Royal Enfield has launched the Thunderbird 500, now equipped with ABS. This makes for a very interesting dilemma for the customer looking for a tourer equipped with ABS in the Rs 2 lakh bracket – the choice is available, whether you want a cruiser (Thunderbird), a power cruiser/muscle bike (Dominar), or a sport tourer (CBR 250R).
We begin with the Thunderbird 500. This hasn’t changed much since its launch in the early 2000s, but the mid-life refresh it got in 2012 brought with it some much-needed features, like a projector low beam headlamp that improved lighting a lot over the previous model. It also gets a 20-litre fuel tank that promises a real-world tank range of nearly 600km, the largest by far of the three motorcycles here. It has the largest-displacement engine at 499cc, but it is the only one that is air-cooled. That means the power figure of 27bhp isn’t as impressive as its displacement suggests. The impressive figure is the torque figure of 41Nm – far and away the highest figure here. Still, the lack of a sixth speed for the gearbox blunts some of the performance further. The Thunderbird is for those who want a laid-back experience on their long ride. If you prefer a little zip to your ride, you’re better off with the Dominar.
The Dominar has the most impressive list of features here. It has an all-digital ‘reverse LCD’ instrument cluster, a perimeter frame for a chassis, and an LED headlamp with a high beam that could blind oncoming drivers even during the day, making night touring a relatively risk-free affair. The Dominar’s liquid-cooled 373cc single-cylinder engine generates 35bhp and 35Nm. Coupled with the six-speed gearbox, it has the best outright performance here. The chassis makes it a good handler even in the corners, but it isn’t as good as the CBR 250R at lean angles. Given the number of features and performance offered, the Dominar looks like the best value here.
The Honda CBR 250R offers the smallest engine here, at 250cc – half the displacement of the Thunderbird. It generates 26bhp and 23Nm thanks to liquid cooling and puts it through a six-speed gearbox, so performance isn’t dull, but it isn’t as gutsy as the Thunderbird, and neither does it have the outright pace of the Bajaj. What it offers is refinement in spades, and a braking system that is far ahead of the other two in the combined braking system. The front brake is also actuated when only the rear brake is engaged, bringing stopping distances down for the most part. The instrument cluster is a digital one, but with an analogue tachometer. The headlamp is an LED one. The full fairing means that touring at speed is more comfortable on the Honda, thanks to the protection it offers from the windblast.
All three bikes offer fuel injection, a rear disc brake, and dual-channel ABS. The Bajaj Dominar 400 ABS is the most affordable motorcycle here by a fair margin, with an ex-showroom price of ₹ 1.63 lakh. The Honda CBR 250R ABS is next, at ₹ 1.94 lakhs. The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 ABS is the most expensive, at ₹ 2.05 lakhs. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.
