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Triumph Thunderbird – A Second Opinion
There can’t be many British bikers who don’t even feel the slightest twinge of nationalistic pride when considering the success of the new Triumphs. My own view is not entirely objective as my garage has had a 1969 T100R Daytona lurking in it for some years, whilst day-to-day transport has included a GPz1100, a BMW100RS and a CBR600. Before buying the CBR, I had considered a new Triumph, but the 80’s styling and the high and heavy feel to them kept me Japanese. Then along came the Thunderbird and I can’t say I wasn’t tempted.
The Thunderbird’s retro look is aimed squarely at anybody with a soft spot for the old styling. It’s a much more substantial machine than any old generation Triumph and as such the styling is chunkier looking a bit (to use a horse breeding expression) Triumph out of Harley – unfortunately I’m not a Harley fan and these styling cues spoil the classic look. The clocks are very Sportster-esque and as for that rear mudguard with the bottom mounted number plate…well it all looks more Milwaukee than Meriden, an impression heightened by the CHiPs style windscreen.
The T-Bird is a friendly bike for all its Wild One posturing. The high centre of gravity that makes the 1200 Daytona feel top heavy and ponderous isn’t apparent here. I soon discovered that the tacho needle flies round with great ease but meets the rev limiter distressingly early – at least it does for somebody used to a CBR. Charging hard into some sweeping bends, the slightly…erm…’loud’ pipes produced a pleasing chorus of ‘brrrapps’ on the overrun in a very familiar T100 fashion as I stamped down through the sometimes woolly gear box. The warm fluffy sentiments I experienced faded as the chassis fishtailed on the brakes and the front wheel suddenly felt very distant through those long bouncy forks. It took a few corners to discover that the bike does this with a degree of predictability, and there’s nothing like the infamous 60s ‘Triumph whip’ here, just a feeling of being slightly remote from the action.
The engine has always been the best part of any Triumph and the de-tuned Thunderbird lump is no exception. While it pulls hard in every gear, any sustained speed was effectively limited to 70mph by the heavy turbulence coming off the screen. The Thunderbird needs to be viewed in perspective though – I was trying to ride it in the manner that I would ride the CBR which is simply not the environment that the Triumph was designed to deal with. In the 50’s and 60’s, the Triumphs that the Thunderbird mimics were lean nimble sports machines. This 1996 incarnation is designed for looking good and taking for a gentle bimble on a Sunday afternoon – and at that it excels. No wonder Triumph are selling them by the boatload in the USA.
Given the choice of a 1969 or 96 Triumph, which would I choose? Sorry, Mr Bloor, but I’ll stay with 1969 – but produce a mid-range sports Triumph with a perimeter frame around that engine and I might not be a CBR600 rider for very much longer.
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