2014 Triumph Thunderbird Storm
User Reviews
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Solid value, solid performance... and a lot of wind.
By (I am an Owner) on Apr 24, 2017First, a caveat - the last time I rode anything 'cruiser-ish' was a '93 BMW K75/RT with a trailer attached. Before that, there was a 1979 Yamaha XS750 with a tiny sport fairing clamped to the bars. Everything else? Sportbikes. I like bikes that lean, I like bikes that get out of their own way with ... little provocation, and one would think that a 'cruiser' wouldn't really push my buttons.
"Well let me enlighten you people."
The Thunderbird Storm is one of those bikes that was engineered to appeal to the hooligan crowd. 1700 cc parallel twin? Check. 200mm rear tire? Check. Blacked out color scheme? Check. Dual headlamps, dual mehaphone pipes, drag bars, and controls so far forward that short guys have to slide their nads up against the tank to shift? Check, and mate.
At the start, the exhaust note is fairly subdued, and won't embarrass any Harley owners without a set of aftermarket pipes. But give it some throttle and the fuel-injected, water-cooled stroked Thunderbird twin lets you know what you're in for. Do this in gear, and you'll feel your arms getting stretched longer. The Storm goes from sedate to balls-out like a scalded cat, and with a similar roar of protest. The belt drive does dampen the enthusiasm a little bit, but not much.
At freeway speeds, without an aftermarket screen, you'll feel like you're in a wind tunnel... or a hurricane. The wide drag bars and stretched-forward posture will have your back and abs going 'ooof!' at anything above sixty. However, there is a perfectly serviceable set of highway pegs... to the rear. Sportbikers take note - this bike is comfortable to ride jockey style, as long as you don't need to shift or use the rear brake.
Speaking of brakes, the mad scientists at Hinckley did figure out the dynamics of motorcycle braking from the sport side of the aisle. You've two rotors up front, and one in back; all three are linked to the ABS module. So when you need to curb your *ahem* enthusiasm, a firm progressive pull on the front right lever will slow your progress right handily. The rear brake is better for less intense deceleration, but is firm and responsive. (Using both is recommended, says my MSF instructor.)
Corner-wise, the Storm leans over fairly well. Which is good, because the way-forward footpegs solidly lock your ass into the seat, and prevent any sort of body English beyond countersteering. (If you want to drag knee, you'll have to use those passenger pegs I mentioned.) In parking lots, the low center of gravity makes getting around fairly easy, and if all else fails, it's not too hard to duckwalk with the clutch pulled in. Try not to drop it, though - even with the low COG, 750 pounds of British attitude are NOT easy to lever back upright, and it doesn't come with crash guards or frame sliders. Your bar ends and exhaust pipes will take the hit.
As for storage... there isn't any. The passenger pillion hides a spot to hide the manual and a shock spanner, whereas the rest of the bike's kit are underneath the seat alongside the battery. (You'll need an 8mm Allen wrench handy to get the seat off in the first place.) Triumph will sell you either a flat or tubular-steel luggage rack to swap out the pillion pad, but no matter what kind of anchor point you have in back, you'll be wanting a tailpack or saddlebags Real Soon.
Off the showroom floor, the Storm makes for a good around-town cruiser bike and a sleeper at stoplights. With the addition of a small sport fairing and some luggage, it turns into a decent commuter bike or a semi-long-distance road bike.
Rating breakdown