Big as an ‘Apocalypse Now’-era Brando, it’s the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird

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It’s been 60 years since the Triumph Thunderbird came on the market, and oh so much has happened. The famed British motorcycle manufacturer became the bestselling marque in the U.S.... before its business was obliterated by the Japanese and it went bankrupt. Now the motorcycle that helped grow the brand into one of the world’s most beloved is back.

Big as an ‘Apocalypse Now’-era Brando, it’s the 2010 Thunderbird from the Hinckley incarnation of Triumph -- 1,597 cc, 85 horsepower and something that’s unusual for a cruiser -- a parallel, rather than a V-, twin motor. The T-16 motor is the world’s largest production parallel twin, and Triumph is proudly showing it off under the twin spines of its tubular steel frame, as it should for a bike that’s been in the works five years and is trying to run a little of Harley’s business off the road, just as it did back in the day.

Unlike the original, the latest incarnation of the Thunderbird isn’t a hoodlum bike, but it is a bit of an outlaw in terms of upsetting the big American cruiser status quo. Its cylinders are liquid cooled, its chromed 2-1-2 exhaust is catalyzed, its six gears are belt- rather than chain-driven and there’s optional ABS. Best of all in this post-home-equity-line-of-credit, bike-buying market, it’s reasonably priced for the level of craftsmanship; $12,499 is the base price. The ABS version comes at an $800 premium.

I spent a few days riding the new T-bird, mostly around L.A. The experience was something like dating a British banker. Well groomed, with a sleek silver shell, throwback racing stripe and enough chrome for a lady to touch up her lipstick, this bike speaks the Big Twin language. It just does it in a way that’s refined. The impressive 107 pound-feet of torque it delivers is friendly without being a wuss. And the 310 mm disc brakes -- twin in front, single in rear -- required almost no prodding when called upon. Seriously, the front brake lever barely needs to be squeezed. There is one minor issue with the right handlebar, and that’s the information button that allows riders to toggle between screens on the tank-mounted dash. It’s located just above the start button, and my thumb kept finding the wrong switch whenever I wanted to fire up the machine.

Minor, yes. Overall, this beefcake of a bike is easy to operate, well handling and fun to ride. While its long, 63.6-inch wheelbase made it slightly challenging in the canyons, its overall geometry was simpler for me to handle than basic math. I weigh 1/5 as much as this bike does when it’s dry and found its handling to be fairly effortless. A wild one it is not. The new Triumph Thunderbird is more of a smooth operator -- sure to appeal to riders who want the American cruiser experience, only English.

2010 Triumph Thunderbird
Base price: $12,499
Powertrain: liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, parallel-twin, 6-speed
Displacement: 1,597 cc, or 98 cubic inches
Seat height: 27.6 inches
Dry weight: 678 lbs.
Road-test mpg: 40 (based on 370 miles traveled)

-- Susan Carpenter