After owning 25 + bikes and riding for 46 years my 98 TBS has a 100,000k’s on it & still rides like a new bike , bullet proof power plant best fit & finish I’ve ever come across . Takes a long time to grow young but with my 2 wheel soul mate my 64 years is nothing but a number . Beg , borrow or steal one it’s a ride that lasts a life time.
The greatest triumph bike that nobody has heard of. Love mine. Was looking for a bonneville but as soon as I rode the triple I knew it was my forever bike!
I saw the review of this bike in Motor Cycle News in 1998 and bought one in 2000. There was a pic of the two swept up pipes on the one side and I was sold. Bought one in black and yellow. I loved it. When the pipes harmonized like a mouth organ, there was no sound quite like it.
Have you ever had a problem with the front shock gaskets melting in hot weather? I always hang my helmet on the handlebars and I was surprised to often find some tar on it but it turned out that after 15 years these gaskets just melt away and stick to it.
I’ve owned my 98 TBS for 4 years now and it’s been so much fun. I’ve ridden it from Jersey all the way up to Maine and back. Went to Laconia, NH as well and many stops along the way. Great bike. A little hard to ride at “highway” speeds, when windy, so be prepared to work a little, but great when it’s not windy. 80 plus mph if you’re wondering. If you can pick 1 up it is highly recommended. Super dependable. I’ve just crossed the 20k mark. Just put about 1400 miles in 6 days.
I have a 95 Thunderbird. Not the Sport. I had the engine blueprinted and completely rebuilt Speed Triple cams , custom exhaust. A real "hot rod" but you can slap a windscreen on and saddlebags and take off for a few weeks on it (solo of course). I bought mine new in April 96 and have had it ever since. Theyre fantastic bikes and can literally go anywhere and do anything. Mines got 77000 miles on it so there ya go
Good news! Thanks for making up my mind..Started researching standard Thunderbirds, which everyone seems to like but a lot of folks recommended pushing out the boat if finances allow and choosing a sport, with a bit more zip and much better braking. This video rather confirms it, so a sport it will be, as there don't appear any weaknesses. The handling is better too, apparently due to the uprated shocks. .
I own this bike the 3rd year now also in yellow, bought it from a Frenchman that had I'd garaged for 12 years. After doing all the healing that the bike needed I have to admit that This Bike is Absolutely TOP TOP TOP 😊
2010 Thunderbird with factory added 100 cc 1700 cc twin. 2011 Thunderbird Storm best all around bike I ever Had. I’ve owned and ridden, over 30 bikes, 18 new ones since 2001. Harley Streetglide, Ducati’s S4RS, St 3, Diavel, BMWs R1100rt, GS 1200, 650 single. Indian Springfield currently, plus many others. TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD STORM BEST.
Great looking bike! I’m hooked on SRK videos. No better way to learn about all of the amazing bikes out there. Struck Gold coming up with the idea of test riding while narrating. I can’t walk and chew gum! Peace and love.
My favorite Triumph ever. Why? 1.) Inline 3-cyl motor 2.) Classic styling 3.) Dual stacked mufflers 4.) Comfortable ergos 5.) Light (for a cruiser) 6.) Twin disc front brake 7.) 6th gear for highways 8.) Good handling 9.) Sounds gnarly w/aftermarket cans & a tune 10.) Reliable If it had the Speed Triple motor, fully adjustable suspension, fuel injection, cafe seat, flat bars, and weighed about 40 lbs less it would be in the conversation for best BIKE ever. But, then again, you could just go buy a new Speed Triple and you're all set. Yikes, I've just realized the T-bird Sport is actually my 2nd favorite Triumph.
Nice! I have the 'standard' Thunderbird 900 but I've cafe'd it somewhat. Great bikes and as you say, performance is adequate without being over the top and they will last a lifetime - I'll be leaving mine to my son.
I was about to list my '98 T-bird Sport for sale. After viewing this I can't let it go. I lusted after this bike when it first came out in 1998 (after I purchased a 96 Thunderbird in 1997). I was able to get one by chance in 2013 from the original owner. The bike is amazing. I've test rode newer models from Triumph all day and when I got on my 98 Tbird Sport at the end of the day I am impressed by the powerband and grounded handling. Thanks for reminding me how awesome this bike is. :)
Have a 2004 T-bird Sport and love it. Good at being a great all-round bike. Being from the 60's era of biking, I put some flat track bars on the bike. 80+mph is a bit problematic for extended periods but better for everything else.
