[TorqueMonster]

Hello to all Bhpians,

The year is 2012 .The hero of this story , my dear father reaches back home to ask his vehicle crazy son , "Which of the following vehicles do you want?"
3 choices were given to him -

• Honda Unicorn
• Yamaha Gladiator
• Royal Enfield ( Exact model was not specified )

1.Honda Unicorn -

Pros -

• Very reliable
• Logical upgrade from a Bajaj Platina
• Was affordable

Cons -

• My Father did not feel a connection to the vehicle .

Yamaha Gladiator -

Was rejected because my Father did not like the bike . It just felt like a slight upgrade over a commuter motorcycle , like an upgrade for the sake of an upgrade .

This leaves behind the only contestant - A Royal Enfield Motorcycle .

Showroom Experiences -

A Royal Enfield showroom is the example of what should be and also unfortunately what not a showroom should be . Probably the most attractive showroom among all manufacturers ( Larger RE showrooms even now have a dismantled Continental GT 535 on its wall ) , to be ruined by lackluster sales professionals . Back in 2012 , the experiences was same , with a plain jane showroom . Father enters the showroom , a barebone one with Classic 350's , Electra's and a lone Thunderbird on display . My Father approaches the salesperson who gives him a breakdown on basic specs and asks him to come back an other day for a test drive . Two bikes were ridden - Classic 350 and Thunderbird Twinspark.

Classic 350 -

Pros -

• The best looking bike under 2 lakhs for the time .

Cons-

• Very barebones ( No fuel gauge ).
• Pillion seat was not exactly a comfortable place to sit.
• My Father did not feel a connection to the vehicle .

Then came the Thunderbird

Thunderbird Twinspark -

Pros -

• Wide handlebar and seats ensuring a comfortable riding position .
• Pillion seat was also decently comfortable .
• Stood out from the hoards of Bullets and Classics on the road .

Cons-

• Engine could have had better performance in top end.
• Vibrations begin to crop up post 60 -65
• Expected delivery was almost 6 months ( Got reduced by changing color to Silver )

Riding aspects -

This list will go through detail on how the vehicle is to ride.
[list]

• The vehicle is torquey and can easily be driven in city .
• Can easily cruise at speeds of 60-80 kmph all day long .
• Clutch is on the slightly harder side with gearshift being alright.
• The bike comes with stock MRF RIB tyres at front with another MRF tyre at the back . Strictly for lower speed only . It is better to upgrade to better tyres after this set has worn off . My bike's current tyres are Michelin Sirac Street . Decent tyres for those who don't ride fast .
• Brakes are adequate to stop at speeds of 60-70 kmph , for more than these speeds , they will not inspire any confidence .
• Ergonomics is one place the bike is spot on . Probably the most comfortable bike to ride long distances .
• The bike is very heavy , so in case of a fall or for even putting the vehicle on its centre stand , it requires a lot of effort , especially for those who are less strong.
• Rusting is a prominent issue , especially the bendpipe connecting engine to exhaust , the backrest and metal areas below the seat .
• Weight ensures that straightline stability while cruising is very high , while corners are best ridden at low speeds .
• Pillion comfort is also decent .

