Alllllrighty Then

Tigerballs said:
I totaled my Tiger and I'm looking for what is to be my new bike. I love the new 1700 engine, but I HATE cruisers. I would love to see the 1700 in a standard chassis similar to the Bonneville. I had a bonnie and spent about $8000.00 on bore,stroke,cams,suspension,clutch,exhaust,flatside carbs, the list goes on but the result was that the engine seized three times and I guess it just wasn't going to be what I wanted. I fell in love with the Tiger and it needed few mods but I was thinking that I just love that big twin 1700. If only they had a sport version. I wonder if anyone here has raised the Tbird with suspension mods and maybe higher pipes to make this Bird handle in the twisties? Maybe I will end up going back to another Tiger but I was just thinking what if that 1700 was in a sportier chassis. I don't have anything against you cruiser guys its just that I know I won't be satisfied scraping exhausts all day.
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first sorry to here about your totaled bike that sucks!!!!!!but try to going over to this form Thunderbird 1600 World Forums it's anything and everthing about the new T-bird...

ED:cool:
 
Skip, be careful on the dragon. Used to go to the R1 convention there every year, and in the past couple there have been so many cops it wasnt even worth going. Just an FYI...
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I see some of you are a little touchy about my comment regarding "i hate cruisers". That was obviously out of line and not really what I mean. I appreciate the beauty of cruisers but was raised by a gang of enduro guys who were also all mechanical engineers and they drilled into my head that form must follow function. I think its the whole Harley image thing that to me is just laughable. The new 1700 is obviously a better handling and performing machine in that arena but the idea to me of feet forward controls and 3 inches of ground clearance, too fat rear tires and a raked out front end is indeed abhorrent to me. I do love that engine though. I can imagine it in a platform similar to Harley's new XR1200X and the Bird blowing the XR's fenders off. Many of the Bonnie guys mod the hell out of them and that standard is conducive to farkling in many different directions. I was after the street tracker affect. I do like the look of the new Storm, its a step towards the right direction and the R3 Roadster is a bad mamma jamma but I was really looking for anyone who has done something fantastic to the chassis of the Bird. Sorry if I offended, and, oh yes, I know the Dragon and I am about six miles away from Palomar Mountain, you may have heard of it. Very challenging to even the best roadracers, I know because I shadowed a big group of them up that mountain. I owned a '98 TBird I bought brand new. I wonder if the big twin would fit in that frame. Hmmmm. Anyhow I won't piss you guys off anymore. Don't want you to get your chaps all in a bunch!
 
Tigerballs,
you didn't piss us off.
That's how Rocketriders get along..
Cause we're all pretty much family here.
Sas mouthin' is just part of who we are.
Hope you come back and decide on something
you like, want, can live with.
let us know what you end up with,
but you really do need to test ride a Roadster...
I think it'd impress any ****** rocket rider if given a chance...
JM2CW,
skip
 
Tigerballs said:
Thanks for the replies guys. I see some of you are a little touchy about my comment regarding "i hate cruisers". That was obviously out of line and not really what I mean. I appreciate the beauty of cruisers but was raised by a gang of enduro guys who were also all mechanical engineers and they drilled into my head that form must follow function. I think its the whole Harley image thing that to me is just laughable. The new 1700 is obviously a better handling and performing machine in that arena but the idea to me of feet forward controls and 3 inches of ground clearance, too fat rear tires and a raked out front end is indeed abhorrent to me. I do love that engine though. I can imagine it in a platform similar to Harley's new XR1200X and the Bird blowing the XR's fenders off. Many of the Bonnie guys mod the hell out of them and that standard is conducive to farkling in many different directions. I was after the street tracker affect. I do like the look of the new Storm, its a step towards the right direction and the R3 Roadster is a bad mamma jamma but I was really looking for anyone who has done something fantastic to the chassis of the Bird. Sorry if I offended, and, oh yes, I know the Dragon and I am about six miles away from Palomar Mountain, you may have heard of it. Very challenging to even the best roadracers, I know because I shadowed a big group of them up that mountain. I owned a '98 TBird I bought brand new. I wonder if the big twin would fit in that frame. Hmmmm. Anyhow I won't piss you guys off anymore. Don't want you to get your chaps all in a bunch!
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You're OK man. Its just tiring explaining the bike to others when they could just take one out and see and I don't mean you. I mean the V-Twin crowd that turn their noses up. I APOLOGIZE TO YOU. We are a pleasant bunch of devoted riders with a passion for Triumph (me) and our Rockets and I get what you are asking as I forgot that once upon a time I was asking questions so once again I apologize. GET ONE, come join us. You will never look back, too much raucous fun to be had on the Rocket. Did I say that I apologize. Dang shame that you'll have to buy the California "package " though. The kinfolks said Jed move away from there. Would it be legal to mod a Rocket by adding the supercharger and still meet Cali emission standards. In the future pay no attention to me, I am just out of the nervous hospital. I had to blow four ****** rocketers off the highway last fall as they had the " Big old fat slow cruiser" look in their eyes when they passed me on I-40 and it bothered me for about 5 minutes when I rolled on the throttle ran up to 100+ and blew by them and stayed on it until I couldn't see them in my mirrors then slowed down. Second time around they were looking at the big old fat slow cruiser with a little more respect.

Take the plunge. I hope that you hang around here, good to have you if you do.
 
PS; My big fat arse would look like a cantelope resting on a shot glass if I got up on a Tiger, so the Rocket helps like wearing black leather, it makes me look slimmer:eek:.
 
We may all be a little biased but seriously, from your description of what you're after, the Rocket delivers without the need to consider the type of mods to a T'Bird you're talking about. And it's unique. You'll be back.
 
Many may not realize you've posted your question in the Thunderbird section. Being a primarily Rocket centric site, the Thunderbird section is relatively new.

My opinion is you're not likely to get what you're looking for. The T'Bird was mainly designed to compete with the HDs and the Metric cruisers. While it handles very well for what it is, the key part of that is 'for what it is'. The same can be said for the Rocket. It handles very well, for what it is.

I love my Rocket 3 Touring, but coming from a long stretch of BMW ownership, it doesn't handle like a sport bike, or for that matter, like an adventure bike. It will lean until hard parts scrape, but in the end, they do scrape. A Harley will handle dirt roads just fine if you know what you're doing, but a KLR or a GS will do it a lot easier. Same can be said of cruisers and the twisties.

You may want to check the new Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200. Nice size twin that will handle your need for speed just fine. The BMW GS is another twin that will run with the sport bikes all day and will take you across state lines in comfort as well. Then of course there's the new Multistrada. One of the nicest twins ever made and from what I hear Ducatis handle the twisties pretty well.
 
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