Removable windshields come in a variety of sizes and have a quick-detach system (as do the backrests) for swift conversions. Like most cruiser lines, the T-Bird has a raft of optional bolt-on accessories that can transform a basic cruiser into a light-duty tourer. Trick Out Your TrumpetĪ bounty of accessories keeps customers happy and dealers in business, so Triumph has already developed a purported 100 new products for the Thunderbird, the most for any one Triumph model. Standard mirrors provide a clear view rearward, and self-canceling turnsignals are a welcome standard feature. The pegs aren’t too much of a stretch for shortish legs (so some weight can be taken off a derrière) yet are still tolerable for long ones. The pillion seat is narrow (though removable), so you might want to browse Triumph’s accessory catalog (see sidebar below) if you value bringing a partner along for the ride. The seat is wide and supportive, and its seams are taped to prevent water entry. The T-Bird’s cockpit proves to be a pleasant place to inhale horizons. The T-16 does get a bit buzzy above 4000 rpm, but the tranny’s overdrive sixth gear keeps you away from those revs at cruising speeds. Yet the Hinckley Twin has plenty of twist on tap near the bottom, and the vertical Twin’s 6500-rpm rev ceiling gives it some upper-rpm thrust where other cruisers have already hit their rev limiters. It has the same claimed torque as the new Vulcan 1700, but the $12,299 Kawi’s peak arrives 500 rpm sooner and feels like it. Grabbing a handful gives you the full-monty power map.Īs one of the few cruiser engines with an oversquare bore/stroke ratio, it’s difficult to draw a clear bead on how the T-16 stacks up against other cruiser motors. The electronics realize that a slow twist of the throttle doesn’t require a big power response, so it uses a more conservative map for fuel and ignition, making the T-Bird docile when you want it to be. Throttle response proves to be smooth in all conditions, thanks in part to the engine responding to one of two separate maps depending on how quickly the throttle is opened. Keeping things peaceful are helical-cut transmission gears (quieter than spur gears) and a belt final drive, the latter Triumph’s first since the 1920s. Clutch effort is relatively light, and the gearbox has short, positive throws that make it as snickety-snick as a big-inch cruiser tranny gets. The T-Bird, at a stated weight of 756 lbs with its 5.8-gallon tank full of fuel, was never going to handle as friendly as a scooter, but it’s surprisingly compliant at low speeds. For more insight into the T-Birds styling, check out an interview with Prentice. Its fuel tank, though curvaceous and seamless, seems to sit a little too high because of clearance needed for the engine’s vertical cylinders. Clean lines and the remarkably uncluttered liquid-cooled engine are its highlights. Tim Prentice, who has styled the Honda Rune, Yamaha Road Star and Triumph Rocket 3 Touring, spent the bulk of three years working on the T-Bird project with Triumph. There’s also no such thing as a viable cruiser that’s ugly, so the UK-based Triumph turned to an American designer to define how an inline-Twin cruiser should look. A pleasantly tight turning circle is an unexpected bonus. The handlebar greets hands a bit further forward than some laid-back cruisers, putting a rider’s spine in a comfortable position slightly rotated forward. There’s no such thing as a viable cruiser with a tall seat height, so the T-Bird boasts a wide and well-padded saddle 27.6 inches above the ground (same as the Dyna), and this ensures a cruiser-typical feet-forward riding position. A beefy 47mm Showa fork is raked out at 32 degrees with 151mm of trail, while dual Showa shocks with 5-position preload adjustability (wrench under the seat) anchor down the back end. A twin-spine steel-tube frame uses the engine as a stressed member for a stout platform within its fairly tidy 63.6-inch wheelbase, 0.6 inch shorter than the Harley Dyna Super Glide Custom that Triumph used as one of its targets. Torque crests at 2750 rpm with an alleged 108 ft-lbs.Īside from that parallel-Twin affront to Big Twin cruiserdom, the T-Bird plays the rest of the game in a straightforward manner. Triumph claims this new mill pounds out a claimed 85-hp peak at 4850 rpm when measured at the crankshaft. Thumps from the 800cc pistons are quelled with twin balance shafts (front, rear) plus a crank-mounted torsional damper. This all-new “T-16” engine, at 98 cubic inches, is the world’s largest production parallel-Twin motor.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |