Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark VS Thunderbird 500: Difference and Comparison

Which one to buy and what is the difference between the two apart from the displacement is something that every Royal Enfield Enthusiast today is wondering today? With the launch of the new Thunderbird 500 Auto Expo 2012 New Delhi Royal Enfield has not only has raised the bar but also has shown to the companies like Triumph and Harley Davidson that they are entering the Lion’s den.

A few years back I wrote about Thunderbird Twinspark and was thrilled at the whole idea of this genuine Indian cruiser from the stable of Royal Enfield. Though Royal Enfield has improved their Thunderbird Twinspark in last few years but the all new Thunderbird 500 has seen some noticeable changes that took the level of Royal Enfield to the next level. Rather I would say that with the launch of Royal Enfield Classic, company had made it clear to the motorcycle world that they are going to come up with some exciting products in future.

Differences between the Thunderbird Twinspark and Thunderbird 500

The most visible difference is the color of the engine. The Thunderbird Twinspark sports a chrome color engine while the new Thunderbird 500 has a black color engine. It’s not up to the RE enthusiast to decide whether they like a Black color Engine or a Chrome one. I think that RE will come up with both the color option on the engine to make it easy for the bullet lovers.

The next big difference is the headlight. The new Thunderbird 500 sports a stunningly beautiful headlight that sets it apart straight away. I hope RE will make this headlamp a standard in the Thunderbird Twinspark as well.

The cap of the fuel tank is shifted slightly to right side which not only looks good but also will help in saving your fuel tank from scratches while filling your Thunderbird 500. Speedometer in Thunderbird 500 is been topped up and looks more attractive now. There are three shades of black available in Thunderbird 500 which is not in the case of Thunderbird Twinspark. The backrest for the pillion rider in Thunderbird 500 is now more attractive and gives better support to the lower back and there is an all new tail light which looks far more attractive than Thunderbird Twinspark. Apart from this there are many other small and nice changes made in the new Thunderbird 500 which you will come to know once you will see it on the roads in next 2 months or so.

Apart from the cosmetic and some practical changes that Royal Enfield team made there is this biggest difference in the engine displacement. As we all know that Thunderbird Twinspark is a 350cc machine and Thunderbird 500 is a 500cc machine. I have made a comparative chart below of the specifications (curtsey RE website) for you.