• Fuel efficiency is decent for its displacement . Gives 30- 35 km/litre irrespective of whether it is ridden on city or highway .
• Fuel Capacity is also one of this vehicle's strong point . The 20 litre tank ensures that long rides can be done without ever stopping for fuel .
• The ground clearance of this bike is 135mm , which may seen to be very low , is decent for our roads . Never has the vehicle ever scraped it's bottom , even while going to places such as Ladakh.
• The headlight is decent for city use , but for highway mile munchers who ride late into the light , a set of auxiliary lights can be installed ( Recently installed on my bike and makes highway rides more easier at night .
• Exhaust sound is decent , neither too loud nor too quiet . CI Bullet owners would be disappointed with the sound . An audible , but light thump at normal speed ensures that the exhaust note is heard , while not disturbing others .
• Engine vibrations is one thing which ruins an otherwise decent , if not great vehicle . The bike can easily cruise at 80-90 kmph but vibrations prevent a person from staying at that speeds for too long . My father says that to cure squids , we just need to give them Royal Enfields so that they would be forced to ride at proper legal speeds .
• Built quality is ok at best . Can be lived with but certainly not desirable in a vehicle which costed 1.2 lakhs INR . C
• Handlebar and switchgear quality is bad , the most basic switchgear with some of the cheapest plastic Royal Enfield could find . It is livable but for the price , we expect a lot better set of plastics .
• Mirrors are decent , but when the vibrations start to kick in , the mirrors vibrate , rendering them completely useless . Can be solved with aftermarket mirrors .
• The bike is on the heavier side of things , making it difficult for less strong to easily ride it . However once we get enough speed , the bike is completely stable . Only during slowing down or while taking a very sharp turn does the fear of falling return .
• The engine is very torquey and can be easily maneuvered along the city . It also could have been a decent highway cruiser if not for vibrations .
• Service is one aspect which scares the hell out of all prospective Royal Enfield owners . My advice is to complete all free services , after which it is best to switch to a trustworthy FNG .
• The bike is not at all a rev happy machine . Rev the vehicle like you would do on any other motorcycle and this may easily damage the engine .

Some photos of the bike -

The heart of the vehicle , a 350cc single cylinder engine producing 19.8 hp (Lost a lot of Hp's due to its age )



The basic instrument console




The carburetor



The major rust spots on this vehicle is the bendpipe seen in this photo , along with rust on metal parts below the seat ( Which was not clear on Camera)

Here are some photos from its first trip to Kuttanad.

Note - Helmet was not worn for just for taking photos .

In 2014 , my father undertook the ultimate biker's pilgrimage , a trip to Ladakh . Bike was transported to Delhi by train . Time delays ensured that he could only cover Leh and Khardungla Pass , while riding along the Manali - Leh Highway . This trip was covered with 2 other companions , A Maroon Classic 350 and a Facelift Blue Thunderbird 350 . Here are some pictures from the trip ( Will try to make my father write a travelogue if he's free )

Before starting from Manali



The three bikes together somewhere near Rohtang Pass



Khardungla Pass Conquered on my Father's first long distance ride .

Then came my first ride (as a pillion ) to Coorg the next year . A few photos from the same -

Sadly , rain almost ruined the entire trip , so no photos of the beautiful landscapes of Coorg .

Then came a two year stint in Mumbai . It is during this time that my father decided to join a biking club . Most of the miles clocked in Maharashtra were on these rides . These rides are to places like Goa , Bhandardhara , Amba Ghat , Mulshi Dam , Gorai , Sri Farms in Badlapur (Was surprised but such a place exists) .

Some photos from the two years -

A lot of photos are not the best in quality , because of them being clicked on an older phone instead of a camera .

Negatives of the vehicle -

Despite being the most reliable member of the garage (Quite an achievement as its garagemates are a Bajaj Platina and a Swift Dzire), it also has its own share of troubles. Build quality is not its strongest forte , lot of exposed wires are present , is rust prone , Electric starter usually works but sometimes has a mind of its own .

Should you buy one ? -

A Thunderbird of this vintage can be found used for 60-65,000 INR , almost close to the on road price of a commuter motorcycle today . But before buying one , one should keep in mind that -

• I may have been lucky with respect to reliability , most vehicles often have problems associated with other Royal Enfields .
• Maintenance is also a major problem . Unless you know a trustworthy FNG , it is better not to take a risk on this vehicle ( May vary from place to place).
• This is not a fast bike by any means . Try riding fast and you would feel terribly disappointed.

Modifications -

With respect to modifications , the bike has been kept mostly stock with the addition of auxiliary lights a few months ago .

