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| 1600 Thunderbird; The Largest Production Parallel Twin in the Known Universe | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sunday, 20. September 2009, 03:58 (57 Views) | |
| Post #1 Sunday, 20. September 2009, 03:58 |
pops
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:OLD: 1600 Thunderbird - The Largest Production Parallel Twin in the Known Universe By John M McRae At one-thousand five-hundred and ninety-seven cubic centimeters, Triumph's new Thunderbird for 2010 is the world's largest parallel twin in commercial production. That's around 98 cubic inches - larger than many automobile engines on the road today. The 2010 Triumph Thunderbird, is called the '1600 Thunderbird' to differentiate it from previous T-birds. Those former models helped make Triumph a household name in the US; it was the Thunderbird 6T, built in 1949, which led Triumph to sell more motorcycles in the US than they did anywhere else in the world. In 1994, Triumph produced the Thunderbird 900 and three years later, the Thunderbird Sport was released. These were based on the 885c.c. triple which Triumph's new factory in Hinckley had been producing since 1990 when John Bloor resurrected the marque. The last one of that generation left the factory in 2004. That was when Triumph began to work on the new model. The 2010 Thunderbird was planned to be a derivative from the 2.3-liter Rocket III; they wanted two-thirds of a Rocket. In the end, though, after four very long years of engineering and development, only the tappets are the same - everything else is brand new. That large chunk of engine puts out 85hp and 108ft/lb of torque. That power is pushed through a 6-speed transmission - which also happens to have the first helical cut gears on a Triumph - to a maintenance-free toothed belt. That belt drive is yet another first for Triumph, unless you count bikes pre-1922. Metzeler made custom 200/50 - 17 inch rear and 120/70 - 19 inch front tires for the Thunderbird project which are mounted to 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels. Suspension in front is handled by a 47mm Showa fork and in back with twin chromed spring shocks with 5-position preload adjustability. Design of the bike fell to an American designer, Tim Prentice. He managed to cross the new style of a 'power-cruiser' with the classical styling of historic Triumphs. The engine is mounted out in the open and can be easily seen as the focal point for the entire motorcycle. If the design seems to be a bit conservative and conventional, this was as intended. The cruiser market already has their tastes made and Triumph did not want to create a new niche for the Thunderbird - they wanted it to compete against other manufacturer's offerings and be in the 'comfort zone' in the current market. Granted, they have a parallel twin and not a V-twin, but a 270 degree crankshaft was used to provide that 'cruiser sound'. The 1600 Thunderbird stands as yet another historic model for Triumph. They wanted to produce a powerful and purposeful cruiser and they succeeded beyond even their high standards. |
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| Post #2 Sunday, 20. September 2009, 13:37 |
obxbiker
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[cleft=white][/cleft] :EYES: :LINKS: :READING:
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USA Venox Rider (OBnoXiousNox & YelloNox) piwyrmanagement@gmail.com
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| Post #3 Sunday, 20. September 2009, 13:42 |
obxbiker
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;NEWSPY: FULL SCREEN VERSION |
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USA Venox Rider (OBnoXiousNox & YelloNox) piwyrmanagement@gmail.com
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| Post #4 Monday, 21. September 2009, 13:43 |
gw555
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| cant quite see what the significance of a freight train is??? |
132000 kms yellow one & 20000 kms white one piwyrmanagement@gmail.com
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| Post #5 Monday, 21. September 2009, 22:50 |
pops
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| :OLD: I would like to ride one, I can not picture a 800cc piston. The HP rating is not all that much for 1600cc, in 78 a 1015cc put out that much HP. |
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