2000 Triumph Thunderbird Motorcycle reviews

I have had my 2000 Thunderbird for a year and a half and ridden in all kinds of conditions and many types of roads (all flat land). I can testify to this - This is the perfect bike for my size and riding style. Except for a new battery, I have not touched it other than standard maintenance. I ride with a verity of other makes and am able to out run almost all of them. The brakes are very good but I would rather have had dual front disc. It handles corners as if they were straight. By far the best all around I have ever ridden. The ergonomics are correct for me as they come from the factory but the seat can become uncomfortable on long runs. The fit and finish are almost 100% and the "look" is enviable. A friend parked his brand new 100th anniversary $27,000 HD next to my Thunderbird recently and everyone that passed by was looking at the Thunderbird. He was not happy. I waited quite awhile to share this review so that I truly had an overall perspective on the bike. In my opinion, this is the greatest value in motorcycles today, especially if you like the classic style. Too bad Triumph has decided to cease production of the Thunderbird. Show less

I have put a few thousand miles on a used T-Bird. Previously owned a Honda Shadow. The paint and chrome are excellent and I always get compliments when out and about. The aftermarket seat , winshield and bags have been added. Forward pegs from Great Bay and Kurakyn grips have completed the package. Pickup, lack of vibration and smoothness are positive features. The bike handles well with two up with little loss of pickup. A great choice. Show less

I own a thunderbird sport 1998 on. A reliable bike it is, and never the slightest trouble. The only thing I don't like is the exhaust system. Two cylinders on one pipe, and one cylinder on one pipe makes a brutal sound. It likes if the engine is running well on all cylinders. The one on one pipe sounds louder. I'm working on an extra balance pipe, maybe that will improve the sound. Further NO COMPLAINTS! Show less

Well it was bought new in fall y2k- I had the summer screen and off road pipes and Chase-Harper saddlebags. breaking in was quick as i ride around 4 of the buroughs of NYC and parkway runs in L.I. the first complaint is the seat SUX BIG TIME, as it slides me foward into tank causing temporary scrotal scrunch that I remedied at a local auto reupholsterer. the second problem was the fuel petcock had leakage replaxed by dealer as ut was new. I had the dealer add the 1 tooth larger sprocket for improved hiway running and had the handel bars replced with the S3 bars due to a minor back problem I have for improved comfort and even improved cruising the streets and malls. At ;ow speeds the bike feels top heavy and its long wheelbase and wide turning radius makes for dancing around in rush hour traffic not as gracefully nimble as the sportbikes can. But on open streets and on the Hiway its even comfortable for 2 up riding (since the seat mods anyway) is good for both my wife amd myself. tho she wants a backrest for longer rides for 65 to the recommended 80mph (as/per manual) is easy-even passing w 2 up is a no problem--even up hills, if more go is needed a downshift is all thats required. Solo hiway blasting is een better . Speaking of Hiway blasting cruising at 110 is a tank after tank comfort-tuck behind the summershield and run tank after tank 80-115 mph no problem ecxept for the hiway patrol.-the cruiser crowd just fades away in the mirrors very fast. Sportbikes and racer clones on the hiway aren't hard to run with until speeds get over 120mph but I believe if my heart beats faster than the speed-I'm going way too fast. It starts everytime--really great gas milrage @40 in city-50+ open road cruise mode. great hi way top gear sprinting past everybody.-the suspension is very good with almost infinite adjustments-for me at 200+ and my wife of 30 yrs since women tend to grow bigger then men do I'll leave the weight alone nut we do meet the max weight when we ride. What I like the most is it looks like a real motorcycle not a plactic toy, old timers bringing them a smile and fond memories os their youth and moderatatly knowledgeable riders like the retro look, The sportbikers are impressed by the performance. especially the torque curve. Brakes are great 2 up and solo. The tires are good on dry but the back reaks in the rain. serivicing os ok but the no centerstand is not what i call good product packaging. I love the triple sound at all speeds-to bad the off raods rusted at the mounting bolt holes-but the dealer kept my original mufflers and i happened to have a 7/8 inch concrete drill bit and hammer drill available. (those mufflers are heavy). Accesspriries are hard to comeuy other than the factory stuff which is a little conservative or hard to come by as well as pricey as most Triumph parts. my minor peve is the 3000-4000 rpm buzz which i believe is from the center carb having a different jet size from the outboards. The orange and cream looks good as well--too bad i'm not into cleaning my rides often--who wants to clean when the road becons?? Would I buy another? Most definately-just with better tires for foul weather riding. When will they make a black knight version?? Guy Show less