The bike is currently at Trivandrum where it does occasional office commutes ,with long rides shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic .

This is simply a compressed representation of 8 years of happy memories my family has had with this beautiful vehicle .
Now I would address what would be the major flaws with this thread . This thread is vague but I have no control over this aspect as -

• I have only ridden the bike once , most of this thread is based on information given by my father.
• I was 10 when my father bought the bike . Many of the technical info and incidents are based on memory.

This bike will continue to be a part of our garage forever and this thread will be regularly updated , this time with better pictures and more information .

Ride Safe,
TorqueMonster

[ashwinprakas]

First of all hats off to your dad for touring on a Pushrod, though RE portrays their motorcycles as touring machines it takes a different kind of mental discipline to do so especially when it comes to clocking several hundred KM's a day, something I'm yet to mature to, if whatever Motorcycle I'm riding on is not near redline then I have a hard time maintaining focus, multiple day rides are simply out of scope for me on low revving Motorcycles.

Having said that I still feel owning a pushrod is a privilege that one shouldn't miss out on, even though you're spot on about used market prices, availability is an issue and the ones that are available in KL are overpriced, a trend that is prevalent across brands, KL for some reason doesn't get depreciation.

Might be the lack of riding in 2020 and the boredom from it, have been keeping a keen eye on the used market for some time now.

Anyhow, once again Kudos to your dad!

Ride Safe,
A.P.

[SidharthaN]

Ask your father why he loves the bike,he might not have a straight answer. Mostly Enfield owners cannot put the finger on the pulse, but it's there.
I am the owner of two generations of Thunderbirds , AVL and UCE. The Thunderbird is now discontinued so it's a classic officially.
If you understand how these classic enfields function you can ride them to eternity.

My UCE is at 1,15,000kms on stock engine components and still going strong.

[TorqueMonster]

Originally Posted by SidharthaN

Ask your father why he loves the bike,he might not have a straight answer. Mostly Enfield owners cannot put the finger on the pulse, but it's there.
I am the owner of two generations of Thunderbirds , AVL and UCE. The Thunderbird is now discontinued so it's a classic officially.
If you understand how these classic enfields function you can ride them to eternity.

My UCE is at 1,15,000kms on stock engine components and still going strong.

I tried asking my father to tell negatives about this bike while writing this review and he couldn't tell any because of his love for the bike . I had to google for common Royal Enfield problems and individually ask if such a problem has happened to him before . I guess what you said is indeed true for all Royal Enfield owners , loving their vehicles unconditionally despite their occasional issues . Hope your Thunderbirds are also in very good condition .

Ride Safe
TorqueMonster

[SidharthaN]

Originally Posted by TorqueMonster

I tried asking my father to tell negatives about this bike while writing this review and he couldn't tell any because of his love for the bike . I had to google for common Royal Enfield problems and individually ask if such a problem has happened to him before . I guess what you said is indeed true for all Royal Enfield owners , loving their vehicles unconditionally despite their occasional issues . Hope your Thunderbirds are also in very good condition .

Ride Safe
TorqueMonster

I sold my AVL few years back. Aesthetics of the AVL were exactly the same as your bike except the powerplant. The tank I believe of your bike is 14 lts and not 20. My current UCE 2015 Thunderbird has a 20 lts tank.

Its not that Enfields do not have flaws. Search the net and forums and you will find innumerable Enfield Bashing Threads. The common element of your father, me and classic Enfielders is we accepted the product with its flaws, but understood limitations of the motorcycle (btw I am 43yrs so cannot call myself that old). The new millennial generation expect KTM like performance from the Enfields at the same price point, that is where it falls flat on its face.
When i bought my first Enfield the showroom owner a respected old Sardarji quoted the best experience on the bike will be between 50-60kmph. I took it a bit further over the years and understood the sweet spot for 350 is 80kmph and for 500 is 90kmph. Anything over is out of the bike's limitations.

