2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT AND COMMANDER
FIRST RIDE
P66
It'll pull cleanly away wide open
from 40 mph in the overdrive top
gear, which in the absence of a
tach we'll have to believe is just
1500 rpm as Triumph declares.
This makes it an easy bike to ride
slowly, although it would have
been nice if the clutch and brake
levers were adjustable.
Feet-up U-turns are improb-
ably feasible in spite of the long
65.5-inch wheelbase, thanks to
the Triumph's good balance, tight
turning circle, and the smooth,
controllable take-up of the cable-
operated clutch.
But you'll find yourself riding
the ultra-flat torque curve that
comes on strong at what, ac-
cording to the dyno chart, is a
little over 2000 rpm, then holds
on until later in the rev range. It
then peaks at 3550 rpm with
that substantial claimed 151Nm of
torque. And although you end up
short-shifting in the gears most
of the time instead of exploring
the upper reaches of the rpms
(where claimed peak power of
94 hp at the crank is delivered at
5408 rpm), there's no real sense
of those big, heavy pistons seem-
ingly firing every lamp-post as on
many other big twins. But there is
an unmistakable sense of power
and grunt down low.
Although - thanks to its 270-de-
gree crank - it still has the feeling
of such a V-twin, the Thunderbird
motor seems quicker revving and
more responsive when you twist
the light-action throttle hard. The
effect is really satisfying, even
exhilarating, for the parallel-twin
engine has loads of personality,
with the trademark lilt and offbeat
melody that you expect from a V-
twin motor.
Thanks to the effective coun-
terbalancing, there's minimal
vibration at any engine speed,
even if you deliberately rev it up
to somewhere near what is ap-
parently the 6500 rpm rev-limit-
er. The fuel mapping is also ex-
cellent, with the transition from a
closed throttle especially refined
The LT.
