Motorcycle Apex

Japan unveiled a new electric motorbike, EV-X7, which is said to be prototype that carries hybrid magnetic motor in it. The magnetic motor is built into its rear wheel, which is a hybrid between an electromagnet and a permanent magnet. The company claims that the bike can run almost noiselessly up to 180kms or 112miles on one charge. Tested top speed is somewhere around 150kmph or 93mph.

It was designed by the Axle Group in Japan. And it is believed that EV-X7 takes a little over 6hrs to fully charge the battery. Tokyo based Axle Corp says that the battery of the next generation electric vehicle motorbike can be charged at home just like your cellular phone! The company plans to start selling a mini-scooter version of the magnetic-powered bike next year, which will be priced at about $2100.

Watch more hybrid motorcycle videos.

The name Royal Enfield has been synonymous with Indian motorbikes since many decades now. Renowned for its sturdiness, a muscular appearance and of course its characteristic engine beats, it still is a favorite amongst the riders of the yesteryears and today’s generation too.

The styling of the Thunderbird is definitely ‘retro’. The low seating, chopper style handlebars and the chrome looks are definitely classy.

The Thunderbird is the first model to incorporate Enfield’s Unit revolutionary Unit Construction Engine.

The Thunderbird is powered by a 346 cc, OHV, 4-stroke, single cylinder air cooled, twin spark plug engine. It is capable of churning out 19.8 BHP@ 5250 rpm. The instrument panel includes a fuel guage, a speedo, an RPM meter and a warning indicator.

It has a five-speed gear box as compared to the 4-speed, found on the earlier Royal Enfield Bullets. The front suspension comprises of telescopic shock absorbers with hydraulic damping and the rear houses swing arm gas shocks. The fuel tank has a capacity of 15.5L and a reserve of 2L.

The bike is equipped with 280 mm hydraulic disc brakes at the front for sharp deceleration. The rear wheels house 6” drum brakes. The tires are also rugged, to cope with rough road conditions.

One of the unique features of the Thunderbird is that the gear shifter is mounted on the left and the rear brake pedal is positioned on the right (in the earlier Royal Enfields and even on today’s Bullet 350 and the Bullet Electra, the positioning is opposite, which would be disadvantageous for someone used to riding bikes with right mounted brake pedal and left mounted gear shifter) with the majority of bikes both in the Indian market and abroad sharing the same positioning. This development was something riders in India have been wanting from a long time.

The Bullet Machismo, The Bullet Machismo 500 and the Bullet Electra 5S share the same shifter and rear brake pedal positioning as the Thunderbird.

The Thunderbird surely makes for a great bike, especially when the roads are rough and uneven and of course for those long effortless rides on highways.