2010 Triumph Thunderbird Motorcycle reviews

I have owned my Thunderbird for 7 years and have had no problems with it. I have ridden many different motorcycles over the years and I like the Thunderbird the best of any I have ridden. My wife also likes the ride as a passenger. This bike sets you apart from the me to bikers. Show less

I bought my 2010 Triumph Thunderbird 1700 in March of 2012. She has the sexiest paint scheme I think I've ever seen...Phantom Haze Red. She had been previously ridden by a retired policeman in New York. He'd put very few miles on her. I sold my 2010 Triumph America (another fantastic machine) to buy the T-Bird. While I loved my America, I have to say that the Thunderbird is a major step up. The power produced in her 104 cubic inch parallel twin is much more than I'll ever need. The deep, throaty thump thump of those massive cylinders makes me smile every time I fire the engine up. For a big machine, her center of gravity is low enough to make her feel much smaller than her true size. She handles better than any other bike of this size that I've ridden...and I've ridden many including BMWs, Harleys (Softails, Dynas, Dressers and Customs). She feels light even at slow speeds and is nimble in the city. Get her on the open road and she just shines. I love this motorcycle and wouldn't trade her for any other bike (except maybe another T-Bird). Show less

I have been very happy with my 2010 Thunderbird. My mate in England provided be with just enough Union Jacks to set it apart from others. The handling is superior to any other bike like this. Mine has the Triumph shorty pipes, which sound good, but I will upgrade when the warranty is out. It has great power and outhandles any other bike in its class. As with other reviews, the touring seat is a must - mine came with the promo pack last year. I come from a sport bike background, and this is the perfect cruiser for someone who still cares about how his bike handles. Show less

I really was ready to get a Harley this time just to tick that box. Over the last years I have had five Kawasaki Vulcans, a Yamaha 1900 Roadliner, a Honda VTX 1300, a Royal Enfield, an ERN 6 and a Triumph America. All were great rides but nothing prepared me for the absolute perfection of the Thunderbird. The Harleys just didn't get me but I loved the whole heritage thing. With the Triumph you get the street cred and the heritage but more importantly a better overall bike for similar or less money. It is completely faultless in my opinion with awesome finish, great ergonomics, great handling and terrfic comfort with their gel seats. I have changed the pipes and love the sound which sounds to me like a V8 at idle all the way to that brilliant over run crackle when you back off. The wife just loves it also and we get out every week because where we live in Perth there is no real winter! Show less

I bought my Thunderbird brand new last year. I had the shop add some accessories including the 104 cubic inch big bore kit. This is a fast bike with great acceleration. I get a lot of comments from Harley riders on the power of the Thunderbird. I'll never sell it. I would love to see Triumph bring out a cruiser with a 250mm OR 300mm rear end along the lines of the Harley Rocket Custom. I'd snap one up straight away. Show less

I have owned my Triumph Thunderbird for almost one year now. I was 55 years of age when my Thunderbird was first purchased. I looked at Harley-Davidson and Victory and rode many of their stated upmarket models first. I went to the Triumph dealer here in Brisbane Queensland, the largest motorcycle network on the eastern seaboard of Australia, and I was sold on Thunderbird. The bike is a work of art with real quality finish. They were certainly thinking of me when they designed it. That motor is spectacular with the 270 degree split crank and chrome everywhere. We oldies just love getting out the Goddards Glow and polish rages just to run our fingers over our new toys. She sounds like a muted pussy cat with the original exhaust pipes. The short and open Triumph accessory pipes turn her into a beast. It sounds wonderful on acceleration, and sounds just as good on deceleration with those explosions in the cat collector box catalytic converter. With the open pipes the dealer fitted the chip and the air cleaner conversion. This option package is the best value for money. Initially, the front brakes were rather wooden but as they bedded in, bite and feel arrived, and now the brakes are another outstanding item on the Thunderbird. This bike accelerates well and brakes well, and the handling is very precise because the geometry is just right. Remember these Triumph people have sorted this package out over many long years in its little brothers Speedmaster and America. So if you have a Speedmaster or an America, you are just now ready to upgrade to Big is Better. And how much better can it get. Actually, the center of gravity feels even lower in the Thunderbird. How predictable and manuverable can a bike be? It belies its true weight because that center of gravity is just right. Add the Touring gel seat for the rider and the same for the pillion and you have a comfort package to go. But because of the sheer torque of this baby, you will need the detachable sissy bar option when going two up, because your lady will complain that she feels the torque on hard acceleration forcing her off the pillion seat. And she was right. Torque is something this bike has in spades full. There is no doubt that the person who designed this bike knew where to place the pencil lines. The fuel tank has beautiful large broad shoulders which lead back to the seat. But it is the sweeping line of the underside of the fuel tank that lets you know that someone knew how to add sex appeal to the package. My Thunderbird is the silver with liquorice black stripe on the front guard, tank and back guard. And as usual Brian, who only has one task on the Triumph production line, a British artisan with his Fitch has carefully and perfectly painted the pinstripes that break between the silver and the liquorice. I saw that master stroke on my Speedmaster and now I see it on my Thunderbird. And only the British do it by hand like when God was designing the human race. We call it handmade. If you want a bike that makes a statement about you and all you ever wanted to be, then you should go out and purchase a Thunderbird. When the missus saw me first riding my Thunderbird, she said that bike suits you perfectly. I think she might have been referring to the Big Man on the Big Bike, or was that the Broad Big Man on the Broad Big Bike. This bike is perfect. Perfection means that you have to look long and hard to find something to complain about and I did and I can. All it needs is rear shocks with adjustable rebound. In Australia, the roads are made out of old corrugated iron and those roads will find any imperfection in suspension if it exists. I fixed it on the Speedmaster with the adjustable Ikons shocks, and it is fixed on the Thunderbird the very same way. So, now at a very reasonable price Thunderbird is the pick of the bunch. Is there any other thing that I need to mention about my new Thunderbird? Yes, the summer screen allows you to cover large distances protected from the wind. I recommend that you purchase that one, too, and then you have one of the best cruiser bikes on the market. Might I say many thousands of dollars less than the opposition and from where I stand, sit, ride, much better finished and better value for money. Go and buy one now. Kind regards from Australia. Show less

