The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X is targeted at young urban riders. It rivals the UM Renegade Sports S, which is UM’s least expensive liquid-cooled cruiser.
The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X looks more contemporary than the regular variant, and gets alloy wheels wrapped with tubeless tyres for the first time. The seat is also a single-piece ‘Gunslinger’ unit, and along with the flatter handlebars, the riding position is slightly sporty. The UM Renegade Sports S has a design that is reminiscent of the Harley-Davidson Street 750, particularly its café-racer inspired headlight cowl. UM targets urban tourers with the bike. The Sports S also comes with LED light strips below the tank and a USB charging port.
| Specifications | Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350X | UM Renegade Sports S |
| Engine | 346 cc single cylinder with air cooling and carburettor | 279.5 cc single cylinder with liquid cooling and fuel injection |
| Maximum Power | 19.8 bhp at 5,250 rpm | 25.15 PS @8500 RPM |
| Peak Torque | 28 Nm at 4,000 rpm | 23 NM @7000 RPM |
| Transmission | 5-speed | 6-speed |
| Front Suspension | 41 mm telescopic fork | 41 mm telescopic fork |
| Rear Suspension | Twin gas-charged shock absorbers | Twin hydraulic springs |
| Front Brake | 280 mm disc | 280 mm disc |
| Rear Brake | 240 mm disc | 130 mm drum |
| Front Tyre | 90 / 90 - 19" - 52 P TL | 110/90-16 |
| Rear Tyre | 120 / 80 - 18" - 62 P TL | 140/90-15 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 20 litres | 18 litres |
| Kerb Weight | 195 kg | 179 kg |
| Ground Clearance | 135 mm | 200 mm |
| Price | INR 1,56,849, ex-showroom Delhi | INR 1,59,652, ex-showroom Delhi |
While the price difference between the two motorcycles is only INR 2,803, the Sports S enjoys a much more sophisticated engine, and has a 5.35 PS power advantage over the 350X. It is also lighter than the 350X by 16 kg. However, the Thunderbird 350X gives out 5 Nm more than the Sports S. The 6-speed transmission will help the Sports S achieve better cruising speed than the Thunderbird.
The Thunderbird, on the other hand, features disc brakes on both ends and has a larger fuel tank capacity as well. The headlamp is a projector unit whereas the Sports S comes with halogen. The brand reach of Royal Enfield is also relatively superior to UM. But UM offers a four-year/ 40,000 km extended warranty, whichever comes first.
