Triumphrat

prez1967

I've wanted a thruxton since i first sat on one in 2004... i got my liscence early this summer. and have logged some time on a ninja 250... its been fun but now its time to move on

About two months ago i went to look at a thrux and almost bought a 2007 VFR 800 anniversary edition. I also looked over a 2007 Sprint ST for a good while. Im glad i did not because i keep lurking on this board and drool every time i see a clean thrux.

I want a bike that i can ride to work from time to time (half hour each way on highway, sometimes traffic) yet have fun on the back roads. Wouldnt mind one i can take on long trips (ocean city is 2.5 hours away). I'm more worried about reliability. I know triumph has a two year unlimited mile warranty but the honda is a honda.

I've heard of nightmares with all the bikes except for the thrux but i dont know how comfy that would be on longer stints. Mind you i'm 6'7" 245 lbs, 35 inseam and size 16 boot.

what do you guys think of the vfr and or sprint st? should i get more experience on a thruxton then add one of them to the list? I want a thruxton either way but i dont know if it should be a second bike or if the viffer/st should get that status.

-DGI

robnobrakes

I have owned a Daytona 955i, Tiger 955i, 1050 Speed Triple, and currently own a modified Thruxton and Thunderbird Sport. In all I have ridden well over 40,000 miles on Hinckley Triumphs, with no breakdowns or reliability issues. The one and only repair was a leaking fork seal on the Daytona, replaced under warranty.

I owned a Honda 750 VFR for 2 years and rode 20,000 miles on it between 1997 and 1999. It was totally reliable, did everything it should, but had no soul or character. Good, but boring.

You need to test ride the bikes on your shortlist. The answer should be obvious once you have tried them out.

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Rob
Thruxton album
http://www.triumphrat.net/memberalbu...ry.php?cat=524
Thunderbird Sport album:
http://www.triumphrat.net/memberalbu...ry.php?cat=529

Mancha

You're 6'7" and you've been riding a Ninja 250?! Got a picture?

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Ogle my bike here.

prez1967

hahaha i'll get some before i sell/trade it. i've been told i look like "an ape raping a lemon".... that about covers it

MAR

I can't think of a "bad" or unreliable bike made today.( this excludes some of the new Korean and Chinese bikes as they are still unproven). The only real question is "what excites you."Everthing else is just a justification for for selection.

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"What are you rebelling against?"

"What have you got?"

SHILOH

I agreed. Excluding the Korean, Chinese, and probably Russaia Urals, its really hard to find a bike on the dealers floor that isn't reliable, and of good quality. A couple things about the Japanese bike dealers in the US, They can tell you the power of every bike they sell, its documented on the Manufactures Statement of Orgin that must be surrendered to title the bike, but some will only alude to it by phases such as -- Oh it got plenty of power', and in this country, for some reason, Honda, Harley, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha do not list horsepower. [ Oh its got plenty of power translates to this bike is grossly underpowered, and stalls in a headwind, do not try to go up a hill, but its a fast bike downhill].

Triumph and Ducati do. (You can however go to the web sites in GB or Germany (DE) and the information is available.) So what I am spending far to long to say, is expect truth and not evasive answers from the dealer, find a bike that feels comfortable, and you like the style. If you might want to custoimize the bike, check on the web for aftermarket pipes, saddles, etc before making the purchase.

Then enjoy your new Triumph be it a Thruxton, or Bonnie, etc.

Cheers--------------

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Tusitala - Mt Vaea

Whitehurst

6'7"

Your too big for a thrux in my opinion, you may feel a bit uncomfortable - like previously stated - go test ride one.
I would recomend a TIGER - oh yeh. Fun on the twisties but big enough for you to be comfortable on long distances...

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Beer is good

chawbecker

I'm 6'-7" and I just bought a thrux. It was the most comfortable bike I sat on, including all the dual sports and the tiger. Of course, I'm used to leaning forward on a bicycle.

Everyone recommends these super-tall bikes for tall people, but what I found is that the seat to peg dimension is a far better indicator of comfort than seat height. Seat height is important for short people- not so much for tall people. The only reason it's relevant is that a high seat gives more room for a generous seat to peg dimension.

cafecruzin

when all said and done it comes down to "wank factor"
choose what tightens your gonads
the people i ride with mostly ride Harley's.v-rods lots of bling and shine
but i can assure you that if we are stopped some where it's my little black Thruxton that gets most attention...and it has been 100% reliable

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ROD
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
Illegitimis nil carborundum
Quot culi, tot sententiae

blackstar1965

I agree with cafecruzin. The Thruxton is a real head turner.
It's styling is so unique compared to everything else on the road.
At night I couldn't tell an Aprilia from a Yamaha, but I know a Bonnie/Thrux the moment I see the headlight or the tank.

My opinion on reliability probably isn't the one to take to be honest (I only have 470 miles on my Thrux).
But I can tell you I can ride for hours without much discomfort (I recommend swapping on new grips, the stock ones have ZERO cushion, IMO) or fatigue. I'd be willing to take a few long trips with it.

Bottom line:
If it's comfortable and you like the way it looks, why not buy it?

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"So many people take the gift of communication for granted. Just shut up for once." - Me (as far as I'm concerned)