Category Archives: Motorcycle

Motorcycle

Review of Royal Enfield Thunderbird

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My bike would be 4 years old in January next year. So I thought it’d be appropriate to write a review. The bike named zapeedo and later re-christened to silver lightning has never let me down. It has been through thick and thin for more than 40,000 kilometers. Except for a few specks of rust, it still stands strong and graceful. Here are a few pros and cons I have noticed with the bike till now:-
Cons:-
  1. One major engine repair which was due to a noisy cam shaft. Was rectified in a few days but engine had to be opened.
  2. Few specks of rust at the handlebar ends and rims but that’s more due to the humid atmosphere of Calcutta.
  3. Clutch cable tended to break but the design was rectified by the company.
  4. Poor design of the decompressor cable lever which has led to 6 replacements till now.
  5. Tappets remain a little noisy even after adjustments.

Pros:-

  1. Performance is still amazing. Amazing pulling power at high speeds and top whack still goes upto 120. Pulsar riders, you may bow..
  2. Engine has steadily become smoother and less noisy.
  3. Disc Brake pads provided by pricol still going strong in spite of heavy use.
  4. Strong chassis which has not let me down in spite of a few accidents.
  5. Excellent riding position and comfort.
  6. Good for showing off.
Adventure, Motorcycle

Exams Over..

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Well, exams are finally over. So here we are, lazing around in the evening with nothing in mind. So what do we do? We head out for a long drive of course. There’s nothing like a long drive to refresh your mind and uplift your spirits.
So, off we went to Wardha Road at a steady speed of 50 kmph. I have to say that driving at a speed of 50-60 is much more enjoyable than going crazy and twisting the throttle off. We drove for about 60 kilometres, stopped at a dhaba and ate like pigs. We had paneer parathas, curd and lots of butter. After we were almost bursting at our seams, we started our journey back. At this point, the cold almost killed me as I was without a jacket wearing just a measly sweater.Got back to Nagpur in an hour to have hot coffee at shanky. Also clocked 30,000 kms on my bike on the way back.


Was dead tired when some friend called us to his place for bakar(useless conversation). Did bakar till 2:30, came back and fell asleep.

Woke up at 6 in the morning dying of hunger. Had an accident a few days ago, hurt my shoulder then. Didn’t think about it much but it was hurting bad now. Went in the freezing cold to shanky to finish off 3 plates of poha. Came back just in time to watch the sun rise, had a painkiller and writing this blog waiting for the pain to subside.
Well, I’m off to sleep now. God knows when I’ll wake up. Good Morning!

Motorcycle

Long Term Review of Royal Enfield Thunderbird

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Hey!! I seem to be enjoying writing reviews. January 2006 will mark the 2nd anniversary of my bike. So I thought a review would do nicely. This bike(Zapeedo) has been my constant companion for almost 2 years now and enjoys a special place in my life. It never fails to start at the first(or maybe second or maybe third) kick in the morning. I simply love the thumping and smooth ride. Anyways I would now list the pros and cons of the bike which have come to light during these 2 years and 21000 kms..
Pros:-

  1. Great Pickup:- It’s faster than most indian “sports” bikes available inspite of the heavy weight(180kgs). Incredible pulling power even at speeds above 80.
  2. Great Top-Speed:- I have personally touched a little over 120 kmph on the Nagpur-Kamptee road but could feel that the bike had a little more power left to go even faster.
  3. Extremely smooth:- At speeds of 50, this bike feels very smooth and stable. Even at speeds above 100, the bike feels well balanced. No gust of wind can shake this bike.
  4. Great looks.
  5. Extremely cheap spare parts:-The clutch plate of the Thunderbird costs around 400 and that of the CBZ costs around 1300.
  6. Extremely simple engine design.
  7. Good handling:- Though not like the standard 350, the thunderbird corners great on even the most slippery roads.
  8. Great feel:- No other bike can replace the thumping feeling of the enfield.

Cons:-

  1. Below Average service:- The service centers refused to repeatedly acknowledge noise in my cam and tappets which led to my cam problem. Instead they keep pestering me to buy accessories like a windshield etc.
  2. Handling:- After a certain degree of cornering, the low footpegs touch the road though I think this can be corrected. Please remember that I am talking very low cornering.
  3. Pushrods based Engine:- Though, the thunderbird is never expected to reach rpms above 4500 rpm(At a speed of 100 kmph, the rpm in 5th gear is 4000 rpm), the pushroad system provides certain difficulties in the form of tappet noise and subsequent adjustments.
  4. Design drawbacks:- I think these are design problems that the decompressor cable breaks at a certain point every time where the cable bends sharply. Today was the 5th time in 2 years and starting without the decompressor is a pain in the arse.