Triumph Thunderbird Sport Review

Overall Rating

Classic styling - retro looks.
Near-sportbike handling, without all the plastic covering the motor.
Dual discs up front, adjustable suspension, six-speeds.
Somewhat unique, but very reliable and cheap to maintain.
Very loyal-to-the-brand owners who are happy with their bikes.

A little heavy - maybe a little top heavy (watch for parking lot tip-overs).
Fewer dealers, but they are a dedicated bunch.
Parts are more expensive, but they don't break very often.

I bought my first bike (scooter) in 1959. Since then, I've had a lot of bikes and six Triumphs (five of them were triples built since 1998). Aside from the overall quality of workmanship and engineering, the howl of the Triumph Triple is incredibly addicting. I understand the excitement that comes from the sound of the Honda V-4, the thunder of a big V-twin, the turbine-like whine from a 5-valve Yamaha in-line four, and the unique sound from a Ducati reaching red-line. But, give me the sound of a triple every time. It sends chills down my spine to hear it, and to feel it.
I had a '98 T-Bird Sport and loved the upswept dual exhaust on the right side of the bike. Thinking I would be doing more touring, I replaced it with a Sprint ST (also an outstanding bike). But, I always missed my TBS. This past summer, I found a "project" '99 TBS that was abandoned during a conversion to a cafe racer. A number of parts were removed and replaced with aftermarket pieces to conform to the look of a cafe racer. The new black D&D exhaust system looked like the original pipes, but they made the bike so loud I hated to hear it run. The carbs were in need of rejetting, so it wouldn't run sufficient to ride it. The original airbox was replaced with pod air filters for "that look". The only handlebars were clip-ons that required a very aggressive riding position. The Triumph cafe racer single seat option was on the bike, and the original long seat came with the bike.
Once the carbs were rejetted, the bike ran okay, but the noise was still too much and the handlebars would have to be replaced. I tried to put more fiberglass packing in the end cans, but this didn't help. I finally found some stock mufflers on E-bay and paid $60 (incl freight). They bolted right on and allowed the mellow growl associated with the triple. Now, the carb needed one last adjusting. The handlebars were replaced ($23), and the bike to was ready to ride.
Holy crap... this mother moves and sounds awesome. One thing about the sound that's different from my other TBS that I had fitted with the Triumph "off road" factory replacements is this: the bike is a little quieter at idle and under normal acceleration... but when cranked, the sound of sucking through the pod filters gives me shivers. It's so cool.
I have one other bike that I had always planned as a long term keeper (1991 Suzuki VX800 V-twin), but now that the TBS is running and looking so great, I may have to keep both... or even sell the Suzuki.