You can run them entire days within these speeds over any terrains you throw at it, and they do not break a sweat. Further if you just ride the torque wave its like surfing a wave. These long stroke push rods are meant to cruise sedately, and much miles on the highways, not to be revved their guts out with aftermarket exhausts and illegal mods.

From your post seems you have not ridden it much on the highways. Take it out and remember what I said, you will probably understand the element.

[kamilharis]

Great report TorqueMonster.

This version of TB is the one which I love to the core, I love the way it seats the rider. Great!

My friend had one so I had spent a considerable time riding this one. Unfortunately we met with an accident in 2014 (head on head with an oncoming tipper lorry - downhill) at Madikeri while travelling from Calicut-Coorg and the bike was almost totaled.

Thankfully it saved our life and left me with a steel implanted right hand for an year.

[cake]

Great review!
I ride the same bike today, and the same color too!
It was bought used and handed over to me by my brother, it's been with me for almost 5 years now.
It's been amazing riding it all these years, it has been a learning experience to be honest, and was a huge part of me appreciating automobiles and joining this forum as well

I agree about its driveability in the city, the low-end torque makes it easy to maneuver the bike among traffic. The highways definitely need some patience from the rider. Though it might reach 90-100 the ride becomes tough with the vibrations and feels like the engine is at 100%. I cruise at 70-80 and the ride quality is good.

I've had my shares of electrical troubles over the years, had to change the whole wiring once. Even now I'm having an issue with ignition switch :/

But these are some of the things you'll have to go through to own this otherwise amazing bike, I'm very fond of the Thunderbird. So much that I sometimes get offended when someone refers to my bike as a Bullet or Classic :P

Currently planning to change the piston and clutch plates this December because the vibrations have increased a lot to a point where it's uncomfortable even in 70s.

Picture from when we rode to Ananthagiri hills.

[dhanushmenon]

Lovely thread. Being a user myself, I couldn't agree more to all the cons listed.

I own a 2005 model Thunderbird, from a generation before the Twinspark era. Same silver colour, but registered at your neighbouring district of KL 02. The bent pipe rusting is particularly annoying and a huge eye sore.

15 years back when I bought the bike, it was a different feel altogether. However, with age catching up, the kickstart option is something I dearly wish had an alternative. The ride comfort is still good; yet not as plush as a traditional Standard 350. In the recent Thunderbirds, I'd say the seat comfort have come leagues ahead from the generations of past; I wish mine had a more receptive seat that could house my 'housing' sans fatigue .

I wouldn't say that the bike falls into the bracket of "fill it, shut it, forget it". It requires some amount of investment of your time and heart into it. However, I believe that anyone who buys a RE is ready to do so. As I write this, I am sprucing up the bike for re-registration post the period of 15 years. Scouting for anything from handle bar to saree guard, the spare parts shop owner has a designated chair and tea cup for me in his shop now.

Happy thumping. It's a thrill, though at times painful, you would still not want to let go of.

[SidharthaN]

Originally Posted by cake

Great review!
I ride the same bike today, and the same color too!
It was bought used and handed over to me by my brother, it's been with me for almost 5 years now.
It's been amazing riding it all these years, it has been a learning experience to be honest, and was a huge part of me appreciating automobiles and joining this forum as well

I agree about its driveability in the city, the low-end torque makes it easy to maneuver the bike among traffic. The highways definitely need some patience from the rider. Though it might reach 90-100 the ride becomes tough with the vibrations and feels like the engine is at 100%. I cruise at 70-80 and the ride quality is good.

I've had my shares of electrical troubles over the years, had to change the whole wiring once. Even now I'm having an issue with ignition switch :/

But these are some of the things you'll have to go through to own this otherwise amazing bike, I'm very fond of the Thunderbird. So much that I sometimes get offended when someone refers to my bike as a Bullet or Classic :P

Currently planning to change the piston and clutch plates this December because the vibrations have increased a lot to a point where it's uncomfortable even in 70s.

