Hinckley Triumph Thunderbirds

Triumph Thunderbird Sport & Thunderbird 900

 

This blog has been created about a Triumph Thunderbird Sport and subsequently how I changed it for a Thunderbird 900.

My passion for the Hinckley Triumphs started about 20 years ago when I purchased a Sprint 900 triple. That bike was British Racing Green and I loved the build quality and characteristics of that 885cc engine. However circumstances forced me to give up motor cycling for some years and so the Sprint was reluctantly sold.

I later returned to biking and spent some riding and touring on a BMW R1150R naked sports tourer bike. I then relinquished that bike and tried again to ‘retire’ from the bike scene. However it was my wife who had the foresight to say we shouldn’t sell our bike gear; and she was right!

Fast forward a couple years and the love of all things motorbike had not gone away and so I started to consider my options. Looking back over a lifetime of motor cycling (spanning 40 years) and reflecting on the variety of machines I had owned and ridden, the Triumph stood out for all the right reasons.

I therefore decided to purchase a Hinckley built Triumph and settled on a Thunderbird Sport.

It was back then that I started this blog, intending over time to build a history of that bike that would also hopefully be of interest to others. That Hinckley, British built, classily styled motorcycle has in fact built up quite a following over recent years and is also very popular in both France and America. These machines were built during the period from 1998 to 2004, a period when Triumph’s built quality was considered to be superb and at the top of their game. This model was derived from the standard Thunderbird 900, but also had some significant enhancements which improved overall BHP output as well as better braking and handling.

The first part of this blog is devoted to the Thunderbird Sport, however back in May 2014 I sold the TBS and almost instantly regretted it!

Actually the sale was based on sound logic, but even so; I wish I could have just kept the bike as an example of stunning style and beautiful British engineering. My reasons for selling were principally that I’m not good on a sports bike which asks me to lean forwards and extend the neck. Also, the torque from the TBS isn’t smoothly available until at least 3000 rpm, so the bike is only at it’s best when the engine is singing and it’s being ridden in ‘sport mode’.

I am at an age when a cruiser style of relaxed riding suits my needs better. So having let the Thunderbird Sport go, what next?

Well I felt there was something missing by me not having a Hinckly Triumph and so I replaced it with a Thunderbird! With the Thunderbird 900 triple, the engine is slightly detuned, the torque is delivered lower down and it’s a more relaxed upright riding position. So that’s what I purchased as a replacement and I am very pleased with it.

Do I miss the TBS? Most definitely yes; but at least I still have a lovely example from that Hinckly era and I enjoy riding it. I know a lot of people will say the TBS is the better bike and in terms of style and owning a future classic, I’d have to agree with them. But the Thunderbird 900 does suit my needs very well so I am happy. It would have been nice to have just kept the TBS garaged, but I wasn’t in a position to do that!

So from May 2014 the emphasis of the blog shifts over to the new bike, a 2001 Triumph Thunderbird 900 triple.

As this blog develops, I intend to tell the story about these bikes and incorporate a love of photography with my passion for motorcycles and post up some shots. I’ll try and share how I took the photographs with some basic information about the techniques I used. I am lucky in that I already work as a photographer, it’s just that a motorcycle would not normally be my subject. If you like this idea, please click the button Follow @bikepixels Copyright © 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without express consent. Backlinks and sharing via social media is allowed.