Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes The Thunderbird

I want to see it in person and maybe take a test drive. Likely I'll BB my America when it needs rings and pickup a RocketIII for cross country. It's a good looking bike from the photos but the styling definitly seems to have roots in the 3 cylinder T-birds. I would like to see that big motor on a Speedmaster or America offspring.

While you guys were talking....I put my money where my mouth is!

Put down a deposit today on a new Thunderbird up at Baxter Cycle!

Now I only have to wait a year for the darn thing to show up!!!

After looking at the same pics over and over I still have about the same feelings about the bike. There was a some what of a negative reaction at first though. The bottom line is that there are some things I like about it and some things I don't. So far there is not enough of the things I like for me to get rid of the Speedmaster. But I'm holding any final opinion until I see it for my self. I am very curious to find out the H.P.s and the weight of the new Thunderbird.

Have been waiting for this bike, as I find my America alittle underpowered two up with all the camping gear. didn't fancy doing long hauls on it. Now I have seen it, first in pictures, then followed one (tester) out of Hinckley, on Coalville Road. Have to say pictures don't do it justice, but it still looks like a Jap bike. So have now ordered myself a R3.
Sorry Triumph but as with the R3 Trourer, you have got it wrong.

I don't understand how you guys don't like the looks of this bike. It looks exactly like my america, only with a radiator on it. Because of that, I consider it a vast "improvement" over the america. Been in alot of traffic jams and was worried about cooking the motor. Don't need that. If they follow the same lines of the past with some nice two tone colors "I would buy one".


Jerry

Rob, great post and right on target. Some of you might not like the Thunderbird, which is fine. You might not like the radiator on the R3 or the Thunderbird. Get use to it, because in a couple of years every bike sold in the US will have a radiator on it per EPA requirements. It's either 2010 or 2012 the EPA is imposing stricter noise requirements on engines. Which will at the least require an oil jacket on the engine and most likely a water jacket to meet those standards.

Tom

The way they did the radiator came out a whole lot better than I expected. They apparently copied Honda more than the Rocket. I guess it would look sorta like my America if you fixed the bobbed fender, straightened the pipes, changed the tank and seat...

I could live with the radiator and seat, but I'm curious what future changes are in store. I do agree they could have done a lot better. Right now I'm sticking with my air cooled, BB America.

Just got back from a 1200 mile 8 day trip - 531 miles in 9hrs and 52 minutes final ride home and I wouldn't trade my Speedmaster for anything but I'm 95% on the idea of adding a new Thunderbird to make a two bike family. After seeing the YouTube video of the Black Thunderbird I'm in love. I wrote a letter to triumph USA in and asked them to consider replacing the tank badge with a more traditional Triumph badge and add a hard bag option like the TR3 touring model with a decent height windscreen and I'd be at 100% before riding one. Lets face it, they need the radiator to satisfy those UK and most likely CA smog regs. while adding the CC's and HP to the twin. I'd love to see carbs. on it but we won’t be seeing those any more either. I'm a customizer of my own bike and see lots of opportunities for changes to this bike as well.
I think the 6-speed and belt drive will make this bike a great touring bike and am looking forward to the idea of using it for that.
I already let my wife know the Speedmaster had to stay but I will stay with Triumph for my next bike. I need a forward controls bike and if not the Thunderbird then most likely a TR3 for a long haul (Coast to Coast) bike.
I heard from someone who went to the dealer show in England and they said the bike has a ton of optional equipment ready to go, that it is a little larger overall than a Speedmaster, and it should be available in about 6 months but production is currently held up to fix something (?). My dealer said it would be about $12K.
I think I want one.

Gary

Glad to see that you made it back home safe and sound. AmyLee is editing the video that was taken on PCH, Cambria to Big Sur run, it will be posted soon. Maybe.
I agree with you on the T-bird, it would make a nice addition to the Triumph fleet.

Bob

I just watched the youtube video for the 20th time and noticed the different bars(just like our speedmasters and they looked good but as with my speedy cause me to reach further forward than the others would as seen in the still photos. Those bars look like the America bars.
For what its worth, I just finished looking as closely as I could at the still photos and noticed a few things.
The new thunderbird has a (as I measured) 33 degree angle on the front forks and the front tire says Metzeler and has a tread pattern the same as its rear tire which is the same as the rear Speedy tire pattern. The rear tire appears to be a low profile tire compared to the speedy but not positive on that.
You can see an exhaust collector box under the middle of the bike just following the exhaust header.
It appears that the exhaust enters this box and exits it right at the inlet of the exhaust silencers/mufflers. This seems to be similar to the rocket three exhaust and possibly used for the location of the exhaust gas sensors for the fuel injection system. Other reasons for this box?
I see many opportunities for customization of the stock parts.
They did a very nice job of keeping the bike opened up where you can see through it especially around the engine keeping the custom striped down look. I bet the bike will have minimum cross wind resistance . They obviously worked hard to find the right angle for taking the pictures but I tried very hard to find the radiator to engine connections and could not.
I have to go to the dealer tomorrow to pick some backordered valve shims and fender bolts that were taken from my saddle bags when I was down south.
I talked to the dealer to day and I have decided that while I'm there I will be putting down a deposit to purchase the first Black 2010 Thunderbird to arrive. The last they heard it could be in as little as six months.
I'm stoked.

