Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 modified into a bobber

Royal Enfield’s old platform is still one of the most versatile platforms that we have ever seen. Most of the customizers use the chassis from a Royal Enfield to make their custom motorcycle. Even some start-ups use a chassis from a Royal Enfield to work on their new motorcycle. Here, we have a Thunderbird 350 that has been modified to look like a bobber. The modifications are done by Neev Motorcycles.

The modification makes the motorcycle look unique. From a first glance, you won’t even be able to tell that it is a Thunderbird 350. There are three colours that the shop has used for the modified motorcycle. It gets grey bodywork, a lot of chrome parts and a blacked-out engine.

The teardrop-shaped fuel tank is finished in the dual-tone colour of grey and gloss black. It uses an old school fuel cap. The front and rear fenders are finished in grey. The engine casing, kick starter and engine headers are in chrome while the rest of the engine is finished in black. Other bits like exhaust, shock absorbers, exhaust, handlebar, headlamp and backrest is finished in chrome.

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After the tank, there is a custom seat finished in black leather. Being a bobber it only gets a single seat. Then there is the rear backrest which is there only for cosmetic purposes. There is round LED taillight and turn indicators. The motorcycle is using spoked chrome rims with tyres sourced from Timsun.

On the side, there is an up-swept exhaust and the airbox looks like a tin can. The handlebar is a custom tall and wide unit. The front suspension is covered in chrome. Because the fenders have been chopped short, the number plate is now placed on the left side just behind the shock absorber.

Mechanically the same

There are no mechanical changes to the engine. So, it gets the 346 cc UCE engine that produces 20 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 28 Nm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Braking duties are done by 280 mm disc in the front 240 mm disc at the rear.

Royal Enfield Meteor replaced Thunderbird

Royal Enfield discontinued the Thunderbird when the BS6 emission norms kicked in. Thunderbird was replaced by the Meteor 350 that was launched last year. The design of the Meteor resembles a lot to the Thunderbird. Meteor debuted with an all-new frame and an all-new engine.

It gets a new twin downtube spine chassis that is stiffer and better than the old Thunderbird’s chassis. Because of the new chassis, there is a huge improvement in the way the motorcycle now rides and handles. It gets an all-new J-Series engine which is still a 349 cc unit but now it is air-oil cooled. The engine puts out 20 bhp of max power and 27 Nm of peak torque. The engine comes mated to a slick-shifting 5-speed gearbox.

The figures might look similar on paper but there is a huge difference in the way the new engine feels. There are no vibrations even when you rev the engine hard. The motorcycle feels a lot more eager and the engine is still torquey. The gearbox is also now a lot smoother and does not get false neutrals.

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