Triumphrat

scooterdoodler · 04-26-2008, 11:42 PM

I've begun to casually shop for a nice, 6 speed Thunderbird while waiting for my 2007 650 Burgman to sell so I'll actually have the money to buy one if that's what I decide to get this time around (a Thunderbird would be my forty-first motorcycle since 1966).

If I wind up with the T-Bird triple, I envision the bike set-up with very low cafe bars, possibly even flat drag bars, with twin chrome bar end mirrors and the sporty balloon mufflers.

I find it odd that I've never come across a photo of a T-Bird configured this way, as the bike would be a natural for this treatment.

Anyone have a T-Bird set up that way?

cafetbird · 04-27-2008, 12:46 AM

Maybe you need to be looking in the cafe forum then - there are plenty of them.... is this kind of what you were thinking of?

One challenge with the Triple classics is that no one jumped on the accessory band wagon for them like happened with the Bonnie. It requires a little more ingenuity. With a Bonneville, you can practically order a cafe kit out of a catalog.

There are lots of things out there that will work = let your imagination lead the way....

zs-cafe · 04-27-2008, 03:31 AM

In the sticky section there is a "heavy modified " thread most of these are tbirds not sports. I know that there are a lot lightly modded birds out there.

I do also know that drag bars will crash into the tank at full lock, unless you change the risers. Happy riding

scooterdoodler · 04-27-2008, 12:44 PM

cafetbird, yes! that is precisely what I envision.

Thanks!

I'll get to know my way around the site shortly...and stop asking questions with obvious answers.

I must admit that the 'known issues' thread has me a little nervous about perhaps buying an unwarranted, out of production, bike that in my case, I'll have to haul about three hundred miles to have anything other than very minor repairs made, though on the big plus side of things, the local Kawasaki/Yamaha shop has said that they would be happy to perform routine maintenance on the T-Bird if I were to buy one. On the other hand, compared to some of the bikes I've owned, it may not take half the day to get at the valves on these bikes.

Thanks for the info, photos and site directions.

TBSstunta · 04-28-2008, 11:33 AM

Alec Gore did this one:

TBSstunta · 04-28-2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooterdoodler

...though on the big plus side of things, the local Kawasaki/Yamaha shop has said that they would be happy to perform routine maintenance on the T-Bird if I were to buy one...

These bikes are basically mid-90s Kawasakis so any competent mechanic should be able to do the work. They also really don't break.

drivensurf · 11-08-2008, 03:35 PM

I am new to this sight and just recently bought a 2000 t-bird. Your post really helped me picture the look im going for.
Thanks. Want to change to that style seat and bars as first move.
Learning curve is steep but one step at a time. Are those clubman bars?

cafetbird · 11-09-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drivensurf

I am new to this sight and just recently bought a 2000 t-bird. Your post really helped me picture the look im going for.
Thanks. Want to change to that style seat and bars as first move.
Learning curve is steep but one step at a time. Are those clubman bars?

Nah, they are just low bars. The ones I had on the bike at that time came off a late 90s Speed Triple. IMHO, they greatly improve the feel of the bike.