Bob, I really enjoyed the video thanks to Amy and you for the work on it.
I should be riding the Thunderbird to Cambria next August.

Gary

Truth be told I really haven't liked the new TBird pics much - fine looking bike but as many have said it looks "generic", unlike the america, speedmaster, & rocket which are unmistakably Triumph. I just viewed the YouTube video for the first time and found myself liking the touring version a lot better, but they've still got that ugly bobbed rear fender on it. (Despite moderating the customs forum, I don't like bobbers! ) Hopefully they'll release a full sized fender for it as an accessory, or we'll be able to source one elsewhere that'll fit. I did read someplace the list of OEM accessories for this bike'll eclipse anything Triumph's done so far, so here's hoping. Anyone out there clever enough with photoshop to do up a pic if a T-bird with a full rear fender?

Those swept pipes have got to go too, I'm sure I can get a pair of straight slashcuts that'll fit it from someplace. (Get the feeling I'm trying to make a T-bird look as much like my america as possible here?)

I did a photoshop job on that bike... I did not do a full rear fender job.

It is somewhere around here but if you don't wanna search for it just click My Flickr gallery link bellow.

Gary,

Did your dealer have a reliable source to back up the six-month claim?! I keep hearing September...would love for it to show up in March or April though!

Matt,
My dealer is a high volume dealer and went to England for the bikes preview. I'm told that he gets what he asks for from Triumph.
I went to the dealer on Thursday to pick up my Speedmaster valve shims and fender bolts and while there put down the $500 deposit on a, preference, Black 2010 T-Thunderbird. The dealerships owner was there and although he had said before (in early august) about 6 months he has now pretty much said that it would most likely be less than 6 months which I put at January February time frame. I feel very confident that this is a good date and not just a come-on. I'm already excited about making stainless steel replacement parts for it and have decided to get what every factory pipes and mapping they offer. This will be my quiet(er) touring bike and my Speedy will be my load bike. After commuting with the speedy almost daily for 3 years, I have come to enjoy a quiet ride as much as I like a good sounding triumph twin. I'm assuming that factory performance pipes will give it just enough growl to not hear the valve train over the exhaust. I will also be looking to Fast Eddy or Brent to get a Bruiser Custom Cycle seat going for it and possibly a factor or after market wind screen and hard bags for the long trips. Since I'm hoping to get my wife on the back I'l be designing and fabricating my own 316 ss sissy bar with rack. For what it's worth I wrote a letter to the factory reps and requested a bold tank badge be offered like the current Speedmaster badge and some good factory hard bags like the Rocket 3 touring. Since my $500 should be worth something, I am on the first to hear list of hard specification numbers (weight, seat height, HP, torque,wheelbase, Wheel and tire size, fuel tank size) for the bike and will share when I hear.
I think I said on a previous message that they though the price would be around $12,000. Also, ABS should be an option(note: no mechanical speedo cable to the front wheel found on the picture).
Gary - 2010TT

I think that Triumph did a great job on the new Thunderbird. How anyone could say it looks like a jap bike or a harley is beyond me. For all of those, just hold a picture of an America alongside a picture of the new Thunderbird and.....amaze yourself at their likeness. So far it's everything that I have wished that my 2005 america was. Twice the displacement,,,,water cooled,,,,fuel injected,,,,get rid of the chain.....Sorry guys, but when I take longer trips I sure like cruise control. I had them put it on my 2006 road king and I just love it. I wish they would option a factory made backrest for the driver also. Gottttt to have floorboards too.

Jerry

Went to pick up parts yesterday. Our dealer in Nashville is saying late June or early July before they have the T-bird.

Gary,

Sounds like we're in the same boat - I put in my deposit mid-August and my dealer (Baxter) is a pretty high-volume guy as well. I hope you prove me wrong on the delivery date but the owner said the word he got was first models coming end of next summer. They had some pictures from the show in England but the press photos on Triumph's website are the best I've found (the blue/white model and the black model out in the sun).

I'm very anxious to learn more about the accessories planned for it and I hope they are all available when the bike comes out. The auxillary lights are ugly, in my opinion, because they stick out so far to the sides and are above the headlight a bit. I also agree on the name badge. I was actually planning to send a letter as well!

Looks good to me! It will be interesting to see what enginneering solution they have used to address vibration generated by the large motor.

