TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 1700 LT (2014 - 2018) Review

Recognised as having the most comfortable seat in the cruiser market. And made for long distance cruising, great foot control positions and a superior ride.

Plenty of power when required and lots of power left when at a constant cruising speed.

Tyre costs depending on mileage

Built as LT lite tourer, this bike comes equipped with leather panniers, sissybar passenger back rest, comfortable foot rest, and heated grips, no sat nav or radio like some of the big cruiser like Harley or Indian (my previous bike was a Indian Chieftain) but the lack of the usual batwing fairing makes visibility of the road in front so easy, and reduces the central of gravity making slow manoeuvres easy.

Probably the most comfortable seat on a motorcycle.

Excellent, great pillion provision too.

Great character and noise.. massive torque available from very low revs.

Exhaust exup valve issue.. sorted with an eliminator box, but a pain of of a job to get disconnected.

Self service, straightforward maintenance

Just enough

The LT is at it's best when the sun's shining, I have a long way to go, the road is interesting and I have plenty of time to enjoy the ride. As peviously mentioned it is relaxing enough to do 700 plus miles in a day. I hope to do the Iron Butt this year and am looking forward to doing in excess of 1,000 miles in a day, which I know the bike is more than capable of. It can handle the long motorway haul, twisty mountain roads over the Pyrenees but is probably not at it's best on dusty, rock strewn tracks i.e. "Garmen sceanic route" Being able to regularly go 250 miles between fuel stops is a bonus, as is it's ability to deliver you to your destination fresh and not frazzled. The ABS is there for when you need it and the brakes do a good job in hauling you down from silly speeds. Pillion? I honestly don't know, my wife prefers to fly while I prefer to ride.

Low revving, very low stressed with enough torque to rip your arms off and able to perform safe overtakes no matter which gear your in.

The belt can be a pain to adjust to prevent squeeling. The bike needs to be cleaned often to keep corrosion at bay and any metal treated to ACF 50 (other metal corrosion treatments are available) I have had some chrome problems, such as pitting and blistering but they were dealt with very efficiantly by Destination Triumph, Fareham from whom I purchased the bike. The self cancelling indicators started playing up after about 3,000 miles, the fault being traced to a faulty speedo unit which again was replaced quickly under warranty. Those two issues have been the only issues I have had in just over 12,000 miles.

Servicing from a main dealer is always painful and despite the free coffee, nibbles and courtesy bike from Destination Triumph it is the part of the cost of ownership which I particularly dislike.

Handling is very good even for a bike half it's weight. The Avon Cobras are good in the wet or dry, can take a lot of punishment (don't ask!) and they have a good life - 12,000 on the rear and judging by the wear rate around 15,000 for the front. There are lots of accessories available, I had front and rear engine bars, highway pegs, a rear rack, alarm / immobiliser, auxillary power take off, locking fuel cap and lock for the quickly detatchable screen fitted from new. Vance & Hines pipes, adjustable highway pegs and a larger screen fitted later - all above accessories either Triumph or Triumph warranted. I fitted a BrakeAway cruise control and would recommend fitting LED lights to further improve the standard lights. My favourite feature of the bike must be the comfort - the seat is filled with just the right amount of humming bird feathers (according to one road test) and the relaxing ride which always puts a smile on my face even two years on.

Outstanding ride. The guys who say this bike scrapes on every corner are full of it. Only in a very aggressive turn do they touch down just like every other big cruiser. I do 250 - 300 mile rides and I still feel good when the day ends. I must say the front end has a very heavy feel at low speed and no speed maneuvering.

Lots of low end torque but to much engine clattering for my liking. A very fast bike for being a big heavy machine and I like that. I put Vance & Hines pipes on it with a Power Commander V. Then I had to bring it to the Dyno shop. Still has a very annoying deceleration popping but less of it.. It's now putting out 90.1 hp. & 115 pounds of torque @ 3,250 rpm.

