Date line: June 16, 2009
I am fortunate to be able to report seat of the pants
experiences riding the new Triumph Thunderbird. Of course, I will be using
plenty of positive words, but please remember virtually every Triumph released
in the past 5 years has been a top ten bike, meaning it was noted as one of the
top ten bikes available for the year it was released. In the case of the Daytona
675 we can site three consecutive years being awarded the international master
bike nod for its displacement category. Triumph has simply released a string of
great handling and great performing motorcycles, so there is no doubt that the
Thunderbird has some serious standards to maintain.
Besides releasing another Cycleworld Magazine Top Ten
Winner, Triumph has proven it can design and build some of the best bikes in the
world. That’s right, the new Thunderbird already received the Cruiser of the
Year award. The bike is handsome, well integrated and performs accordingly.
Riding the new Thunderbird was a joy. It is the finest
riding cruiser I have ever been on, and I have ridden a mountain of them.
Shifting is smooth and power is plentiful. You can ride the bike and short shift
it like a V-Twin, the bike feels super torquey. If you roll hard on the throttle
you will feel a rumble beneath you as you are forced to the rear of the seat. As
you approach the 6500 red line the bike pulls with authoritative thrust and you
feel the motor pulsing beneath you. Roll off the throttle and the bike will
cruise along smoothly at as low as 1000 rpm. If you roll on the throttle again
in any gear the claimed 107 ft/lbs. of torque provide you with an overwhelming
sense of power. I won’t mention the ability to ………….on power in second gear, but
just know this bike has plenty of useable power.
This bike is definitely a cruiser and is very happy to ride
along in a super smooth and relaxed fashion. Handling is superb, with ample
cornering clearance and a confidence inspiring chassis. The ride is plush and
comfortable, yet the bike remains agile and on its line through bumpy turns.
This bike handles corners better than the leagues of H-D’s and Japanese cruisers
it was designed to compete with.
Midway through a sweeping corner I had the pleasure of a
driver on the phone in an old Chrysler K car convertible make a U turn directly
in front of me. The man’s eyes widened as he saw I was headed straight for his
door. A quick grab of the front brake lever put the four piston dual disc Nissan
calipers to work. When combined with a push on the pedal of the rear Brembo
equipped brake the Thunderbird came to a smooth, near panic stop, and I was able
to confidently roll past the rear bumper of the offending Chrysler pilot. So,
while I thought the Thunderbird’s brake set up was great under normal operation,
it proved to be outstanding when really needed. Triumph has given the new
Thunderbird sport bike quality brakes, and handling that will surprise operators
of any style of motorcycle.
In summary, the new 2010 Triumph Thunderbird never failed
to impress. It gained plenty of attention when parked downtown, and its blue and
white striped paint received many positive comments. The bike looks great
parked, but as it should be, it’s real character shined when ridden on the road.
We expect to have a Thunderbird demo model available soon,
or you can come on in and sit on the unit we have on display in the showroom. We
have been taking deposits on them and have already sent one happy customer on
his way down the road on a new Triumph Thunderbird. Feel free to call us or stop
in and check out the bike or just order your own Thunderbird.
