10/7/2023 0 Comments 2014 triumph thunderbird lt specsEven European companies jumped on the cruiser bandwagon, including Ducati (remember the ill-fated and long-forgotten Indiana?), Moto Guzzi and BMW. One trademark feature of the American cruiser is the V-twin engine, and each of the Big Four has at least one variation of this engine in its line-up. The Japanese began producing these motorcycles, with buckhorn handlebars, stepped seats and laid-back riding positions, to capitalize on this American trend, and it caught on the cruiser class has grown to dominate the motorcycle market, at least on this side of the ocean. They were actually developed starting in the late 1970s by Japanese motorcycle makers for the American market, and at the time, they were dubbed “customs” or “specials.” Before that, there was no real cruiser class, though Harley had the chopper-inspired market cornered with the laid-back Low Rider, introduced in 1977. Modern cruisers are a purely North American invention. Enjoy.Triumph may have been late jumping into the cruiser pool, but they’ve made a commanding statement with a pair of new Thunderbirds If you can’t wait for another taste of the newest Thunderbirds, Triumph has graciously given us the introductory video below which was used at the beginning of the press briefing before our first day of riding. There’s tons more to tell you about the Thunderbird LT, but this is just a little tease while I get a chance to write up a more detailed review of the LT and Commander. We’ll have to wait for the full test on that one. The one issue with the engine was the transmission with some notchiness in the lower gears, but another journalist said his LT did not suffer from the same symptom. Riding on a winding road was as simple as placing it in fourth gear and using the throttle as a rheostat to dial in the power. The engine offers ample power throughout its rpm range. The bike happily holds or changes lines in corners and gives no hint of standing up when braking while leaned over. Turn-in is quick for a relatively long, 836-lb. The bike steers easily regardless of speed. Riding the LT immediately highlights what Triumph has done with the Thunderbird’s handling. The whitewalls are not just painted on they are an integral part of the tire’s sidewall. Triumph had Avon develop the tires specifically for the LT. Rolling on spoked rims, the Thunderbird’s whitewall radial tires are an industry first. Using a mechanically unchanged 1,699cc powerplant, the LT’s engine receives a new airbox and exhaust system. If you were a fan of the Thunderbird Storm’s parallel-Twin engine, you’ll feel the same gravitational pull towards the LT. This change is to accommodate the shrouded fork and the windshield (with optional lowers) of the LT. The new chassis is visually discernible between the tank and the steering head where it appears noticeably longer. Countering the extra distance between axles, the frame’s rake angle has been brought in from 32 degrees to 29.9 degrees, and the trail distance shortened 0.7 in. The wheelbase is about two inches longer at 65.6 in. The big news for the LT and Commander is the new frame designed to give the load-carrying capability and the handling characteristics Triumph desired for the new T-Birds. Additionally, San Diego also offers a wide variety of roads to better demonstrate the capabilities of these two new bikes. Since the LT and the Commander are heavily influenced by the American cruiser market, Triumph thought it would be best to show off the bikes stateside. Triumph gathered the world moto-press in San Diego to allow them to sample the latest additions to the Thunderbird line. We kept him mostly out of the bar in the evening to hammer out a quick-ride review in advance of his full test of the LT and Commander, the latter which he’ll be riding today. Our boy Evans is on the scene in San Diego, California, where he spent yesterday testing the LT. Triumph is in the middle of hosting its world launch of its two new cruisers for 2014, the Commander and Thunderbird LT.
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