Royal Enfield is likely to replace the Thunderbird series with the new Meteor, which has now been spied testing without any camouflage.
We can now confirm that the upcoming cruiser from Royal Enfield will be named Meteor, replacing Thunderbird permanently. It has been spied in India, probably in its final stages of testing because there is no camouflage on it.
Thunderbird made is debut in India in the early 2000s. Over the years, it received many upgrades, a complete makeover and the styling Thunderbird X series. Now, the brand name will be replaced by another legend, Meteor, which actually came out in 1953.
On the side panel of the spied test mule, you can clearly see Meteor written. That confirms the name of one out of the four upcoming motorcycles from RE. The new bike will get major mechanical upgrades and some improvement to the ergonomics too.
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First of all, Meteor will get a heavily revised 350cc air-cooled fuel-injected unit. The engine will be more powerful and offer more torque. The Classic 350 is already BS6 compliant and uses the same refreshed engine. The motor will come mated to a 5-speed MT as earlier.
The frame of the motorcycle will undergo some revisions so as to make it lighter than the outgoing Royal Enfield Thunderbird. The position of the footpegs will be adjusted along with the position of the handlebar, to make it a more comfortable ride.
RE Meteor will be offered only with a 350cc engine/ since the bigger 500cc unit has been taken off the charts. New highlights of the cruiser could include more colour options, a semi-digital instrument cluster, dual-channel ABS and Fuel Injection as standard.
RE is now revamping its entire lineup to improve its declining sales in our country. Over the year, it has taken a couple of measures like introducing the more-affordable base variants of Bullet and Classic and discontinuing the 500cc engine. In future, it could bring out a smaller engine for its motorcycles to make them even cheaper.
Also Read: Price Of BS6 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Out; Bookings Open
There are four new models upcoming from Royal Enfield in the near future. That includes Meteor, a roadster-type cruiser, a smaller adventure motorcycle and probably, a bigger capacity motorcycle. All of them will be out on the roads by the next year.
