Amazing Cruiser/Tourer

I've got 9000 miles on the bike after little over a year, and it's been the best tour/cruiser I've ever had, and I've ridden and owned most brands, from HD, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda. These others are great bikes, of course, but what I like about the Triumph T-Bird LT in particular are the handling,... which is spot on on curves. On the straights it is a true-blooded touring machine, and you can cruise over the ton all day if you were in Montana-- where I just took a trip to Glacier Nat. Park from Oregon. It's all day comfort, and that big twin (largest in line parallel in production) is a champ, rumbling and torquey... I put the slip on pipes on, for more rumble (the stocks are too quiet for me), and this delivers more power-- equivalent to the Triumph Storm that I've also ridden. I've had no problems with the bike, it's bullet proof thus far. Looks like I'll get at least 12K miles from the tires, maybe a little more. Let me mentions that the ergonomics are ideal for me at 6' 2", and I've seen much shorter people get on the bike and say it fits them perfectly too. It comes with front engine guards and foot pegs so you can stretch out. Rear heel shifter is standard, as are large passenger floorboards. This is a comfort, quality bike and the chrome is deep and rich. For mileage, I've gotten from 38mpg city when I'm really stomping it, to 48mpg on the highway in 6th gear, which means you can get from 225 to 240 miles a tank, which is a good range when you're in the middle of Montana and Idaho . One last thing... I called it a tour/cruiser because if you take off the saddle bags and the passenger backrest and windshield, you've got one cool looking cruiser. And, the bags are easy to install or remove in 2 minutes if you put on quick release knobs, and the windshield is quick release in less than 5 seconds--just pull and lift. For an engine with over 90hp and gobs of torque you could pay $10K more for an equivalent bike. So, any downsides? There is no cruise control (which I would have liked) and I doubt Triumph will add one that ca be retrofitted. I use a throttle lock... not as elegant a solution, but it works. Read Full Review