A few minor issue. Left marker light blown @ 500 mile service and Triumph would not cover the repair. Sorry Triumph but that was not very fair of you. I expected better than that. Exhaust cable stretched out and triggered a check engine light at 5,000 miles. It has a funny annoying noise from the rear that can't be identified although I expect it may be coming from the belt. Overall the bike feels and looks well made.

It actually cost me $289 for the first 500 miles service. 30 minute job. That is why I do my own work with the aid of the Triumph service manual and some expensive tools.

This bike should have come with cruise control. My favorite accessories are the Vance and Hines pipes and the highway bars with foot pegs. The tires are to expensive to replace every two seasons.

Again, simply a fabulous ride. Try it, you'll love it. Much thought and experience at Triumph has gone into designing this bike.

Engine and powertrain is perfect and flawless, and it sounds great too!

The is a very solid and well-built bike. No corrosion or issues of any kind.

I get consistently in the 40s for mixed gas mileage and up in the 50s on straight roads around 65 mph.

The bike I got came with bags and windscreen. You can get a taller touring windscreen if you go longer (it's quick release), but I feel the stock one is just fine. I added the front and back dresser bars and the BMW style 12v outlets myself, very straightforward and easy.

the wife and I always ride together ( her pillion ) and she loves the comfort I find the ride very comfortable and the seat is just excellent. the brakes are also excellent if abs kicks in you don't even notice it and stops brilliantly every time. there are no issues with comfort and we both find it very comfortable suspension ( rear only adjustment ) is easy to change we've done well over 100 miles a few times with no issues.

power delivery is excellent the engine is faultless and easy to ride at any speed

build quality is very good finish excellent cannot fault handling feels heavy at front but once you get used to the weight the bike itself is excellent in every way bought in june and had no issues mechanically electrical or of any other kind done 3500 so far

is fairly economical for such a large bike around 180 miles [London traffic] to the tank. similar to my previous CBR 1000 would and has done better on longer trips.

the luggage is acceptable but expensive non locking and non secure quality though again it is very well made chrome is so far good theres very little in the way of equipment as standard though it doesn't really need that much has all necessary (petrol gauge, miles to empty) fog light indicator abs indicator easy to scroll through menu on left handlebar.avon tyres are good in all road conditions.

Amazing handling for a heavy 800lb. bike. If you take off the tall windshield and bags, it moves quickly to any input and keeps its line on turns and twisties. The brakes are among the best I've ever had on a bike. It's ABS standard. Bike is at its best on long trips, like the one I took to Glacier Nat. park this summer. You easily have a 225-240 mile range and can do that no problem because of the excellent ergonomics and seat. It's the first bike I ever had that I didn't need to buy an aftermarket seat. It's a cruiser and a long-tourer depending on if you keep the bags and windshield on. Quick release means I can take off bags in ten seconds each, and the windshield in 5 seconds with a good tug. It's a comfort bike, with no vibration at 85 mph. You can cruise over a 100 easily and it's still comfortable (at your own risk). I've ridden cruisers from other makers, and you wouldn't do that unless you want to be shaken like a paint mixer.

This engine is a thing of refinement and power. It looks beautiful, the inline two with the splayed headers out the front on each side of the bike, like the early Bonnies and T-Birds of the 60s-- the engine is blacked out except for the fins, just like those early T-Birds, and even the triangular engine case matches those early legacy bikes. The engine makes a nice rumble and when you turn the throttle it's an instant response that pulls your arms back. You don't have to put it in 6th gear until it hits 80mph, but you can if you want, just to get better mileage.

In the first 10K miles, no issues. Never broke down, nothing has failed, never leaked a drop of oil, and it's been bullet-proof.

$90 for 6000K mile oil change and new oil filter. Bike is under 2 year unlimited mileage warranty.

My favorite change is putting on the slip on (off road) pipes and getting the stage 1 download. It gives you that good rumble sound (not obnoxiously loud) but more than that, you get an additional 6-7 hp, which means it puts you in the high 90s, with power equivalent or greater than the T-Bird Storm... which I've ridden.

No more fly chewing