Tanshanomi's Snap Judgments

Triumph 900 Thunderbird

Tue, January 19th, 2010


Click here for a larger front 3/4 view.


1995-2004 Triumph 900 Thunderbird
Performancewww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Plenty of power all over the rev range, without being buzzy, hyper, or difficult to modulate.
Handlingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
A very nice compromise. Suspension compliance and ground clearance not on a par with sport bikes, but nothing to fault given the bike's mission. Sport version gets more adjustable suspension, but retains laid-back steering geometry.
Lookswww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
When this bike came out, I thought it looked like a gimmicky, awkward mash-up of '60s Bonneville and the throughly modern Hinckley Trident 900. My impression has improved dramatically with time. After a decade and a half, the 900 Thunderbird is a welcome change from new bikes that all look like transforming robots. The flat seat and pea-shooter mufflers make the Thunderbird my choice over the nearly identical Legend.
Reliabilitywww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
John Bloor knew that to be successful, he had to dispel the old British reputation for unreliability from the very start. He might have overshot his goal; the initial Hinckley triples and fours are astoundingly overbuilt.
Practicalitywww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Main complaints are a poorly padded seat that ruins otherwise comfortable ergonomics, and inflated costs for replacement parts (though they remain readily available, thanks to the company's many similar modular designs).
Desirabilitywww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
The naked 900 triples are my favorite 'new era' Triumphs, and among them the Thunderbird looks most like a Triumph.
Overallwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Despite a few clumsy details, the Thunderbird works as a retro-style fashion accessory and as a modern piece of serious transportation.