Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500
Manufacturer	Royal Enfield
Production	2002
Engine	Air Cooled, four Stroke, single Cylinder, OHV,
Compression ratio	8.5 : 1
Ignition	Electronic Ignition / Electric and Kick Start
Suspension	Front: Telescopic, 41mm forks, 130mm travel Rear: Twin gas charged shock absorbers with 5-step adjustable preload, 80mm travel
Brakes	Front: Single 280mm disc 2 piston caliper Rear: Single 240mm disc 1 piston caliper
Front Tire	90/90 -19
Rear Tire	120/80 -18
Weight	195 Kg (wet)
Fuel Capacity	20 Liters
Manuals	Service Manual

Engine

The engine featured a 8.5 : 1 compression ratio.

Chassis

It came with a 90/90 -19 front tire and a 120/80 -18 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Single 280mm disc 2 piston caliper in the front and a Single 240mm disc 1 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a Telescopic, 41mm forks, 130mm travel while the rear was equipped with a Twin gas charged shock absorbers with 5-step adjustable preload, 80mm travel. The Thunderbird 500 was fitted with a 20 Liters fuel tank.

Photos

Overview

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

The 2012 Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 is a larger displacement version of the 346cc Thunderbird which Royal Enfield first unveiled in 2000. The original Thunderbird 350 was Royal Enfield’s first model to use a unit construction engine. The new T-Bird 500 uses the larger 499cc UCE engine found on Royal Enfield’s Classic 500, which claims an output of 26hp and 30.5 ft-lb.

The suspension uses new 41mm forks replacing the 350 version’s 35mm forks, while the swingarm uses a new oval section design. The Thunderbird 500 also swaps the 350′s rear drum brake with a disc brake.

Other highlights include a new 55W projector headlight and LED tail lamp and indicators, a new twin pod instrument panel, blackened engine, bungee cord hooks (with cords included) and updated passenger seat with removable back pad.

Siddhartha Lal, chief executive officer of Royal Enfield’s parent company Eicher Motors MD says the company will continue to produce the 350cc Thunderbird which accounts for 1000 units in sales per month, out of 7,000 units Royal Enfield sells each month in India.

“We don’t plan to discontinue the 350cc model. The new variant is just an extension of the Thunderbird range,” Lal tells Indian daily The Hindu.

The 2012 Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 will arrive in Indian showrooms later this year. There is no word yet on availability in other markets however.{| class="wikitable" |- !Make Model |Royal Enfield Thunderbird |- !Year |2002 |- !Engine Type |Air Cooled, four Stroke, single Cylinder, OHV, |- !Displacement |499 |- !Bore X Stroke |84 x 90 mm |- !Compression |8.5 : 1 |- !Induction |Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) |- !Electrical |12V System; Headlamp 60/55W; Tail lamp 21/5W |- !Ignition |Electronic Ignition / Electric and Kick Start |- !Max Power |27.2 hp @ 5250 rpm |- !Max Torque |41.3 Nm @ 4000 rpm |- !Transmission / Drive |5 Speed (left foot gear shift) / chain |- !Front Suspension |Telescopic, 41mm forks, 130mm travel |- !Rear Suspension |Twin gas charged shock absorbers with 5-step adjustable preload, 80mm travel |- !Front Brakes |Single 280mm disc 2 piston caliper |- !Rear Brakes |Single 240mm disc 1 piston caliper |- !Front Tire |90/90 -19 |- !Rear Tire |120/80 -18 |- !Wheel Base |1350mm |- !Wet Weight |195 Kg |- !Fuel Capacity |20 Liters

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