Thought i would update the knocking issue on mine. I have done 2 things of late that have my bike all but totally clack free. I started using Mobil 1 V-twin which amazes me because i have tried a lot of oil brands both 10w40 and 20w50 and none quieted it at all. But this really helped a lot. It didn't stop it completely but it reduced the frequency that it happens a lot. Second, and this has eliminated it to such a degree that it almost never does it any more. That would be warm up time. I don't get why this worked because logic tells me it shouldn't matter once the bike has been on the road for a time. But i started allowing the bike to warm up from cold for a long time, about 6-8 minutes when i can. 5 at the very least. I would estimate it now clacks only on rare occasion and is a lot less loud and lasts only a short time before disappearing. The only time i hear it any more is after long periods on the road in town with lots of stopping at lights etc and on warm days. That seems to trigger it, but when it does it usually disappears pretty quickly, especially if you get out of the constant stop and go and long waits at lights on hot days.
So if you have this try V-twin oil and long warmups and if it isn't somehow unique to my bike u should find the noise literally 99% gone. On a side note, there is a insider at triumph who will remain anonymous in all respects including his connection who said this, but trust me he's always been accurate and his connection is also rock solid and the word is the thunderbird is going to make a comeback in the next year or 2, likely 2. They are working on the emissions and possibly the noise issue. The emissions was confirmed but not the noise issue, but i think it goes w/o saying that's being rectified too, and IMO is probably the main reason it was discontinued. No way such a widespread issue with many warranty rebuilds that did no good would be left as is. And emissions would not likely have required removing the bike from production for a few years to get right, especially considering the bike was so low on emissions when it debuted they actually removed the air injection on the bikes second production year. So i think it's pretty much a sure thing we'll be seeing a new improved Tbird. I imagine it will also be upgraded with ride by wire and other improvements to keep up with the times. Unfortunately i won't be able to afford either the purchase or maintenance costs this time around and plan to possibly downgrade to a 1200 in my old age. But i will probably be salivating at what shows up in a year or 2 and if i were a few years younger and was still working i'd no doubt be anxiously awaiting the new bike because even with the noise issue the Tbird has been by far my fav bike i ever owned by a wide margin.
