2014 EICMA: 2015 Triumph Thunderbird Nightstorm Special Edition Preview
The Triumph Thunderbird is a well-known entity in the company’s motorcycle line, and now, the 2015 Triumph Thunderbird Nightstorm Special Edition brings blacked out styling to the playing field. To get the Nightstorm, you take the Thunderbird’s formidable 1699cc Parallel-Twin engine that delivers a claimed 97 hp and 115 lb-ft of torque wrapped in a stout twin-spine frame and remove as much chrome as possible.
The Nightstorm improves upon the relatively dark Storm by attempting to replace as much chrome as possible with black paint. So, the exhaust receives a special high temperature heat-resistant black paint coating. Then the usual suspects of handlebars, mirrors, control plates, rear brake and gear levers lose their shine and embrace their black hearts. However, the cam bore inserts and the cooling fins offer a nice bare metal counterpoint to the darkness.
A special paint scheme, featuring silver ghost flames, adorns the tank, along with a hand painted Triumph logo. The two-tone tank paint switches from Phantom Black to a sparkling Silver Frost. The seat, which hovers just 27.6 in. above the tarmac, receives a new “nubbed” design with stitched paneling and an embossed Triumph logo.
The Nightstorm’s performance credentials remain the same. The engine is powered by 107.1 mm pistons in a 270 degree firing order. Twin balancer shafts quell the vibes while sequential fuel-injection metes out the power. Braking comes from dual four-piston calipers and Triumph’s standard ABS.
Triumph has set the price for the 2015 Thunderbird Nightstorm Special Edition at $15,499 with an on-sale date of Spring 2015.
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