Triumphrat

Tone in't Fens

...I'm hungering for a new bike experience; I've ridden some cruisers and loathed them - ground clearance, fuel consumption, reliability, handling, performance, comfort, etc.

I've had a couple of test rides on the Tbird, admittedly it was initially it was to be able to say, "Thats crap" - but it wasn't.

I need a bike for fun, commutes and touring - with wife. It's the last bit that's hard to calculate - as the bikes I've tried didn't have a decent pillion.

Can anyone convince me my wife (who loves the Tiger) would be comfortable for +300 miles on a Tbird?

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DruAde

With a touring seat and sissy bar no problem. But if you wont the ultimate touring experiance then you should buy a Goldwing .

The Tbird can do all that you need . It is fast enough , strong enough and handles much better than other cruisers . Thats if you like cruisers though.

I do so for me its the perfect bike. For others though, /shrugs.

A Street tripple will get you there faster and get you through congestion easier. A Goldwing will get you there in more comfort but I wouldnt want one in heavey traffic in the rush hour.

What I am saying is , I wouldnt want to convince anyone about the TBird , it is personal preference and testing. For me it works , for you? No idea.

If it helps I have a sissy bar and the touring seat and my wife loves it . She has a big **** too. :-)

triple3john

Maybe you should also consider the 1050 Tiger. We rode 22,000 miles on our 955 Tiger all over Europe 2 up and the bike was faultless. Changed this year to 1050 Tiger and have done 9,000 miles including twice to Europe. The bike is superior in every way,particularly engine,brakes,handling and ergonomics. I'm 5'10" and the 1050 is a little closer to the ground but still a stretch. The only downside is the Triumph hard luggage which is not as large as the 955 version. We've coped by using technical clothing which washes quickly and so you can take less. Also use a tankbag as necessary. The Tbird is a totally different experience and I would expect it to make a god tourer as long as you are happier to ride at slightly slower pace as befits a cruiser layout,this may suit if you like totake in scenery. Tbird panniers look a decent size also. Keep the speed Triple for when you feel the need - the need for speed..

sbpark

i dunno, but for long touring trips i'd go with the tiger over the t-bird. the tiger is probably more comfortable for the passenger, will handle waaaay better in the twisties and you have that amazing 1050cc triple that triumph is praised so much for! the new goldwings supposedly have a lot of power and handle great but it's still a road sofa and dont think it would be much fun on days where you go on shorter rides, cruising around town. if you are only going to have one bike that does it all my vote is on the tiger. it's ugly as sin but does everything really well.

edit: i guess you already have a tiger, one of the ladies it looks like from your picture. keep that bike for the touring when your with the wife, and then get the t-bird for when your by yourself and just cruising. who cares what the wife thinks of it. let her enjoy riding on the back of the tiger and you have the t-bird for your own enjoyment. if she isnt happy with that let her get her own bike!

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'07 Thruxton, Caspian Blue Checker, FCR's, 813 cams, Pieman ignitor, Predators, ported & polished head...

M.Guy.Vig.

Do what I did. Buy yourself a 1050 Tiger, and a 900 Thunderbird for the wife. Problem solved!

Thatch

If you want a bike that does all 3 well then the tbird is a great choice. The combined tasks certainly rule out a goldwing (which I can't imagine choosing for any reason in the first place). The bird can be be fitted with a shield bags and highway bars if that is what you want and quickly stripped back down for cruising.

I might be tempted to keep the tiger simply because it is so much different than the bird but if you are a one bike house the bird will suit all your needs.