I rode only in the dry, so I didn’t find much personal use for the ABS system. Let’s not forget that the Thunderbird weighs 747 pounds ready to ride (679 pounds dry, claimed), so the stopping power is impressive. The front brake setup is a double 310mm disc with Nissin 4-pot calipers, and a single 310mm disc at the rear with a 2-pot Brembo caliper.The ABS brakes work exactly like you want ABS brakes to work and the ultimate stopping power is very strong. Purely aesthetic, I know, but these things matter in this segment. An ugly ABS ring is visible on the left side of the front wheel, while Harley hides the sensors inside the wheel hub. I have tested Harley’s ABS brakes on the Touring range and I can instantly see one thing Triumph hasn’t done which H-D has. I’m spending the day in sunny Barcelona and in the mountainous Montserrat region a few miles north from the Catalan capital.I start my day on a bog standard 2010 Thunderbird fitted with ABS brakes. The low seat height enables the forward mounted footpegs to give a comfortable cruising position. The seat is at a low 700mm height and it’s instantly comfortable. The range includes everything from sport to touring accessories.A big old tapered leather seat is my first point of contact on the 2010 Thunderbird.
Triumph has in fact already launched more than 100 accessories that enable a lot of changes from day one. The Triumph Thunderbird closes that gap with its brand new 1600cc parallel twin powertrain.The 2010 Triumph Thunderbird is a stripped down cruiser that can be taken to the exact same places as the extensive H-D Softail range. Triumph had the Speedmaster, America and Rocket IIIs, but there was a major gap in between the 865cc parallel twins and the 2300cc triple. The Thunderbird now finds itself in Big Twin country and every effort has been made to ensure it stays there where others end up in the Badlands. The 2010 Thunderbird places itself exactly in the market where Harley-Davidson rules. Without heritage you’re left only with a good product and price competitiveness that simply isn’t enough to battle with The Motor Company. Without heritage you’re nothing in the highly emotional cruiser market. If there is such a thing as a slayer of giants or, in this case, a Harley killer, then the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird is the spearhead and the first that really could matter.Triumph has got that very sought after thing called “heritage”.
Triumph’s Thunderbird is Harley-Davidson’s worst nightmare come true. The 2010 Triumph Thunderbird’s wings have shape shifted into a massive parallel twin motor.
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