Motorcycle Sport

Triumph Thunderbird 1600

Its been cruiser utopia for the last decade or so, with every major manufacturer jumping into the market to piggyback on Harley-Davidsons astounding success for the feet-forward crowd. Harleys iconic 45-degree V-Twin has spawned an endless succession of imitators, many of them excellent in their own right. But we dont think were alone in seeing this genre as a little bit stale. Thats one reason why Triumphs new T-Bird made such an impression on us, as its parallel-Twin (a zero-degree Vee) stands apart in a sea of clones. Its 270-degree firing order supplies the requisite thumpity-thump exhaust note, but both its character and layout are unique. This might be a moot point if the Bird wasnt blessed with clean, graceful lines that follow a well-worn formula yet are distinct. And for those of you who like cruising on curvy roads in addition to the straight ones on the way to the cafe, the Trumpet can cut an inside track as tight as anything in its class.