Triumph 2009: Thunderbird med 1600-twin

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[quote author=dazco link=topic=766.msg4129#msg4129 date=1216778624]
here ya go dave...in your color and with the seat set for that 1% when your better 1/2 stays home :) here you really see the ugliness of the rear fender, which i now feel is the one thing that is a absolute must to change.

http://img210.imageshack.us/my.php?image=redyv5.jpg

Carl....I hea ya...
[/quote]

Now this is the colour I would want but at this angle it does outline the ugliness of that fender.

Carl when I first road the Speedy with the forward pegs it was a very strange thing as this was the first forward pegged bike I had even ridden. Funny thing was by the next day I was totally used to it and now love it. However this is not to say I would not go back to the normal position.

redyv5.jpg
 
I think the thing to do would be buy the black one, then you could use any fender that would fit from some other bike because black is easy to find. If the bike were say that dark blue, unlikely you'd ever find a fender that would both fit and it was that exact color. Of course i'm talking about cutting it to fit as i'm sure i'd have to "adjust" it. But i bet it could be done quite easy. I do love the tail light tho. And then the tank being black could be easily painted over just in the color area on a speedy tank then the whole thing sealed in clear. I'm sure a painter could do it that way a lot cheaper since it would eliminate 75% of the work.

Look at me..........it's a year from being released and it's like i'm already planning what i'm going to do to it. I don't even know if i will be here in a year let alone whether i'll have the $ then !!! :y24:
 
[quote author=fuzzy link=topic=766.msg4130#msg4130 date=1216778897]
It might not be so bad. After all, it is a Triumph. I have sat on the Speedy and the America and it just puts by lower-middle back in a strain. Might get used to it, though.

Which one of yours would you trade for this new one?

Do you see the radiator on that thing? Its bigger than Dallas!! Imagine that baby full of love bugs!!
[/quote]

That radiator would have to have a screen over it in May and September for sure!

I would probably trade Mae Lyne's if she were agreeable (not likely) and mount the hack on it.
 
heres what i'm thinking/hoping. Remember how till just last year the america had spoked wheels and a 790 engine and looked a lot different than the speedmaster? And now the R3 touring with a HD looking tank/instruments like this 1600? well, i have heard rumors about several models of the 1600 to please a wider range of potential customers. But what i think Triumph may have done instead is to offer the option of doing it yourself. The triumph site has just announced the bike to the public and said it has a huge accessory range so that you can customize it to your taste ! What i'm hoping, and what i really think this means is that they may offer the kind of accessories that can really change it a lot. Hopefully things like standard style tanks with no console/nacelle with traditional mounted instruments above the bars. Different pipes ala speedmaster or such. Things that in essence will allow you to change it into one of those other models that they were rumored to be making. Maybe even peg relocation so that you could turn it into a more traditional standard sort of affair.

If this is true then they will without a doubt sell far far more of these because there are hoards of people at other forums now bashing it and saying how they'd love it in a standard config. If the accessory range allows you to "de-harleyfy" it, that would be incredible. And if this is NOT the intention with this huge range of add-on's, they're really missing the boat IMO. This way is even more profitable because those who want a "different model" will have to spend extra $ on the accessories to get there.

The Thunderbird will be offered with an extensive range of official accessories which will allow the rider to tailor the bike to their individual needs. Whether they want a stripped down and chromed up hot rod with muscular performance or a fully-dressed classic style custom-tourer for two-up touring, Triumph’s accessory range lets the rider customise the Thunderbird to their individual tastes. An ABS option is also available.
Click to expand...
 
It is very unlikely that a new model will have a large selection of accessories. Triumph may listen to what its base is saying and make a few more changes prior to release in 2010.
 
Didn't you see the quote i pasted from the triumph site? Here it is again...

The Thunderbird will be offered with an extensive range of official accessories which will allow the rider to tailor the bike to their individual needs. Whether they want a stripped down and chromed up hot rod with muscular performance or a fully-dressed classic style custom-tourer for two-up touring, Triumph’s accessory range lets the rider customise the Thunderbird to their individual tastes. An ABS option is also available.
Click to expand...

When they say "Whether they want a stripped down and chromed up hot rod with muscular performance or a fully-dressed classic style custom-tourer for two-up touring, Triumph’s accessory range lets the rider customise the Thunderbird to their individual tastes" it surely doesn't mean a few chrome items and some custom mirrors like other accessory ranges ! that clearly suggests accessories that allow major changes in the bike.
 
Well, i think it will for a few reasons. One is look at the rocket. I don't recall reading anywhere near as many posts about any other bike saying how ugly it is. Yet 5 years later it' is still in production. So while there are a lot of people slamming this new bike, that means nothing. Then there are threads at the R3 owners sites that are just the opposite....many people liking it. And finally, when has triumph ever designed a bike that didn't sell?

I really think the facts speak to the likelihood that it will be successful. And when you consider that almost everyone who owns a Triumph 900 twin mods it to some degree and that many have considered fabrication, imagine a triumph that comes with a catalog of parts that allow you to mold it to just what you want !!! That to me sounds BIG ! After all, the #1 issue with any bike is that there are going to be a lot of people who don't care for it. Imagine if you had a bike that was so customizable that people could in essence build thier own version ! i really believe that would be revolutionary, and if it turned out to be good in all respects in the business sense from thier end, i bet it might just be the start of a new trend. Never once will you see a new bike announced without mile long forum threads of people suggesting what it is that if different would make them buy one, but untill then it's a no? It's rampant at other forums right this minute. If true, this will make me buy one for sure assuming the parts I would want to change it are available. and i would imagine the biggie would be tank and instrument changes to make it more like a standard and less like a HD. i believe those alone would lead to much bigger success for this bike, because thats what 95% of the complaints are about.
 
Another thought....i wonder if it's got hydraulic valves and whether the tappet noise is minimized? 2 things i always hated about mine....waaaaay too much valve train noise, and shim type valve adjustments are horribly tedious ! This would be a HUGE plus IMO if it's quiet and no valve adjustments necassary.
 
According to my dealer this is a really BIG machine. The photos give the wrong idea that the engine is approximately the same size of the 1050 triple but it is far much bigger. If one thinks that each cylinder on the 1050 has 350cc and here 800cc by itself that already can give an idea. Looking at the photos it looks like a re-motorized Speedmaster but in fact it is more like a re-powered Rocket III Touring
 
Hooooold on thar pardner ! That red bike is one i did in PS, and i had several pics that were scaled differently from different sites. Even the turn signals (Deuce) which are the same ones i have on my speedy (Deuce) look bigger than the orange pumpkins on the speedy pic, and they are actually smaller. I'm sure the scaling is off between those pics. Look at the 1600....the wheelbase actually looks longer and the bike overall looks bigger than the R3...no way, it's a 1600 compared to a 2300 ! Even on the triumph site i'm sure they don't try and keep every pic scaled exactly the same as the next. It's just not a reliable way to compare. I seriously doubt a 1600 is going to be the same size as a 2300, and especially considering the 2300 engine is positioned lengthwise ! makes no sense. Your dealer i believe may be right in that it will be fairly big, but thats to be expected being a 1600. But as big as a R3? To expect slightly larger than a 900 would be foolish. thats almost 1/2 the size. I would put money on that being off to some degree if not a lot. probably 675 wet and approximately between the speedy and R3 in length and height. I could be wrong to a degree, but i seriously doubt it's as big as the R3 or triumph made some serious design blunders.
 

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