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Choosing between a Royal Enfield Thunderbird and UM Renegade Commando

Deciding between the Royal Enfield Thunderbird and UM Renegade Commando.
1 min read4 Dec '17
Autocar India News Desk

I’m confused between the RE Thunderbird and the UM Renegade Commando. Please tell me about the Renegade’s performance. Which one should I go for?
Devendra Kumar, Bhopal

AAA Although both these motorcycles fall in the same cruiser genre, they have very different characters. With the Royal Enfield Thunderbird, you get the pleasure of that large, single-cylinder 350/500cc motor that is abundant with torque, and has a lot of character that comes with the vintage cruiser styling. RE has also been steadily ironing out reliability issues on its motorcycles. With the UM Renegade Commando, you get the benefit of slightly more refinement and a liquid-cooled 280cc motor. You also get traditional American cruiser styling that really gives the bike a commanding road presence. UM Motorcycles too has been working on fixing its finishing and reliability issues. So it all boils down to a personal choice. Both bikes have extremely comfortable ergonomics that’s expected from cruiser motorcycles. It’s better you test-ride both and see which one suits your riding style and body type better. In terms of performance, the Thunderbird 350 and Commando are similar, but with the RE, you get that added grunt from the extra displacement.

India Bike Week 2017 - Highlights

The fifth-edition of IBW lived up to the hype with more participants, more events, biker groups, accessory shops and many, many revving engines.
2 min read1 Dec '17
Firoze Irani

BMW Motorrad in full show at IBW 2017.

Harley-Davidson had a mini-flat track, a first at IBW.

Incredible art at the MotoArt Project.

Even more art from the MotoArt Project.

Believe it or not but this custom bike was once a bog standard Royal Enfield Continental GT.

More custom bikes on display.

Spring loaded. Check out the unique suspension set-up on this custom motorcycle.

The BMW R nineT Racer launched at IBW.

Beautiful Carberry-powered custom motorcycle by Rag & Bones.

The view from the BMW Motorrad Lounge.

There was a carnival-like atmosphere at IBW 2017.

The custom built Harley-Davidson three-wheeler.

Freddie Spencer and Leslie Porterfield at IBW.

The calm before the storm at IBW. The bikes entered from here.

India's best track bikes 2017

We brought a varied selection of motorcycles to the track this year and while some impressed as expected, others pulled a surprise.
7 min read20 Nov '17
Sherman Hale Nazareth

Getting the tyre pressure right for the track is vital.

Masking tape seems crucial for data collection.

Immediate processing of data eliminates errors.

Although 3.55sec off the fastest time, the GSX-R1000R is a potent machine.

Setting lap times while the track temperature was at 47deg mark was no easy feat.

A crash from an earlier race and an injured finger – not enough to stop a world-class racer, though.

Scuffed toe sliders indicate just how hard Rajini was pushing to set these lap times.

The greatest bikes of yesteryear

Four motorcycles that India loved and lost in time. A ride down memory lane.
7 min read16 Nov '17
Joy Chaudhuri

During Mumbai’s monsoons, Vinay Gurav’s immaculately restored GTS 175 is housed in his fourth-floor apartment.

Alok Balsekar astride his pride and joy.

The front disc was given the axe in the Indian RD350 to save costs.

The BMW F650 did not come with the famous Boxer engine, but used an Austrian Rotax instead.

Sriram Iyer with his Funduro.

An early advertising pamphlet of the very first Yezdi Model B.

Rajesh Khedekar owns five Yezdis.

1975 BMW R75/6 ride experience

We go back into the ’70s to experience some of the most marvellous German motorcycle engineering of the time, the 1975 BMW R75/6.
5 min read29 Sep '17
Sherman Hale Nazareth

The original BMW MotoMeter works perfectly.

Electric start works like on any modern bike.

Bing carburettors upsized for performance.

Original BMW seat is very comfortable.

The 200mm disc brake at the front sets the /6 series apart.

Original BMW R75/6 badging sourced from Germany.

Even the foldable, circular key is original.

Purazar Fouzdar, the proud owner of this brilliant machine.

Approachable big bikes: all you need to know

We walk you through the three best entry-level big bikes under Rs 7 lakh and the costs of living with each.
7 min read27 Sep '17
Rishaad Mody

Rear cylinder on the H-D Street Rod generates a lot of heat.

The Street Rod's exhaust creates awkward foot position.

Street Rod gets rather basic instrumentation.

Low rider seat on the Street Rod is comfortable but tiny pillion perch is unnerving.

Round foot peg edge on the Benelli is very slippery.

The TNT 600i has clean-looking dials; lacks a gear position indicator.

Underseat exhausts on the TNT 600i sound great and use good heat insulation.

Pre-load and rebound-adjustable shock on the Benelli TNT 600i.

Adjustable levers on both sides of the Kawasaki Z650.

The Z650's underslung exhaust is prone to scraping.

Chunky tank on the Z650 adds big-bike feel but a wider handlebar would be nice.

The Kawasaki's funky-looking dials are informative, easy to read.