Having ridden various bikes on and off since I was 16, starting with an LI150 S3, elevating myself finally to a Triumph Trident (96) brand new (my first), I have to state that the Trident was brilliant but getting too heavy for my back to haul in and out of the garage. So looking for another bike, hopefully Triumph I was really taken by the look of the Thunderbird-Sport, particularly in its original "two-pipes one side" form.. but alas with the occasional wife to carry(+baggage?) this was not practical, therefore I settled to look for a later model TSport. 12 months ago I purchased second-hand a 2000 model, just 5000 miles on the clock.... so far in terms of ride it has been excellent (just 2000 miles on admittedly), everything that I could have wanted... starts everytime, easy to move, easy to ride, simple maintenance, great style, my only problem was recently when I had an "oil warning light".... this turned out to be the switch, a quick trip to local Triumph dealer and $11 lighter in the pocket (seems slightly expensive for such a cheap part.. but there you are). To "speak as you find" ... this is my second Hinkley Triumph, my wife also has the "new" Bonnie... I can only recommend them... keep it going Triumph!!!!! Show less

Great all around bike. Great mid-range acceleration and very smooth. Handling is excellent, looks are classic, and the most noticed of all my bikes. Gathers more favorable comments than my Ducati ST2. I have the '98 model with the twin silencers on the right side, which are somewhat limiting for 2-up travel. A 2000 or 2003 model would make an excellent sport-touring bike. Althought the engine lacks the top end rush of the higher powered Triumphs (Speed Triple, Sprint, Daytona), it is more flexible in terms of allways having ready power at hand, which is perfect for sport-touring. Show less

As a young bloke I used to ride a Lambretta scooter and quite a few of my mates would ride Triumph's, ufortunately they would spend most of their weekends trying to get them to run. But I always loved Triumph's(being English) and wanted to get one, instead I got married and the bike was put on the backburner. Then of course children came on the scene and there was definitly no funds available for a motorcycle. One day I said to my wife, "I'm going to have a Triumph by the time I'm 40". Then I said, "I'm going to have a Triumph by the time I'm 50". I am now 48 years of age and the proud owner of a 99 Thunderbird, which in my opinion is the best looking bike on the road (lots of beautiful chrome to polish). The only downside to the bike is the removal of the seat and the seat being a bit uncomfortable on longer trips. But I can put up with that. Show less

I bought this bike brand new in March 2002. I decided that I was entitled to a mid life crisis and it's my first bike for 22 years. I have fitted a summer screen which is surprisingly effective. Triumph Nylon saddle bags- extremely useful. Aftermarket pipes -which sound great and a luggage rack. The bike gets a lot of attention particularly from older people who have owned Triumphs years ago. It's easy to ride and is plenty fast enough for me. It also handles better than any cruser I can think of. If I had any complaints it would be that the seat is a pain to take off- 2 hard to get at bolts. Surely Triumph could have come up with something better than this. I've now done nearly 3000 miles which have been trouble free and I'm looking forward to the next 3000. I can't really think of any bike I'd rather have including some which cost twice as much! Show less

I also have a 2001 Ducati ST2 and a 2000 Suzuki SV650, but the Triumph is rapidly becoming my favorite ride (not for touring, but it could be configured that way). Great powerband from 3000 up to redline, nice sound with the Triumph off-road pipes, and handling is almost as good as the Ducati. Show less

This bike does everything a standard motorcycle should do and does it impeccably. Great brakes, compliant ride combined with very nicely controlled handling, a classic European riding position, and an engine that will cheerfully pull from 20mph to 120mph in 6th gear. On top of that you can throw 45-50mpg. I defy you to find a bike that rides as good, looks as good, and gets 1/2 of the compliments that this bike gets. There's always a hitch, though, and this bike is no exception. The seat truly does suck, but it's relatively easy for a do-it-yourselfer to pop off the cover and replace key bits of the cheap Triumph foam with some good closed cell foam. Once you've done that, you'll find yourself always taking the longest twistiest way home you can find, even at the end of a long day of riding. Show less