Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X Vs. Classic 350 Comparison: Specs, Price, Mileage & Features

Design

Visually, the Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X looks similar to the standard Thunderbird 350, but gets cosmetic upgrades.

The Thunderbird 350X features new and vibrant glossy paint, finished only on the fuel tank.

The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X will be available in two different colours: Whimsical White and Roving Red.

The 350X gets a new shorter handlebar compared to cruiser style of the standard model, new 9-spoke alloy wheels with MRF Nylogrip Zapper tubeless tyres; a first for Royal Enfield motorcycles.

The exhaust and the telescopic fork are finished in matte black, as do the top and bottom ends of the dual shock absorbers at the rear.

Another new for a Royal Enfield motorcycle is the ‘Gunslinger' seat design compared to the dual seats of the Thunderbird 350.

The new Thunderbird 350X also loses the pillion backrest and gets a new grab rail design which looks modern and sporty, in tune with the rest of the motorcycle's appeal.

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The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is a true blue Royal Enfield with its retro-design elements complimented by few modern touches.

The design of the Classic 350 reminds us of the retro bikes from decades ago; especially the chrome bordered round headlight and the handlebar.

Other elements include the body painted suspension, iconic teardrop fuel tank and the mudguard which reinforces the retro styling.

The Classic 350 is available in eight different colours: Ash, Chestnut, Lagoon, Silver, Black, and the new Redditch Red, Green and Blue, as well as the newly launched Gunmetal Grey, paint scheme.

The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X is designed to resonate with ‘the new-age motorcyclists' sense of self-expression and individualism'.

The Classic 350 is designed to bring out the retro-charm of a motorcycle, and the bike is a tried and tested motorcycle from Royal Enfield.

Overall Design Rating

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X 8/10
Royal Enfield Classic 350 7.5/10

Features

As mentioned before, the Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X features black alloy wheels with contrasting rings on its periphery.

The wheels are shod with tubeless tyres, disc brakes at both ends, new flat handlebar has been dropped to give a more aggressive which makes for a more committed riding stance.

The digi-analogue twin-pod instrument also gets blackout theme with chrome garnish around the dials.

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 features multi-spoke steel wheel shod with tube tyres reminiscent of the bygone era of classic motorcycles.

The Classic 350 gets a circular analogue instrument console with speedometer, odometer and tell-tale lights.

Braking duties are carried out by a disc brake at the front and drum brake at the rear.

The Thunderbird 350X is indeed feature-rich compared to the Classic 350. That said, the Classic 350 is designed to reflect the retro charm.

Overall Features Rating

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X 8/10
Royal Enfield Classic 350 7/10

Engine Specifications, Gearbox & Mileage

Both the Royal Thunderbird 350X and Classic 350 draw power from the same 346cc single-cylinder engine which produces 19.8bhp and 28Nm of torque and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

The Thunderbird 350X mileage was not revealed by Royal Enfield; however, based on real-world conditions, the bikes are expected to deliver 25 to 30 kpl.

Overall Engine Rating

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X 8/10
Royal Enfield Classic 350 8/10

Pricing

Royal Enfield has launched the Thunderbird 350X with a price tag of Rs 1.56 lakh ex-showroom (Delhi).

Prices for the Classic 350 starts at Rs 1.35 lakh and goes up to Rs 1.47 lakh for the Gunmetal Grey colour scheme.

The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X is nearly Rs 20,000 more than the Classic 350, but it comes with several company-first features such as alloy wheels with tubeless tyres and disc brakes at both ends among others.

Verdict

When compared to the Royal Enfield Classic 350, the Thunderbird 350X scores better in terms of features.

Both the bikes employ the same engine, and mechanically one is not superior to the other.

If you are looking to buy an upgraded Royal Enfield 350cc motorcycle, the Thunderbird 350X should be your choice. But if you are looking to buy a retro-design Royal Enfield, then the Classic 350 could be your choice.