![]() ![]() The passenger pillion hides a spot to hide the manual and a shock spanner, whereas the rest of the bike's kit are underneath the seat alongside the battery. Your bar ends and exhaust pipes will take the hit.Īs for storage. Try not to drop it, though - even with the low COG, 750 pounds of British attitude are NOT easy to lever back upright, and it doesn't come with crash guards or frame sliders. (If you want to drag knee, you'll have to use those passenger pegs I mentioned.) In parking lots, the low center of gravity makes getting around fairly easy, and if all else fails, it's not too hard to duckwalk with the clutch pulled in. Which is good, because the way-forward footpegs solidly lock your ass into the seat, and prevent any sort of body English beyond countersteering. (Using both is recommended, says my MSF instructor.)Ĭorner-wise, the Storm leans over fairly well. The rear brake is better for less intense deceleration, but is firm and responsive. So when you need to curb your *ahem* enthusiasm, a firm progressive pull on the front right lever will slow your progress right handily. You've two rotors up front, and one in back all three are linked to the ABS module. Speaking of brakes, the mad scientists at Hinckley did figure out the dynamics of motorcycle braking from the sport side of the aisle. Sportbikers take note - this bike is comfortable to ride jockey style, as long as you don't need to shift or use the rear brake. However, there is a perfectly serviceable set of highway pegs. The wide drag bars and stretched-forward posture will have your back and abs going 'ooof!' at anything above sixty. The belt drive does dampen the enthusiasm a little bit, but not much.Īt freeway speeds, without an aftermarket screen, you'll feel like you're in a wind tunnel. The Storm goes from sedate to balls-out like a scalded cat, and with a similar roar of protest. Do this in gear, and you'll feel your arms getting stretched longer. But give it some throttle and the fuel-injected, water-cooled stroked Thunderbird twin lets you know what you're in for. Dual headlamps, dual mehaphone pipes, drag bars, and controls so far forward that short guys have to slide their nads up against the tank to shift? Check, and mate.Īt the start, the exhaust note is fairly subdued, and won't embarrass any Harley owners without a set of aftermarket pipes. The Thunderbird Storm is one of those bikes that was engineered to appeal to the hooligan crowd. little provocation, and one would think that a 'cruiser' wouldn't really push my buttons. I like bikes that lean, I like bikes that get out of their own way with Before that, there was a 1979 Yamaha XS750 with a tiny sport fairing clamped to the bars. First, a caveat - the last time I rode anything 'cruiser-ish' was a '93 BMW K75/RT with a trailer attached. ![]()
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