Picture from when we rode to Ananthagiri hills.
Attachment 2070475

The vibes does not mean the piston, crank, clutch plates have gone kaput. If there excessive noise from the engine the crank might be ageing out, but doesn't mean needs replacement. If the pick up is down or let's say since the TB has a tachometer, if you are above 3000rpm in any of the gears and the bike Speedo is between 0-80 you might need a clutch replacement. Again the piston probably doesn't require replacement. Another cause of vibes is dryness of the chain. Lube the chain to feel better results. You might also try a grade of semi-synthetic or synthetic oil to reduce vibes. I am currently using Petronas Semi-synthetic 15w50 with excellent feedback. Cheers

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Lovely thread. Being a user myself, I couldn't agree more to all the cons listed.

I own a 2005 model Thunderbird, from a generation before the Twinspark era. Same silver colour, but registered at your neighbouring district of KL 02. The bent pipe rusting is particularly annoying and a huge eye sore.

15 years back when I bought the bike, it was a different feel altogether. However, with age catching up, the kickstart option is something I dearly wish had an alternative. The ride comfort is still good; yet not as plush as a traditional Standard 350. In the recent Thunderbirds, I'd say the seat comfort have come leagues ahead from the generations of past; I wish mine had a more receptive seat that could house my 'housing' sans fatigue .

I wouldn't say that the bike falls into the bracket of "fill it, shut it, forget it". It requires some amount of investment of your time and heart into it. However, I believe that anyone who buys a RE is ready to do so. As I write this, I am sprucing up the bike for re-registration post the period of 15 years. Scouting for anything from handle bar to saree guard, the spare parts shop owner has a designated chair and tea cup for me in his shop now.

Happy thumping. It's a thrill, though at times painful, you would still not want to let go of.

I owned a 2006 AVL Thunderbird. The engine is different from the thread owners model which is a Twinspark (AVL dimensions with UCE engine block). The seating of the AVL or Twinspark is more comfortable than the current one which has split seats. The handling of the current TB is better than the AVL or Twinspark since the chassis is different and tuned to greater manuverability. The AVL and Twinspark are great in a straight line but since have longer chassis need a bit of practice in traffic to manoeuvre easily.

[cake]

Originally Posted by SidharthaN

The vibes does not mean the piston, crank, clutch plates have gone kaput. If there excessive noise from the engine the crank might be ageing out, but doesn't mean needs replacement. If the pick up is down or let's say since the TB has a tachometer, if you are above 3000rpm in any of the gears and the bike Speedo is between 0-80 you might need a clutch replacement. Again the piston probably doesn't require replacement. Another cause of vibes is dryness of the chain. Lube the chain to feel better results. You might also try a grade of semi-synthetic or synthetic oil to reduce vibes. I am currently using Petronas Semi-synthetic 15w50 with excellent feedback. Cheers

I've been doing chain lubing myself, bought the Motul cans. Haven't felt any results from that.
My pick up is definitely degraded over last 2 years, I'll go over these with my mechanic.
Thanks for the advice!
If I may ask what's the usual cruising speed your TB maintains comfortably?
Also are you able to put neutral in between any gears? Not sure if this is a feature like the Yezdi's have or some problem with my gears. Couldn't find anything regarding this in the manual.

[ArizonaJim]

Speaking of vibration, I've mentioned this before but it's worth mentioning again.
At the rear of the cylinder head is a strap of metal called a "head steady". This head steady is attached to the cylinder head and the frame tube, above it.

These head steady's are there to stabilize the engine, keeping it from rocking forward and rearward.
In addition to preventing the engine from rocking, the head steady serves to increase the rigidity of the frame. (The engine becomes a structural part of the frame.)
This subjects it to a great deal of stress and often, it will crack or completely break. If this happens, the entire motorcycle will vibrate. Especially at high speeds.