I own one!! A 98 Sport. Have had it for 12 years now. Rode from Ft. Worth to Sioux Falls and still wanted to keep riding! Feels like a electric motor. You must GET THE Triumph off road pipes though.
Yellow really is the best colour for these beauties. Just a note, though. In the UK it's definitely no longer cheap. £4k-5k is not an unusual advertised price.
I sold my T bird 6 years ago. I am short and its top heavy weight was always an issue. Sold it for twice the price I paid for it , great bike and the sound was amazing
I know that you guys are not saling for the moment and this is an 3yr old video but I was wondering what will be a good price for this bike now in 2023. I'm writing from Asuncion Paraguay (hear of south america) and I found one here very similar to the one on your video.
I had a 2001 Triumph Trophy 1200. It was extremely fast in fact fastest bike I ever owned as it went from 0 to OMG in seconds. It was imo way over engineered and built to.last with smooth shifting and awesome handling and nighttime lighting was fantastic. Only problem I ever had was bad ignition coils where bike would lose power intermittantly and after Google search and new coils, it was an awesome beast even two up! Sold it due to being one of those who had to test the limits and could picture dying going stupid fast so i sold it for a much slower but classier BMW R1200CLC and lived......
Hi Shaun, another beautiful bike. I think the only thing that dates it is the hydraulic brake and clutch cylinders. I love your three part trip video and the way you show your faith and kindness , I’m looking forward to episode three. God Bless. Regards, Bob M. South Wales
These are great bikes, I had one, loved it, wish I still had it, what you said about brake's ! Stop quicker than a car with 4 brake's 4 tyres and ABS ! BS my man.
Good to remember that a car also weighs far more than a bike. It's probably a bit of hyperbole on Sean's part, to claim that it brakes better than a car but it's not an apples to apples comparison. Stopping power, quickness, braking distance etc are all relative and dependent on weight, speed and a host of other factors. There are a lot of physics that go into play with braking. Therefore perhaps it's not as black and white as you make it seem.
Those late 90's / early 2000 Triumph triples were pretty nice bikes. I always wanted a Speed Triple in that crazy green. I eventually ended up with a 2005 Tiger and loved the engine. I put over 100,000 miles on that bike and moved onto a Super Tenere, really miss the triple howl of the Triumph.
I had the Thunderbird that wasn’t the sport model and I believe that the camshafts were different too. That bike was nice handling but I wished it had the sport engine to give it just a bit more liveliness. It was a grunting tractor, spun up faster than most V twins with a bit less torque and not as fast as most inline fours but a skosh more grunt.
The Triumph triples are wonderful engines. I now have a 2011 1050 Sprint GT and it’ll beat the pants off any of their modern twins. My 2016 T-120 was OK but going back a few years got me much more bike. That’s a nice machine right there!
Bought a TBS 2000 in 2003.... had papers drawn up and all but final sigs signed for a new Buell when we were pass thru the dealers' shop and this thing was up on the bench in the detail room i the dark with lights on it and I stopped my tracks. Much to the disappointment of the sales guy, 5 min later I said "I want this one" and rode out on it an hour later. Sold it in 2009 because I left the country for a couple years. Have had a lot bikes over the years. This is the only one I still miss to this day.
I had that exact bike for about three years great handling bike lots of fun I traded it bought a BMW R 1200 C although the BMW was a nice cruise or no power at all really miss the triumph
It's a great bike. I have a red '99. I had health issues and left the bike parked wet in 2001 with maybe 9K miles. Now I'll have to sell it as a fixer - sitting fuel did a number on the tank & fuel system I'm sure. :(
If your site was current all the time or most of the time,, like it should be,,, I almost definitely bought my bike I bought last year from you instead of NOT from you like I did!!! But again you are very successful so you probably don’t care about my opinion at this point!!!!!!
The TB Sport engine is exactly the same as the other Triumph classics -- Adventurer, Legend and standard Thunderbird. There may be slight differences in the air box and the exhaust is a bit different, but internally the engine is identical across all models. No different cams nor anything else. The increased horsepower was purely marketing. Although the 6 speed trans is a TB Sport item. The Sport/ Touring models from the same era (Sprint, Trident, Daytona, Speed Triple had hotter cams and better air box and were rated at 98 hp.
