2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT AND COMMANDER
FIRST RIDE
P68
The dual-rate springs on the Tri-
umphs' twin Showa shocks provide
most of the progressivity that the
Indian's Fox monoshock rear end
delivers, and ride quality - especial-
ly on the heavier LT - is extremely
high. Their low-speed absorption
damping is especially good, and
you honestly don't notice highway
sealing strips and the like.
Superior suspension – and
the same applies to the Thunder-
bird duo's brakes, which are the
one weak point of the new Indi-
ans. Not so their British rivals,
whose brake package provides
exceptional stopping power, es-
pecially if you focus on using the
big 310mm rear disc and its twin-
pot Brembo caliper quite hard in
best cruiser mode, before rolling
off any residual speed via the twin
same-size front brakes and their
four-pot Nissin calipers. This is
the benchmark brake package
for the cruiser market, albeit nev-
er snatchy, just ever effective in a
controllable manner. Nice.
The level of build quality on the
LT and Commander is beyond
reproach, a key factor in a mar-
ket segment where appearance
is almost everything. Just like
the original Thunderbird, and its
Storm successor, these are once
again very fine motorcycles - par-
allel-twins cruising through a mar-
ketplace otherwise populated by
V-twins. But they are not V-twins,
nor are they Made in America!
So that's what they aren't. What
they are is models that should es-
tablish Triumph as key players in
the cruiser category. But it would
help if cruiser customers like my
mate Caleb weren't so totally fix-
ated on V-twin motorcycles that a
parallel twin won't get his atten-
tion. And, judging by the excel-
lence of these two new Triumphs,
that's a shame.
John Bloor is betting that
you can teach an old dog new
tricks. CN
The Commander.