Use a good flashlight (torch) and examine the head steady, looking for cracks.
If any part of it is broken, have it replaced as soon as possible.

While you are looking at your motorcycle with the flashlight, examine the welds on the frame tubes that connect to, or go under the engine.
The weld on my Royal Enfield 500 failed where the rear motor mount bolt connects. Having it re-welded reduced the vibration my motorcycle was having.

[viscosity]

I can relate to this post 100% as I myself own a black TBTS 2008. Owning this bike is like being in a relationship with its share of positives, negatives, highs and lows. It is not like buying a machine and I have always felt it was never meant to be that way. There is always a heart ruling over head in a RE purchase.

I always love driving this bike & have mainly driven it for occasional day-long short trips. Once I had driven 350KM in day which was a pleasant experience overall inspite of being with a pillion. Over the last 12 years of ownership, I have driven only 18K KM as I don't really use it like a workhorse or for my daily commute. Most of the times it is just waiting in my garage for me come to it someday and we going out for a spin together.

I still try to maintain it well and was searching some latest picture of it to share which made me realise that I haven't clicked any picture of the bike since long time. Attached is the picture of it when I had brought it home for the first time (wedding day pic if I may say so ) . Will click some latest pictures and share.

[TorqueMonster]

At the time of composing this thread, I was still learning how to ride the Thunderbird. But with the months passing, I have slowly learnt how to ride the bike well, and would now be able to add my own personal experience instead of writing about the experiences of my father.

Before riding the Thunderbird, the bike which I used was a 2009 Bajaj Platina, a reliable commuter bike. I love that bike because of how easy it is to drive, and how cheap it is to run. Rarely do I have to actually fill petrol, which is good in a world where we have triple-digit petrol prices.

When we look into the Thunderbird, it is extremely different from that of the Platina. The first noticeable difference is the weight. I am not a well-built person by any means, and hence it is extremely difficult for me to push the bike.

The second major difference which can be observed is regarding that of the drivability. This bike is effortless to drive, with ample amounts of torque available. I found it much better to drive around when compared to the Platina.

Another difference which can be seen is that of the ride quality. Due to its high weight, the bike stays planted, a big boon while going on highways. I could also see that the bike, unlike the Platina is much better to ride over broken roads. The bike will easily go through rough roads without any hesitation, with only the roughest of the bumps even slightly felt, when compared to the Platina.

So far, it has covered 49k kilometres, slowly approaching 50k.

Lockdown has taken a massive toll on the bike. The Battery had died down, and for at least a week, the bike was unusable. Just yesterday, I could get the bike back to starting conditions. As for the engine, there is thankfully no problems occurred to this day. Cosmetically, the rust issues are still to be fixed, which will be done after I get some money for it. There is also a bit of the paint faded and a small dent on the tank, which is thankfully not visible at first glance.

This is just a small update since I intend on restarting this thread when lockdown eventually ends. As we are slowly moving from lockdown, this thread will be more active. Based on how the COVID - 19 crisis will be, I may even add Travelogues to this thread, as I do intend to start travelling on this bike, hoping that the situation will improve for all of us. I hope everyone who is reading is staying safe too.

A Few Photos that were taken during the lockdown. Due to this lockdown, I could not go to a good place to take pictures, hence I'm sorry for the quality of the photo.






Ride Safe
TorqueMonster

[TorqueMonster]

Biking Trip 1. - Vagamon and Thekkady

Lockdown has gone pretty tough for almost everyone on planet earth so far. It had been almost 3 months since I've even stepped outside my house. The daily and robotic routine of online classes, projects and then sleep were killing me from the inside. I need a break, liberation from this constant monotonous cycle.

And what better way is there to liberate the soul than to go on a biking trip! And that is exactly what I did. This trip is even more special as it is the first long-distance ride I am going on after getting my license a few months ago.

