSVI norms kick in and UCE500 is retired.

This bike badly needed an ABS from the factory which RE eventually did. I would like to know if one can retrofit ABS on older Tbird's. The cost will be high given the modifications (both electrical and mechanical) but worth the safety.

The torque delivery of a big single and that too with pushrod configuration engine is very addictive. You will like the way the engine becomes smoother and smoother as the kms climb.

Ride safe.

[alphadog]

Congratulations!. The bike in black sure looks good. Those custom made seats look great on your bike.

I owned a TB500, that metallic greenish-brown colour, in 2015-16, for around 6 months or so. It was a fabulous bike, smooth engine as far as RE bikes go, comfortable and with those handlebars you feel like you own the road, when riding it. I gave it away to my cousin then when I got myself a HD Iron 883, but the TB always holds a special place in my heart.

The only things I had changed were the exhaust and the mirrors ( I swapped the plastic backed ones to chrome ones). Also, I had fitted a Goldstar exhaust on mine to give it a deeper bassier thump, without being too loud.

Along with the more powerful Himalayan,what will be nice to see is RE plonking the 650 twin cylinder engine in a TB type cruiser chassis. I am sure there will be plenty of interest for that combination.

Wishing you miles of smiles with the bike. Enjoy.

Cheerio!.

[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Hamza mate congratulations on buying Tbird500. Yours might be one of last few 500cc models before BSVI norms kick in and UCE500 is retired.

This bike badly needed an ABS from the factory which RE eventually did. I would like to know if one can retrofit ABS on older Tbird's. The cost will be high given the modifications (both electrical and mechanical) but worth the safety.

The torque delivery of a big single and that too with pushrod configuration engine is very addictive. You will like the way the engine becomes smoother and smoother as the kms climb.

Ride safe.

Thank you for your reply. I was following your thread too along with many others when I was making my decision to buy.
As per the showroom,mine was one of the last Thunderbird 500 to roll out from the factory. I dont know if I should feel happy or sad.
The Abs Honestly has not made much of a difference. I still feel the bike for its power and weight needs much better brakes. I may change to steel braided lines and EBC brake pads in the future. This is probably the only major thing am not at all happy about as far as the bike is concerned.

The torque delivery is addictive yes. That muted roar is just music! I just recently crossed 1000kms and you are right the engine is opening up with every passing km.
Have you stil kept your Thunderbird?Any update on your bike?

Originally Posted by alphadog

Congratulations!. The bike in black sure looks good. Those custom made seats look great on your bike.

I owned a TB500, that metallic greenish-brown colour, in 2015-16, for around 6 months or so. It was a fabulous bike, smooth engine as far as RE bikes go, comfortable and with those handlebars you feel like you own the road, when riding it. I gave it away to my cousin then when I got myself a HD Iron 883, but the TB always holds a special place in my heart.

The only things I had changed were the exhaust and the mirrors ( I swapped the plastic backed ones to chrome ones). Also, I had fitted a Goldstar exhaust on mine to give it a deeper bassier thump, without being too loud.

Along with the more powerful Himalayan,what will be nice to see is RE plonking the 650 twin cylinder engine in a TB type cruiser chassis. I am sure there will be plenty of interest for that combination.

Wishing you miles of smiles with the bike. Enjoy.

Cheerio!.

Thank you! To be honest black was not my first colour of choice. It was always that greenish brown shade called "Lightning" But the black looks lovely too and compliments the blacked out engine parts.
So Harley is the logical upgrade...fingers crossed


I agree.If the Thunderbird gets the Interceptor's engine it should even beat the twins in sales (Maybe they will be called Triplets then ) The riding posture is so perfect in the Thunderbird. More comfortable than even my Ninja 650,which is anyways a very comfortable bike to begin with.
1st servicing is done, and will be posting a detailed review soon.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Have you stil kept your Thunderbird?Any update on your bike?

Very much mate. It has taken me to places and still satiates my undying hunger for rides.

My Tbird500 has remained trouble free with minor niggles here and there. Only issue is that the salty and humid climate of Bombay has taken a toll on the powder coating of the engine which has started flaking.

Mate would you share your experience about the octagonal Crashguard you've fitted on your Tbird500. Meaning does it foul your feet as distance between Crashguard, gear and brake lever is close unlike the aftermarket Crashguard made specially for TBird. I can see it's an OEM RE Crashguard.

[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Very much mate. It has taken me to places and still satiates my undying hunger for rides.