I bought this bike in the spring of 2011 and now have over 2,800 miles on it. This is a great handling motorcycle with excellent performance. My girlfriend can certainly agree with other reviews that the stock pillion seat is terrible (narrow and hard), any ride over an hour was uncomfortable - even painful so installing the long haul tour seat is a huge improvement. Aside from a loose coolant hose at the radiator and two recalls to replace some bolts that did not have a thread locker installed at the factory, this bike has required no exceptional maintanence. We just returned from a three-day ride around Glacier National Park (over 700 miles total). She was very comfortable with the new seat and was happy with the handling/performance. This bike is awesome and like everyone else, I am very satified with my decision to purchase this bike over 'just another' Harley, the Victory or the Kawasaki I was considering. I especially enjoy out performing my friends' modified Harley's with my mostly stock (added BC Hogslayer pipes) 1600 Thunderbird w/ABS. Not only does this bike have excellent riding perfomance but it gets attention everywhere...you've been warned! Show less

I currently have two rides - a 2006 VFR800 and a 2010 T-Bird that I just picked up a week ago. I've already put 500 km. on it and plan to do many more. The power and handling are awesome, especially for a cruiser. You can put it into curves with confidence and can actually spin the rear tire while in second by grabbing a hand full of throttle. The surge of power is incredible. I test rode several Harley's (Fat Bob, Fat Boy Low and Super Glide) - then I test rode the T-Bird. It's by far the more superior ride. So much so that I bought it on the spot. As for appearance, it looks bad ass - pictures don't do it justice. The tank is huge, the back tire is huge, the pipes are huge and the sound is deep and throaty out of the box. It has just enough bark but not too much to draw unwanted attention from the law. The one gripe I have is the stock seat. It's not bad on short rides (1 hour or less) but on a 300 KM ride, both my wife and I were very sore. That said, I have the Trimph longhaul touring seat on the way (as a part of an accessory package promotion) hopefully it will provide some relief. If you are considering a Harley, or any other cruiser for that matter I would suggest taking a T-Bird for a ride before you buy. Show less

I came off a 2007 GSXR 600 and fell in love with the T-Bird. It all started when I was looking to get off the GSXR. The Rocket3 Roadster grabbed my attention quick, I went to the dealer to check it out in person and the second I saw the T-Bird, I knew it was the bike for me. I went to one of Triumph's Demo Days here in New Jersey a few weeks later to test ride a Bird. I ended up leaving with one. Two months later you still can't get me off it. It's a comfortable, powerful and most importantly great handling bike. The bike has gobs of power and amazing brakes, just as good as the sport bike. It's extremely stable turning (scraping pegs at 50 mph stable). It's biggest downfalls are a lack of aftermarket support and the passenger seat. Show less

I own a 2005 Triumph Rocket III. A friend I ride with purchased a 2010 T-Bird, giving his Harley Sportster to his daughter (she is new to riding) since he doesn't ride it anymore. After it was broke in for a while, we swapped rides. The T-Bird rides like silk. It's so smooth on the road. The ABS stopping & braking is super good! This bike flicks and handles like it not there. It really took me by surprise. The balance is more on the lines of a sports bike, light and nimble. The Rocket III is no slouch in the curves, even though it is a big bike and a bit harder to flick! The power surprised me. I was up to speed hitting red line in 1st, 2nd, 3rd. This bike moves, don't be fooled. Some of the owner's comments after riding the T-Bird for a week: I didn't know motorcycle riding technology advanced this much! Test ride one, see how technology rides instead of having a wannabe ride! Cons: The Clutch pull was adjusted right. The lever clutch release at the end takes a bit to get use to (10 minutes). It could snap your neck back unexpectedly. Show less