I traded the Triumph on a new Harley Davidson...go ahead take your shots.
I looked at the Triumph Thunderbird and Storm a lot. Their big displacement torque just makes acceleration and cruising at high speed easy and relaxed. Problem is like I've said before they look like a Honda VTX with a parallel twin engine transplant, the style just doesn't hit me. They are also about 80 pounds overweight but the fit, finish and quality is excellent.
A couple of years ago I ordered my wife the bike she wanted a factory custom color (white metallic with pink flames) Harley Sportster 1200. So owning this bike cut through the anti-Harley trash talk I've heard because it's been a fun and reliable motorcycle. I've always liked the Harley Wide Glide style(maybe because I grew up in the 1970's) and the dealer in Virginia beach got one in Vivid Black, many have the optional flame tank paint. This is one of the last 2014s built in June 2014 at the Kansas City Missouri factory while the 103ci engine was built at the Menomonee Falls Wisconsin engine factory USA. Yes, that matters to me. It doesn't sit well with me that Triumph a brand that wraps itself in the Union Jack just as much as Harley does the Stars And Stripes builds all Americas,Speedmasters, Bonnevilles and many other bikes in Thailand for cheap labor.
The bike is a much different ride than the Triumph of course. While breaking in the engine I have to keep the RPM below 3,000 for the first 500 miles, the bike had 3 miles on it when I took delivery PDI check and to the gas station and back. In 6th gear 60mph is 2,200 rpm and at 3,000 rpm it's running 90 miles per hour and still pulling. The first thing I did was replace the mufflers with Vance and Hines slip ons and the sound is incredible a nice low tone with a touch of "burble" on deceleration. No re-tune of the ECM was needed for just slip ons according to the dealership techs and they were right. oh, and I pulled off all of those damn stick on reflectors the government requires.
The dealership personnel loved my Triumph trade and it is the only non-Harley used bike kept on display in the showroom during the day, all other used bikes are parked outside.
They gave me a Harley accessory catalog when I took delivery and it is 888 pages, this does not include the separate Screamin Eagle performance catalog!
Notice the license plate was transferred from my 2011 Triumph Bonneville America.
The night I took delivery a severe thunderstorm was moving through Virginia Beach and the electricity was knocked out. I said "crap, I really wanted to ride it home tonight." They said "no problem" and finished all the paperwork hand written (no computers) by flashlight. Just before I left the rain stopped and the power came back on so I got to ride a 100ftlb torque brand new bike home on unscuffed tires on wet roads!