Now, at the time of this trip, Kerala had just moved on from lockdown, yet tourism had not opened. Most tourist places were still closed, with crowds being frowned upon. However, no restrictions were placed on travelling from city to city. Also, the main plan for my journey is just to ride the bike through scenic terrain, so the closing down of tourist attractions is least of my worries.

So the plan was set, a trip to Vagamon and Thekkady.

The Journey began at the morning of 7th, from Trivandrum. The route taken was that of Trivandrum - Adoor - Erumeli - Kanjirappalli - Erattupetta route till Vagamon



Me geared up, all ready for my first trip.



Lush Greenery on both sides of the roads, somewhere after Erattupetta.






Throughout the entire climb towards Vagamon, our eyes are blessed with the views of these lush hills. It is tough to take photos in most parts because of the blind curves, it is not worth risking our lives just for photos.




However, at some scenic parts, there are viewpoints constructed for us to view the scenery, these are some spots for taking excellent photos. But, do note that some of these viewpoints may have slight crowds, so do tend to stay away from them.




The first destination that was being visited in Vagamon was the Pine Forest. The route towards the place was very scenic, and despite visiting this part of the Idukki district many times, have not seen such a scenic route yet.




The Pine Forest in itself was slightly underwhelming. It is pine trees all around us, with a pathway to walk through it. It is not bad, anyone interested in walking or having a great time in the forest can certainly enjoy it, it is just not my kind of place to visit. Hence left soon spending no more than 15 - 20 minutes.

After visiting the Pine Forest, the next destination was Thekkady where I had my accommodation for the night. Now there are 2 options to go to Thekkady, first to track back our way to Vagamon and go on the usual route. Or else, the next option is to take the Elamala route, a 50km trip that takes you through a variety of sceneries, and I chose the latter, making it one of the best trips I've had.







I eventually reached Thekkady before 6 pm, making my own tea and relaxing for the returning ride for the next day. I had further plans to go travel more, including a visit across the border to TN. But all that came crashing down after the order was issued by the Kumily Panchayat. Unfortunately, the TPR in Kumily was as high as 25 in the Panchayat, with an immediate lockdown the next day after 6 am. Hence had to cut short other plans, with plans made to leave as soon as possible.

The return leg of the trip hence started early. Starting early, just after sunrise is one of the best feelings while riding. The right temperature, neither too hot, too cold, the lack of traffic, and most importantly, the greenery around us. Throughout the returning route, our eyes are blessed with lush tea estates, with bright green tender leaves, being ready to be picked in an hour.







Then it was back towards home. On the way, I saw a board sign, a 7km deviation towards a place called Parunthumpara. I decided to travel there since I had a lot of time to kill, due to the rather early departure. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I took, on this entire trip.

I'll let the pictures do the talking -









This was easily one of the best views I had ever seen so far, to be this high on a hill, with clouds passing right over it, easily the biggest highlight of the trip.

Also managed to get some more wallpaper worthy photos of the bike -





Post this, one long stretch towards home was made, with little to no breaks taken, so no photos for the same. The return leg went quite smoothly, eventually reaching home in a rather slow 8hrs, reaching back home.

This was a really great experience, the break from the monotonous life that COVID - 19 has brought upon us. Can't wait for the restrictions to end to munch down some serious miles on the road, on my trusted steed.

[TorqueMonster]

My Thunderbird is an older Twinspark, meaning that it came with a set of thinner wheels that than of the Classic. I personally find the wider tyre of the Classic to be better looking on a cruiser than a thin tyre barely bigger than the one on my Bajaj Platina.

I just want to know whether placing the Classic rear rim is feasible or not. This idea stems from seeing a Bullet 350 running on a bigger set of tyres, and I want to see whether the same mods can be made to my bike too. If not possible, I would also want to know the best possible alternative. Despite its convenience, I am not looking into changing to Alloys as I feel they dilute the Cruiser looks, I think they look better on the newer T -Bird and Meteor.