More 2010TT numbers - Just purchased a copy of Motor Cyclist mag and on page 18 have made some comments about the 2010TT with the most notable being the expected tire size - Front 120/70-19 and Rear 200/70-18. On one of the pictures I saw blown up on my work computer big screen I could read Metzeler - Marathon on the rear tire and Metzeler o the front. As far as I know Marathon is the 880 series tire which is on the back of my speedy. I went to the Metzeler web site and could not find a 200/70-18 size tire offered. Doesn't mean they wont provide it though (good tire by the way). Another comment they made was that the bike would be a 700 plus lb machine which I find hard to believe. My Speedy is only a little over 500 lbs. That would mean the new TT would need to add 200 lbs I would expect high 500's to low 600 range but not 700 plus no-way. They say the bike is expected sometime in 2009 (12 month range there). As far as accessories go, I don't think we will be shorted from Triumph. Somewhere on line I saw a picture (seemed to come from the dealer show) of optional bars, and chromed - stock Wheels, Forks, and different bar risers with optional clamps.
I was put off by the youtube, full dress, TT that must have had every optional piece offered on the bike. I noticed the too-wide light bar as well. I designed and fabricated my own stainless steel light bar for my Speedy and will most likely build one for the new TT. I'm thinking of offering them at a competitive price when the time comes. I used good quality HD driving lights($40 each) that also accept optional H bulbs if desired. I mostly want Triumph to offer some full size hard bags similar to what they put on the R3 Touring bike and assume they will offer a tall (I'm 6'-1) quick release wind screen then I will take care of the rest of the optional pieces in stainless steel ( I live in the salt air and hate rust and constant polishing). I used the front tire size measurements from Metzeler and scaled the seat height to be about 29 inches and the wheelbase to be about 66 inches which sounds typical for a bike this size.
Anyway I hope my dealer is right about early '09.
Gary - 2010TT

Just a bit of unverified trivia regarding the 'Thunderbird' name. I read somewhere recently that Triumph 'owned' the name 'Thunderbird' back in the 50's and licensed Ford to use it at their request for a car they were designing. This is akin to a verified bit of similar trivia regarding how Triumph (the separate car company) received permission from Supermarine to use the name 'Spitfire' and a new sports car they were about to market, which was up to that time, code-named the 'Bomb.'

Uh huh, John! Interesting!

Well let me ask ya somethin' here then...

...Is there any truth to the rumor that the Buick Car Company received permission to use the name "Electra" from Bruno Hauptmann only a couple of days before he met his Maker ridin' "Ol Sparky"???

Yeah...but I KNEW that YOU would know who he was, alright!

(and BTW...you're sure right about that there "hobby" thing)

What about the Pontiac Bonneville?

Exactly Bob, I wondering the same thing.

Gary 2010TT

Yeah! And I've been wonderin' about the Ford Maverick and if there was any connection with John McCain somewhere down the line???

(I was gonna say James Garner there, but that's not quite as topical nowdays, is it?!...I mean that Bruno Hauptmann reference of mine above was already a friggin' stretch, right?!)


(yep...DEFINITELY need a hobby here, John)

nice job hijacking the topic

Yeah! I was thinking the same thing - now does anyone else want to talk about Triumph's New Thunderbird or just wait and see what ends up on the Triumph dealers showroom floor or better yet in my garage - that is when I'm not riding it.
Gary 2010TT

Good going Gary, its hard to keep some of these guys on track. As for the T-Bird I'll have to wait and see, that is, see if I can afford another bike when the time comes. The Bike has got to fit me, you know, seat height and bike weight, so I'll just wait and take a test ride, then make my decision.
Keep us posted.

Robert 04 Black TBA

Hello Bob,
I think you and AmyLee both should get one and we can all ride to Cambria together next summer. You are right the bike has to feel right. At 6-1 and 200+ lbs I can always take a little more seat height and a little more gross bike weight. Looking at the picture of the new bike it looks like the pegs may be an inch or so further back than the America and Speedmaster but then the seat could be back a little further as well.
We will see.

Gary 2010TT

Okay, I admit that I'm as excited as most of the rest of us about seeing the new T-bird up close and personal. I'm even more excited that Triumph is startingto get its marketing shite together by introducing enough aftermarket goodies to add to the attraction. This is an area where the competition has shined and Triumph has not.

I'm also anxious to see if they will expand on the model and come up with a blacked out version similar to the Speedmaster. I imagine this would be a year or more down the road following initial introduction if it happens.

Ford Pinto AKA Napalm on wheels...

personally, I'm looking for a good 2-up bagger platform....I like the Rocket III but ......have thought hard about the HD Roadglide but the thought of a nice "hard bagged-out" Thunderbird has more than just a passing appeal.
I am patiently awaiting to see one in person........as far as changes........Motorcycle is a Cherokee word for "gotta' make me some changes here !"

SOOOO, I guess this puts to rest all of the rumors/arguments and discussions about the "1600cc Cruiser Twin"?

I hear there is going to be an 1800 air cooled version.