I keep finding myself coming back to this and the royal thread, when I buy a new complete (with the blessings from my doctor) should I get royals or thunders?
Man, super tough call.
Best thing about royals is the lack of downsides some whined (BenD included) about the baseplate design being hard to slide; I've slide mine, slides fine?
Royals are faster turning Ventures. They NEED harder bushings if you find them too soft out of the gate, as they never firm up.
What I like about them the most is they give me the best of each 'camp' , i.e, it's a 52mm stable/quick return to center truck with less twitch / wheelbite than thunder (and better baseplate length if that's a thing for you) but has that venture stability yet turns smoothly like an indy and can be a bit squirrly like ACE (stock bushings); pinch venture/thunder style, grind better than ventures but take some break in time get smooth feeling (like that indy feel). Standards are the same weight as indy ti and ultra lights are damn near the perfect weight, and have a neutral effect on WB (much like an indy). Pop is closer to venture than thunder.
Thunders grind a bit better out of the gate, can be lower (forged) and lighter (ti) if that's your thing, pinch ever so slightly better (that wheelbite coming into play here) and come in more styles/colors.
Hot take: Royals are the smoothest, 'responsive/nimble' truck (i.e., Venture / Thunder camp) and not the twitchiest or carviest (ACE/Indy camp), they make thunder feel very 'simplistic' / less refined somehow, re-inforce that venture turn delay and showcase just how slow (but smooth) Indys can be; last time I stepped on indy TI, I instantly went 'ew gross' slow/sluggish/heavy and made my board sound dead).
FWIW I am currently skating 149 Thunder Ti and enjoying them immensely with my current setup. Light and super twitchy - but with 100a hard bushings to help negate wheelbite...still happens...I just get to a point where the truck just says fuck it and tilts all the way, so they're a pretty rigid turn, not tight.
Was on Ventures for months (that's long for me
when I hopped back on thunders and royals I had that "oh, right instant turn vs delayed and have had a tough time skating ventures after (even just dropping the board down and cruising)...Thunder had that 'yeah it's thunders' feel (gotta watch the wheelbite) were I felt like I always had to be 'balancing' to stay center, but as soon as I hopped on the royals they just felt right, just so damn smooth (ACE hard bushings if you want tighter, ACE mediums for a bit more play); I'm currently running the MEDIUM bottom but the HARD top (medium top is softer by 5 duro)
TL:DR I'd say give them a fair shot if you've ridden thunders before and want something different that's very EASY to 'just skate' just expect to have loose as hell trucks with the stock bushings and pick up some ACE bushings.