| General -> Accessories. | A seriously loaded Tbird sp... - Sheep based comfort mod ... | | | | Categories : |
|  | Topic : Got my Bird the way I like it (almost) |  |
| | | Birdman | | Set |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 27/12/2010 | | Posts | : | 135 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 05 Apr 2011 - 04:06 Post title : Got my Bird the way I like it (almost) | | | I traded my America in for a used Bird on Christmas Eve and have done almost 5K miles since then. Retirement, generally good weather in Palm Desert and some really good riding routes have all contributed to me doing more riding than I had anticipated. It also helps that the Bird is so much fun to ride :)
I love the bike but have a few nitpicks like most people. The tank badge looks as though Triumph are not proud of the motorcycle and wanted to understate their name. I hate the glare caused my instrument cluster and the sun. I wish the bike could be lifted using a normal motorcycle jack without modification. The headlight looks too small for the bike and isn't strong enough for safe night time riding in my opinion etc etc. These are relatively minor issues and I certainly don't have any major gripes.
It has take a while to get the Bird set up for me and I have added the following
Long TORs which sound just about perfect to me. Not too loud at idle but enough growl when you roll on the throttle.
A Roadster screen (after some experimenting I found that cutting it down to 18.5 inches worked best for me)
Deuce risers (installed with the long cables) and a long haul touring dual seat with backrest. I sent the seat away to Spencer for a foam upgrade. Link I have lower back as well as sore butt issues and I was intending to get a custom seat made but the combination of the risers, backrest and foam upgrade have made for a very comfortable ride and I am able to do 400 mile days without too much difficulty. I can recommend the Spencer upgrade - its cheap and it works very well for me. I would like the pegs a little more forward to enable me to stretch my long legs but I have found that I get some relief by occasionally resting the tips of my heels on the pegs giving me a more stretched riding position.
I have the Triumph saddlebags on Easy Brackets. I am glad that I found them on Ebay for about $300 because I don't personally think they are worth much more. They suffer from bag sag and generally are disappointing quality. i will take the bags to a shoemaker one day and let him come up with rivet or stitching solution for the bag sag but I expect I will replace them with something else in the not too distant future.
I also added a few minor bits and pieces like the Thunderbird clutch cover and instrument visor together with a couple of cool Union Jack decals from our friend Fast eddy.
My next accessory will be small driving lights to improve visibility.
I said in the title to this thread that I had the Bird set up the way I like it (almost) and the almost is because I taking my bike into Mickey Cohen's shop in Placentia tomorrow to have the BB kit installed. I will try to explain my reasoning for this in another thread but the BB kit is like an itch I just have to scratch!
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| | | EnGage | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 14/07/2009 | | Posts | : | 3,155 | | Location | : | Grand Rapids, MI, United States |
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| | Posted : 05 Apr 2011 - 12:46 Post title : Re: Got my Bird the way I like it (almost) (Re: Birdman) | | | Birdman wrote:
My next accessory will be small driving lights to improve visibility.
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I installed the 50W motolite caliper-mounted lights and they make a big difference at night. They provide a bit more reach, but really light up the sides of the road (where all the critters are) very nicely.
The next time I am in Palm Springs, we should take a ride. My in-laws live there, but due to my daughter's wedding, we are not making it out this year.
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| | | Birdman | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 27/12/2010 | | Posts | : | 135 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 05 Apr 2011 - 16:13 Post title : Re: Got my Bird the way I like it (almost) (Re: EnGage) | | | I forgot one of my bigger gripes - the paper thin paint on the tank that marks and scuffs so easily.
Engage love to take a ride with you in the desert next season. There are some truly wonderful rides in the desert/mountains that are so easily accessible from here
| | Post edited by Birdman on 05 Apr 2011 - 16:16 |
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