How is it that in the 60s, putting a beginner on a 650 Bonneville would be considered child abuse, but now, a 866cc bike that weighs another hundred pounds is called a "Beginner to Intermediate" bike? Have beginners mysteriously become more mature? Do they no longer benefit from working their way up through smaller, less powerful bikes. All you Tube guys do this and it really bothers me. Otherwise, I WANT a Thunderbird 900, and in yellow like the one you have!
"UPS...hardest working woman in the world." Oh oh, Sean just got three demerits from the wifey. Haha. I love that bike. When Jordan was riding it on y'alls trip it looked pretty nice. Normally, I'm not a fan of yellow on bikes, but for some reason it looks good on that Trumpet.
Shawn, I would like to comment on the way you are doing your test rides. Before I do that I would like to tell you about a British movie that I saw about 1965. It was about this rugby player. The alarm goes off and he throws the covers off and groans. Then the plot shifts to game day. Then it goes back to him climbing out of bed. Then it goes to when the team meets for a pre game meal. Then he goes from his bed to the bathroom. Back to the rugby stadium and the game starts. Then back home in the bath room and more groans. It is a up and down game back and forth. He walks slowly from the toilet to the mirror with more groans. The games about over and they are in a scrum. Lots of violent movement then the elbow to his mouth with lots of blood and broken teeth. He groans again and opens his mouth in front of the bathroom mirror and... no teeth. Just bloody gums and he screams. You know Shawn it took me 3 or 4 times to finish watching this movie. I do not like flashback movies or shows. I liked your old way of doing the test rides. Please go back to how you did them a week or two ago. Thanks. Vaughn
@@Srkcycles I am a sequential person. Going back and forth helter skelter just drives me bonkers. My wife's a writer and she said the rule of thumb is one, two or 3 flashbacks. Otherwise you stand the chance of losing the reader, or viewer. Vaughn.
@@Srkcycles Shawn, It's your show. Whatever you do I am still going to watch it. I watch because you are good hearted young man. Do whatever works for you. Here's to continued success. Lord bless you folks. Vaughn
Can SOMEONE help me identify the brake light tidy he has here?? I have a 98 in the exact same color scheme and I’m dying to have a light setup like that.
Yeahh, the 1st and second episodes were awsome. I am waiting for the last one. Hey, where is the triumph ? After watching the video above i jumped in your inventory to check the price and surprise, it wasn't there. :-(
Nice bike! Someone is selling one near me but I’m a beginner. You think it’s too powerful/ heavy for a new rider? I’ve heard that it’s a suitable bike to grow into but I’ve also heard that it’s too powerful. What do you guys think?
A motorcycle will not out stop just anything on the road. A sport bike can not out stop a Camry. But he is right. Check your mirrors to make sure no one is ramping up on you. If they are, keep moving , turn later and come back around. You can not out stop a car, but you sure can become invisible to one. Not sure what that is, but it is.
Sean--I hope you notified that guy in Charlotte who wouldn't let you test ride it that you're doing this video. Hey, guy--If you're watching, you are one lucky puppy. You wouldn't even let Sean test ride the thing, and he gave you $6500!! Believe me, I sure wouldn't have. But Sean's a better man than I am. And than you, I might add.
Could you by chance make a video about the triumph tt legend 900? It was also from ''99, but I do not know if it got the same specs as the thunderbird, since it was a cheaper model from the thunderbird at the time
The tt legend is basically the same bike as the thunderbird 900 (without the „sport“) except the styling. Compared to the thunderbird sport, the legend has an other carburator which decreased power a bit, only a single front disk and the styling of the rear looks a bit different. Also the available colors were less „loud“ than the thunderbird sport. Also a cool bike :)
All of the Hinckley Classics had the same horsepower 63 The TBS was falsely advertised as having 83 hp Re-jetting the carbs from 36 low and 98 main to 40 low and 105 mains would boost the hp to about 73 Swapping the cams to Sprint " green cams" would have you pushing 95 hp at the rear wheel I owned a Legend TT for over 10 years and did multiple mods especially suspension These bikes were bulletproof and I sold my Legend with 98000 miles on it, and it ran just as good as the day I bought it These bikes arent perfect though there is a flaw in the engine coating on the left side behind the shifter theres a hollow that bolts 2 halves of the engine together- that hollow has a hole in the rear wall and allows oil to weep out nothing you can do about it but guys used to grumble about it Also the ignition coils would go bad usually only 1 but it was a PITA and working on the carbs or air filter caused me to curse England and everyone who ever lived there! Lol If you can find one in good shape it's a helluva machine Especially if you like the retro style
