2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT AND COMMANDER
FIRST RIDE
P64
27.5-inch seat of a bike whose ar-
chitecture is arguably made more
rational by the fact that there's no
rear V-twin cylinder to be some-
how avoided, and you'll find a re-
ally great riding position. There's
also flip-up footboards on both
new models (set further back than
on the more feet-forward Storm's
footpegs), so that your knees light-
ly graze the flanks of the 5.8-gal-
lon fuel tank - with its offset filler
and centrally-located, adequately
informative dash console.
Combined with the pulled-back
handlebar on the LT – there's a
flatter one on the Commander -
this delivers a relatively upright
stance that was absolutely untir-
ing in a 175-mile So Cal desert
day on each bike, thanks to the
accommodating seat that would
have to be close to the most com-
fortable cruiser saddle I ever sat
on. It's the dual-layer, triple-den-
sity foam construction combined
with a dedicated lumbar support
pad at the rear that does the job
here and it totally eliminates the
numb-bum syndrome that many
cruisers give you while offering
style over substance.
There's also good protection
from the windscreen, and it all
combines to make the LT into a
genuine mileater of a motorcycle.
The stock look-over screen deliv-
ers minimal turbulence at speeds
up to 80 mph, but I also tried an
accessorized bike with the op-
tional taller look-through version,
and that gave zero turbulence at
up to 100 mph. And the chrome-
backed mirrors are literally per-
fect – zero vibration, and you can
see clearly behind you without
moving your shoulders.
The Thunderbird LT was
completely stable at such high
speeds, even over freeways with
rain grooves that will frequently
cause a bike to wander. The fact
neither T'bird did so is doubtless
a credit to the Avon radial tires
they carry, but also to the well-
engineered chassis package
that makes the full-dresser LT an
Full stick on
the LT – as in
Light Touring
– through the
backroads of
San Diego,
California.
