The new Thunderbird 350X is Royal Enfield’s attempt at attracting urban buyers. Although it is based on the regular Thunderbird 350, it gets a slew of cosmetic upgrades to set it apart from the crowd. We take a look at how it stacks up against its biggest competitor, the Bajaj Dominar 400.
Design and features
While the Thunderbird gets classic styling with lots of chrome, the Thunderbird 350X gets blacked out engine, frame, exhaust and handlebar. The bike has even traded the spoke wheels for alloy wheels and tubeless tyres, a first for Royal Enfield. The instrument cluster gets twin chrome-rimmed clocks with analogue dials and a digital display.
The Dominar 400 also targets urban buyers, but it takes a ‘power cruiser’ approach. Whereas the Thunderbird 350X is an urban cruiser, the Dominar 400 has muscular styling cues which give it a sporty appeal. The instrument cluster consists of two displays, one on the tank and the other above the handlebar. And while the Thunderbird 350X has to make do with a projector headlamp, the Dominar 400 goes a step further with LED units.
Engine
It might seem like Royal Enfield has moved on with the times with the Thunderbird 350X, but under its skin is the same old engine. At the heart of the Thunderbird 350X is the same 346cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine. This engine delivers 19.8bhp and 28Nm of torque through a five-speed speed transmission.
The Dominar 400 in comparison gets a monster of an engine. The 373cc single-cylinder unit has been derived from KTM’s powertrain. It is liquid-cooled and fuel injected, and churns out 34.5bhp and 35Nm of torque. The six-speed transmission also gets a slipper clutch. The Dominar 400 is also lighter at 182 kilograms, whereas the Thunderbird 350X tips the scales at 195 kilograms.
Cycle parts
Both the Thunderbird 350X and the Dominar 400 use a conventional telescopic forks setup at the front, although the latter gets beefier 43mm units in place of the 41mm units on the Thunderbird 350X. The Thunderbird 350X gets twin gas-charged shock absorbers while the Dominar 400 gets a monoshock. Both get preload adjustability.
Both the bikes get a front and rear disc for the brake setup. The Dominar 400 gets a bigger 320mm front disc while the Thunderbird 350X gets a 280mm front disc. As for the rear, the latter gets a 240mm disc as compared to the Dominar 400’s 230mm disc. The Dominar 400 also gets an ABS system as an optional extra.
Pricing
The Thunderbird 350X is priced at Rs 1.56 lakhs, which makes it Rs 6,840 more expensive than the standard Thunderbird 350. That is quite a price to pay for a few cosmetic updates, alloy wheels and tubeless tyres. The Dominar 400 is way more affordable at Rs 1.42 lakhs. Even with the optional ABS, the Dominar 400 is on par with the Thunderbird 350X at Rs 1.56 lakhs.
All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.
