2011 Triumph Thunderbird....Cool As McQueen

It took long enough, but finally I have something in common with the King of Cool, the man for whom the entire planet was his "monster garage", a gritty competitor, and pretty fair actor, with 110 octane in his veins that would flog anything with motor, and usually come out on top. The only guy with the sack to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated (August, 1971) shirtless, on a skyward bound Husky (yeah, you try to pull that one off and not look like you've got more Liza Minnelli than Metallica on your i-pod.......you can't, so don't). That's right, I'm talking about Steve McQueen.......Hollywood legend and certifiable gearhead.

The man, the machine, it doesn't get any cooler

And just what is it that we two moto-icons share? Why, we're both Triumph riders of course. OK, to be fair, McQueen rode them often and well........alright, he raced the damn things, and more times than not came away a winner. And me? I just took my first ever jaunt on one of Hinckley's finest, a 2011 Triumph Thunderbird, better late than never as they say.

For those not sufficiently grounded in moto-history, you should know that Britain's Triumph has a long and storied history, these guys have street cred by the ton.........for starters, in 1903 when the Motor Company was bolting together it's first machines, Triumph produced just over 500 motorcycles, and by 1905 were manufacturing one hundred percent "own design" bikes. Triumph's proudly served their country in a couple of World Wars, and during the 50's, 60's and early 70's (motorcycling's "golden age") were the performance bikes of choice. If you weren't on a Triumph you weren't winning.....and worse yet, you weren't cool.

And cool they were..........Elvis, Brando, Ekin's, Eastwood and more all threw a leg over the legendary Brit cycles. Wanna pocket some easy beer money? Riddle your pals as to what brand of bike Brando was sporting in The Wild One, the biker flick that built a genre......you'll score almost every time. Modern day stars are not immune to Triumph's tractorbeam of class either........from Pam Anderson to Tom Cruise and George Clooney, Triumphs are Hollywood's mount of choice, by a ton. But let's be honest, McQueen's cigarette ashes were cooler than most of these modern day pretenders........nice try Brad.

Thunderbird style, Triumph heritage, nice combo

So we know Triumph's are cool, but how does this new interpretation of the classic Thunderbird stack up against its contemporary cruiser competition (once again, thanks to Jim and the good folks at Ace Motorsports; http://www.eastbayace.com/ , I would finally get my chance to be just like McQueen, OK maybe not just like McQueen.....)?  The answer as it turns out is, "....very well, very well indeed", at least I think that's how the Brits would say it. For starters, the Hinckley crew crafted a machine that is both functional in that it doesn't ask for any sacrifices on the part of the rider; it starts every time, and goes where you want it to go, is comfortable along the way, and stops when you get there.........and looks damn good doing it, like a proper Triumph should.

The Thunderbird is no cruiser clone, it is its own machine.........and central to that fact is the iconic 98cu inch vertical twin motor, or parallel twin if you will. It's a hallmark design that really makes a Triumph a Triumph. With 85hp (at the crank) and 108ft. lbs. of torque (also at the crank) the motor is more than capable of propelling the 746lb machine along at a decent clip. From a dead stop, just feed out the clutch, twist the stick and this thing flat gets on it.......no poser here, the generous reserves of torque are more than evident. The big 'Bird revs easy and willingly, with it's natural shift points somewhere around 3,500rpm, wringing it out to the 6500rpm redline is an exercise in diminishing returns, more sound than fury. You don't need to row the gears with this torquey beast. My ride had the optional "Hi Flow" short mufflers, which had a more than acceptable note, and bonus "pop, pop" on decel......I've always liked that. Suggestion.......it wouldn't hurt of the pipes produced a few more "db's", nothing annoying, just something to drown out that damn cooling fan at idle, and road noise at speed. Let's rattle a few cages OK? You know damn well McQueen would......

Aggressive, modern, yet all Triumph from the ground up

Out on the road the Thunderbird is a rider's machine, it's handling is journeyman like, with no surprises. And that my friends is a very good thing, for both the rookies; as well as, grizzled old vets that might decide to give this new Triumph a go. To be honest, it corners better than about 90% of its cruiser competition. This machine is solid, feeling planted in the twisty bits, with no sign of frame flex, shimmies or shakes. The brakes are way beyond what you might expect from the average "cruiser", hauling the 'Bird from extra-legal speeds to naught without a hint of drama.....progressive and powerful, just what you want (we expect the optional ABS to be every bit as confidence inspiring). Ground clearance is sufficient for all but the most "MotoGP inspired" cornering shenanigans.....you can scrape, but you'll have to work for it. The rear shocks are adjustable for preload, but that's about it.........and one other thing, don't expect a plush ride.....all those nifty handling traits we just talked about........yeah, well there's no free lunch, so expect a more sportbike like feel, don't say I didn't warn ya.

