|  | Topic : I guess enough is never enough |  |
| | | vito | | Set |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 18/04/2014 | | Posts | : | 97 | | Location | : | Rockford, Illinois, United States |
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| | Posted : 03 Sep 2015 - 13:11 Post title : I guess enough is never enough | | | I bought my Thunderbird two seasons ago as a move up from my Triumph America. My main motivation was to get something more powerful that could handle two-up riding better than the America with its 865cc engine. The Thunderbird 1600 certainly was a move up, and I have really loved this bike which is not only faster than the America, but handles more nimbly as well despite the extra 200 pounds. And with all of the mods that I have made, the bike is really just the way I want it (other than wishing I had true cruise control). But now I find that when accelerating from a stop, or dropping a gear or two and passing on busy two lane roads, I find I am wishing I had yet more power. Maybe its just that after two years I am thinking that what was enough is now not enough. Maybe its time to think about the Rocket! Or maybe just a new 1700cc from Triumph? Wonder how much difference that extra 100cc makes and whether it would be "enough", at least for awhile.
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| | | daz | | Zeus | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/05/2009 | | Posts | : | 7,731 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 03 Sep 2015 - 13:35 Post title : Re: I guess enough is never enough (Re: vito) | | | The BB kit is a bit better, but if you are a stock 1600 right now, going to 1700 and eliminating the cat and using aftermarket pipes like tors plus free flow filter and loading the daycruiser v3 tune will be a huge difference. You also have to remove the 02 sensors and plug in optimizers with that tune, but thats simple and all the details are here. The 100cc isn't the big difference, it's the cams that come in the 1700 or the BB kit that are the majority of difference. That combined with the extra 100cc is considerable, but whether it will get you what your asking i can't say for sure even tho mine was a 1600 that was BB'd with the 1700 kit. So i'm quite familiar with the difference. But you go 1700 and run the exhaust mods i mentioned with the V3 tune (which u can load yourself with the tuneecu app and proper cable) and i absolutely insure you the difference will make you forget about going to a different model. The difference between a 1700 with that tune/mods and a stock 1600 or even 1600 with pipes is night and day. If however you buy one of the new 1700's like the commander or LT you won't be able to do those mods easily because those models have the cats in the header pipes instead of like the other models. You may have to have a custom shop make you a set of headers which would be insanely expensive i would think. Also, thier ECU is locked to disallow the user from loading his own tunes. Whether the latest 1700 storm's ECU is like that i don't know but at least thier cat is the same as regular 1600's and easily removed. My best info says only the commander and LT are locked.
| 2010 Blue/White Thunderbird, "Brutus". 1700 kit, short tors, gutted cat, UNI filter, filter seal off, custom tune. Brutus in his native habitat: Link
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| | | RC65 | | Chaac | | | Reg. Date | : | 19/05/2011 | | Posts | : | 679 | | Location | : | Redmond, Washington, United States |
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| | Posted : 03 Sep 2015 - 14:07 Post title : Re: I guess enough is never enough (Re: daz) | | |
daz wrote:
If however you buy one of the new 1700's like the commander or LT you won't be able to do those mods easily because those models have the cats in the header pipes instead of like the other models. You may have to have a custom shop make you a set of headers which would be insanely expensive i would think. Also, thier ECU is locked to disallow the user from loading his own tunes. Whether the latest 1700 storm's ECU is like that i don't know but at least thier cat is the same as regular 1600's and easily removed. My best info says only the commander and LT are locked. |
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I've also read on this forum from those who have ridden both that the power curve (and hp?) in the new 1700 models is slightly dampened as compared to the previous 1700 and 1600 w/ BB kit. I've no personal anecdotal experience with either (I'm still riding the stock 1600 w/ possible future plans for the BB kit) so can't attest to that, but it's what I've read several times from others.
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| | | daz | | Zeus | | | | Reg. Date | : | 12/05/2009 | | Posts | : | 7,731 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 03 Sep 2015 - 14:29 Post title : Re: I guess enough is never enough (Re: RC65) | | | RC65 wrote:
daz wrote:
If however you buy one of the new 1700's like the commander or LT you won't be able to do those mods easily because those models have the cats in the header pipes instead of like the other models. You may have to have a custom shop make you a set of headers which would be insanely expensive i would think. Also, thier ECU is locked to disallow the user from loading his own tunes. Whether the latest 1700 storm's ECU is like that i don't know but at least thier cat is the same as regular 1600's and easily removed. My best info says only the commander and LT are locked. |
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I've also read on this forum from those who have ridden both that the power curve (and hp?) in the new 1700 models is slightly dampened as compared to the previous 1700 and 1600 w/ BB kit. I've no personal anecdotal experience with either (I'm still riding the stock 1600 w/ possible future plans for the BB kit) so can't attest to that, but it's what I've read several times from others.
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Yeah, i've checked the triumph site and there was indeed a difference. I think they changed it tho because i remember seeing a pretty notable change and last time i looked they were much closer. Maybe i'm spacing but thats what i recall.
| 2010 Blue/White Thunderbird, "Brutus". 1700 kit, short tors, gutted cat, UNI filter, filter seal off, custom tune. Brutus in his native habitat: Link
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| | | Swagger | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 15/04/2012 | | Posts | : | 1,103 | | Location | : | United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 03 Sep 2015 - 15:33 Post title : Re: I guess enough is never enough (Re: vito) | | | You could always get it blown ...
I know I'm always banging on about high performance sports bikes and how I can't get enough of them but on a cruiser just how much power do you need ... or to that point ... can you handle efficiently and effectively.
I don't really know ... a Rocket is a whole different ball game. They're a beast period ... two up with luggage etc they're right up there at the limit of practically ... in truth they're beyond it. 
| The Force is strong in this one
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