2013 Triumph Thunderbird: Voted - 64.4%

[totalmotorcycle]

One thing I really like about this cruiser (no, I'm not putting in my vote just yet) is the fact that Triumph thought outside the box and used such a different engine for a cruiser. The last cruiser to use a parallel-twin was the Kawasaki Vulcan 500LTD in the mid-20's (why does that suddenly seem a long time ago!?), anyways, this Thunderbird's parallel twin in the biggest parallel twin ever made. I am sure they could easily have used a V-Twin, but hey, they didn't, and that gets it kudo's from me for that part at least.



http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... 500LTD.htm

[storysunfolding]

beautiful motor hidden in an ugly bike. I'm going with uncool because I can't call the engine a fail.

[HYPERR]

beautiful motor hidden in an ugly bike. I'm going with uncool because I can't call the engine a fail.

Was a beautiful motor before they decided to dumb it down with a 270 crank...

[storysunfolding]

beautiful motor hidden in an ugly bike. I'm going with uncool because I can't call the engine a fail.

Was a beautiful motor before they decided to dumb it down with a 270 crank...

WTF? How did I miss that?!?! triumph

Previous statement retracted. Failboat engaged

[HYPERR]

beautiful motor hidden in an ugly bike. I'm going with uncool because I can't call the engine a fail.

Was a beautiful motor before they decided to dumb it down with a 270 crank...

WTF? How did I miss that?!?! triumph

Previous statement retracted. Failboat engaged

[jstark47]

How the heck does a 270 crank equate to a fail?? Bonneville Americas, Speedmasters, and Scramblers have had 270 cranks for years. I don't hear you guys hating on those bikes...... ???

[totalmotorcycle]

LOL, I'm with jstak47. In the end it really just changes the sound pitch and offers only a little different power characteristics.

I would have voted a fail if it was a 45° crankshaft angle though. Ok, only joking there.

Mike

[madjak30]

Someone explain the difference between a 270 & a 90 deg crank...isn't it the same? a full rotation is still 360...so...

[montanalifter]

Nice bike, unique, parallel twin has good power and steps apart from the v-twin crowd. I live in a rural area and all open road interstate so usually the bigger the engine the better. I'd buy one.

[totalmotorcycle]

I voted: Awesome

It's a great bike, but what really makes it awesome for me isn't about it's looks, it's the engine. Triumph really went out on a limb to create something unique, something different and in the end, something special. It wasn't just "the biggest V-Twin ever made" or "a V-Twin with more power" or "a V-Twin with more cubic inches this year", it was the fact it wasn't a V-Twin. And that to me make takes guts. It's like how Honda and Kawasaki made the inline-6 motorcycles of the late 70's and BMW is making them today. Either brand could have made a bog-standard inline-4 and Triumph could have done a V-Twin, but they didn't and in the end, they might have just made something really legendary.

Vive la Difference!

Mike