The storm is well balanced which seems to make the weight less noticeable, I seem to like it more and more each time I ride it as it is a nice practical cruiser with touring ability....
They didn't make a vtwin because they wanted a bike with power from the go, loads of torque AND top end, and one that doesn't shake apart ala HD designs. Oh and the bike doesn't have to shut off a cylinder when riding in a traffic jam on a hot summer day.
Even though I have owned one for years and can't be happier, I also think you're too nice on the review. The sound from the pipes is too polished, I'd rather hear a throatier, rougher sound. And the passenger seat isn't comfy at all, unlike the rider's
I've owned Triumphs since the seventies; I love em but the brakes were always crap especially the early ones- nice try mate. I modified a 59 Thunderbird decades ago by bolting up the three piece crank with a 60 degree offset, cut the cams in half and offset them my 30 degrees. Made an interesting sound but was a lot rougher because I didn't rebalance the crank!!!, Interesting that new Triumphs have latched onto this offset idea but I prefer the true parallel twin sound.
@@StateOfMind63 Better? Define better? It might be a little lighter, and/or better balanced...I don't know, I've never ridden one? Their build quality is about the same as the Honda and far less than that of the Road King. That leaves power, reliably, and cost. That's where the Triumph falls short. As does its servicabily. Honda keeps parts for decades...and you can throw a rock in any direction and hit a Harley Dealership. On the other hand, my buddy routinely waited 4-6-months on parts from overseas with his last Triumph. Why don't we agree that it's simply an "alternative" choice to the other two....but "better", it is not.
@@alfrede.neuman8611 Have you owned all three bikes? You are entitled to your opinion but in my experience having owned them I would say its better balanced and so It handles better and feels lighter once you get going, especially in the corners. The power delivery also just feels better and it has more mid range power (I had the big bore 1700 version). Honda build quality is usually quite good, but the Thundebird build quality was definitely superior to a VTX 1800 and I would say its a whole lot better than my Road King. I've never been impressed with Harley build quality despite what everyone says. I've had bits break on them a lot and I had all kinds of maintenance and reliability issues with the road king due to overheating and vibration. The VTX engine is definitely reliable, I just thought the paint job and the quality was a bit lower than that of the Triumph.
@@StateOfMind63 I haven't...but then one doesn't need to own all three to experience, take cues from or perform any research on them. None of what I said above is factually inaccurate. I don't know what year Road King you owned, but the newest M8 models have it over the other two in spades as far as "all around bike" goes. The Harley build quality (specifically their fit and finish) blows both the Honda and the Triumph away. Especially their paint work...no contest what so ever. Honda is easily the most reliable of the three bikes. No questions. Honda and Yamaha have set the industry standard in that department, followed by the other Japanese Brands. Triumph has scored amongst the lowest in that regards. Again...not my opinion. This is based on data collection through various publications over the years. The Vanguard 1800 found in the VTX is also easily the most powerful and the bike is definitely the quickest of the three as well...and has been since its debut way back in 2002. The short first and second gear may make it "seem" a little soft on the bottom end during light throttle, low speed riding, but I assure you, when you get hard into it, that short gear spacing and massive torque curve really sets it apart from the other two. And the 1/4-mile ET and MPH support this. Their Road King 114 M8 while not as powerful as the VTX's 1800 Vanguard, still has more squeeze down low than the Thunderbirds 1700. And while in stock trim it may not be faster, if definitely feels like its putting in more work. And it's most certainly more mod friendly. Where build quality is concerned. While parked side by side, I couldn't see anything on my buddies Thunderbird, that really set it apart from my Honda. They both have pretty good paint, solid welds, nice lines and used plenty of plastic. Both are what I would call...decent. Again, neither compares to any modern Harley, however. As far as how they handle or maneuver...I can't really say. As the one I rode wasn't mine, so I didn't push it hard enough to make that determination. Though it definitely felt "capable". I suspect the Thunderbirds slightly lower weight and lower center of gravity is going to put it ahead of the VTX in that respect? Can't speak for a new Road King however, since I've never ridden one, but I've been on plenty of their other modern big cruiser Glides and they seem to have the same lower center of gravity and geometry advantage over my VTX that the Thunderbird did. Brakes on my buddies Thunderbird also felt really good...but they didn't feel any better than the linked brake system on my VTX. Don't get me wrong. I'm not putting down the Triumph...but your views on the three bikes were completely subjective. And weren't really based on any measurable trait. If anything, the verdict on this one is that the Triumph is "comparable" to the other two. But there no combined area's that would make it superior to either of the other two. Truth be told, if I had the room in my garage for a second bike, I'd probably have a 1st Gen Rocket III Roadster sitting next to it right now. And since Honda all but abandoned the bid displacement, big twin game a decade and a half ago I'll probably never own another after this VTX. If I'm honest, the next bike I own will probably be an Indian. All of the fit, finish styling and quality of the Harley but packed with modern tech. To each their own.
@@alfrede.neuman8611 I would say based on personal experience that is has better mileage than the Road King with both having approx 22litre tanks but they were fairly close in thatr egard. Both the Harley and the Triumph have considerably better range than the VTX 1800, as that bike absolutely drank petrol. The VTX might have slightly higher HP, I'm not sure but it certainly didn't feel faster than the Thunderbird to ride. I've also briefly owned a M8 2018 Fat Bob which was very cool looking bike but far slower than both the Triumph and the Honda and as such, less fun to ride. It was all bottom end with no mid range power making it feel tame in comparison. it was stock though. Also the small tank looked good but gave it pretty annoyingly low range when going out of town. I would also point out my 2009 Thunderbird had better paintwork than both of the others by far and all three were in fairly good condition. It is a blue/black two tone with pearl and it looks amazing. The VTX and Thunderbird look a little similar side by side if you were not really a motorcycle person but one obvious difference is the Honda has a huge V Twin staring at you from the side angle, where the Triumph does not.