My Tbird500 has remained trouble free with minor niggles here and there. Only issue is that the salty and humid climate of Bombay has taken a toll on the powder coating of the engine which has started flaking.

Mate would you share your experience about the octagonal Crashguard you've fitted on your Tbird500. Meaning does it foul your feet as distance between Crashguard, gear and brake lever is close unlike the aftermarket Crashguard made specially for TBird. I can see it's an OEM RE Crashguard.

Hi Navin
Now that you bought it up I did notice it’s pretty close to the shoe of the rider. But it’s not bothered me yet and I do have pretty big feet also being powder coated chances of rust are less and it goes well with the rest of the powder coated components in the lower half of the bike.

The 1st service of the bike came up a couple of weeks back. Decided to try out Chopada Motors in Wagholi as I was somehow not happy with Platiinum motors in Fatema Nagar especially their workshop.
I reached about 12 30. My fault I should have gone earlier. Had not taken a prior appointment before going, but was attended to immediately on entering the workshop. Enfield have done away with the paper system and everything is communicated via sms . The advisor too uses a tab like thing and it’s all online.
The bike was taken in but it was lunch hour by 1 and they started work only after 2. I waited it out in the customer lounge and work was done in front of me. No complaints from my end. The usual oil change oil filter chain cleaning lubing etc was done and I got the bike back by 3 15.


While the servicing gets a 9/10 , the washing gets a 1/10. Terrible washing. Infact they just hosed the bike down and handed it over to me without even bothering to dry it.

After the service the bike has become smoother and opened up well. It’s chugging along nicely and almost has a locomotive feel to it. Gently twist the throttle feel the power build up and u shoot forward. It’s pretty addictive. Find reasons and usually take the long route home.
Planning a couple of highway runs soon. Shall post updates.

[Hamza123]

Simple solution to a common problem
One of the most irritating problems on the thunderbird has to be the vibrating console. It’s also the source of most rattles and noises upfront and it’s really a bit of a design flaw in the thunderbird. It’s also the reason why a lot of the instrument cluster breaks and cracks. Can be a handful if you touring.

Cause
The reason for the instrument cluster vibrating so much is that because it’s heavy. Also the bracket supporting it can’t take the weight.

Solution
The solution is surprisingly simple, just add another bracket to the existing one. And the vibrations are gone entirely. Of course when I requested the service center they refused saying it won’t fit. I purchased the bracket and fit it at home. Took all of 10 mins and the vibrations have completely gone. Cost is a mere Rs 88/-


Hope this helps

[KPR]

Well written review on TB500. Very nice to see a fellow TB500 user. I own a TB500 asphalt. Odo is close to 15000 km. Initially when I did a TD of TB500 I had thought that the bike was super heavy to even reverse in neutral from a parking. I thought I may bring in new tears to my ligaments in knee by handling this bike. My wife was hell bent on this bike only and not even unicorn for pillion comfort. So I was convinced with TB500 CC or only silver electra (for it's looks) from RE stable. Not at all a fan of other models. She was all smiles about her comfort of sitting in this bike. Now every moment I ride it I enjoy to the core. It simply brings smile to my face given it's relaxed seating. Contradictory to many reviews online, the bike has been trouble free for me in stock. Now I'm planning to switch over to avenger chrome mirrors. Hopefully vibrations in mirror can be contained. Can you PM me more details on the seat? I'm interested in getting that done too. I've installed Himalayan windshield for my TB 4 months back and is good and sturdy.

[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by KPR

Well written review on TB500. Very nice to see a fellow TB500 user. I own a TB500 asphalt. Odo is close to 15000 km. Initially when I did a TD of TB500 I had thought that the bike was super heavy to even reverse in neutral from a parking.

Hi congrats on your bike. Asphalt was my first choice of colour as well but unfortunately I bought what was probably the last few thunderbirds to leave the factory and there was no colour choice available.
If you on Instagram or Facebook you can hunt for Sahara Seat. They have a lovely brown colour as well which I think would look fantastic with the colour of your bike. Their number is 9703626084.
I found the himalayan windshield looking a little odd on a big bulky bike like the thunderbird. There is one caebonracing on Instagram who have come out with a nice range of windsheilds for thunderbird. You can check them out .
Please do post pics of your bike.

[KPR]

Thanks man for the details you've shared for the seat. I've gone through the details and will definitely add good cushions from them for my TB too.

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Please do post pics of your bike.

Here are those