Nifty optional floorboards and heel/toe shifter

Bars and controls are about what you'd expect, again no real drama, all is as it should be. OK, did we have to put the horn button exactly where the left turn signal switch is on every Harley made??? And while we're on the subject, making them self cancelling would be nifty. My ride came equipped with an optional shorty windscreen which did a great job of redirecting the wind flow.......I'd consider it a must for long trips, and this from a guy that hates bar mounted fairings and screens (never liked the idea of mounting a sail on my handlebars). Think I've used my Road King's windscreen exactly twice. The combo speedo/tach is well positioned on the tank and easy to read. The rear brake pedal was a bit too close to the optional floor boards, boot stuck! Not fun trying to dislodge ones foot in an attempt to apply the brakes.......I know, it's the rear, so who cares!?

Clean and simple does it every time

When it comes to throwing down some serious original classic cruiser style, the Thunderbird doesn't disappoint. The key word here is "original"......and it's more than applicable when describing this machine. The signature vertical twin and gas tank set the tone for all the other elements. A quick word about the 5.8 gallon tank, it ain't tall, but it's wide. Same goes for the seat, it's PBR bull broad, I'm thinking if your inseam is shorter than the legal length of a shotgun in California you might look to a different saddle, if one can be found. I'm just saying......you might be wearing the paint off that tank.

The rear of the bike is aggressive without being over the top.......nice wide meat says serious bar hopper (what, you think McQueen would be caught dead putting down to Jamba Juice for an Orange Dream Machine!? For the last time, it's Jack, Luckies, and steak!! Oh just hand over your man-card..........jeez, you're not worthy), as do the beefy shocks and nicely sculpted fender (OK, the fender is straight up Softail Duece.........and the mounts are, well.....same story). The tailend of this machine flat works though.......especially with the shorty mufflers.

Triumphs iconic vertical twin does the job and then some

Up front we've got a very well concealed radiator (are we listening Milwaukee?? Still some work needed on that V-Rod, but why rush?) that does a credible Houdini from just about any angle. The forks are stout and the fender wraps tight around the front skin for a very convincing custom stance. Again, the package works, hats off to the left coast design crew. You guys fired a shot across the Motor Companies bow........more like dead straight at the Dyna family, and I'd have to say "nice grouping!" Everyone knows that the Dyna line is the one with the most appeal to "real riders" (whatever that's supposed to mean), and the Triumph bests it in almost every category. Whether or not it's enough to peal customers away from the cult of HD remains to be seen....but for those that want a credible alternative, one with nearly as much street cred, this is the real deal.

So what's the story?? Cool enough for McQueen? It might be Sparky, it just might be. Let's see, we've got cool Brit built heritage........well, sort of. (To say the topic is "murky" is an insult to muddy water, suffice to say there's an issue among some of the "faithful" regarding the fact that many of the sub assemblies are manufactured in Thailand, as are some models of bikes, but as far as I can tell, the Thunderbird is a genuine "built in the UK" model; although I couldn't find evidence of that fact on the one I rode). For some people this will be an issue, for most, I would suspect it will not. We all know that Harley and Victory both bolt on components from overseas.......it sucks, but it is what it is. Like it or not, global sourcing is an economic imperative (you don't see that phrase in biker blogs everyday do ya!?) and one that is not going away anytime soon........certainly not as long as Wall Street types call the shots. When it comes to recovering unrealized margin, these guys are as relentless as head lice, and just about as charming. Trust me on that one.

Cool as McQueen? Alas, not even close

But back to the machine dammit, f'n suits!........Cool heritage, check. Original, aggressive style? Got it in spades. Plenty of power with handling and braking enough to take care of business? Again, that's a Roger. Chrome goodies and hop-up parts to satisfy the inner hot rodder lurking in all of us? On this score, I have to give Triumph major props........they're busting butt to offer their customers a wide array (certainly for a niche builder) of go-fast accessories. They could have left it up to the aftermarket, that would have been the easy route........but they didn't, good on 'em.

The Triumph Thunderbird.......power, handling, and original style, sounds like just the machine for the King of Cool.........yeah, cool enough for McQueen, no doubt about it. And while we're waxing on the subject of cool........hats off to the folks at Ace Motorsports http://www.eastbayace.com/ , they're all hardcore enthusiasts that really "get it". It's a great dealership (longtime readers already know that) with an awesome vibe, and an ample supply of demo bikes to test. Sweet. So if I were you I'd scurry on down to Ace, find Jim and hit him up for a test ride........right the $#@! now!