Triumph has launched the Thunderbird LT in India at Rs 15.75 lakh. The Thunderbird LT, where the LT stands for Light Tourer, is a premium classic cruiser which competes with the likes of the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy and the Suzuki M1800R.
The Thunderbird LT is based on the original Thunderbird cruiser, though it comes loaded with a long list of creature comforts for a better touring experience. Acres of chrome, leather saddle bags, whitewalled radial tires, a three-piece headlamp, wire-spoked wheels and a tall windshield give the Thunderbird LT an old-school appeal. The low seat height of 700mm ensures that the Thunderbird can accommodate riders of all sizes. The snug seats, passenger backrest and the floorboards make the Thunderbird LT a very comfortable cruiser. It also gets a 2x1x2 exhaust system and a massive 21.9-litre fuel tank.
The Thunderbird LT is built around a tubular steel, twin spine frame. It’s powered by the world’s largest production parallel twin engine, also seen on the Thunderbird Storm. The fuel-injected and liquid-cooled 1699cc engine churns out 94bhp and 151Nm of torque and comes mated to a six-speed gearbox.
The Thunderbird LT is the third cruiser in Triumph’s Indian portfolio and is available in two dual-tone paint schemes- caspian blue/crystal white and lava red/phantom black. Since it set up shop in India last year, the world’s largest British manufacturer has opened eight showrooms across the country, with the ninth one in Kolkata still in works. Thanks to the wide range of motorcycles it sells in the country, Triumph has sold over 600 motorcycles in the last eight months, which is quite a big feat for a premium manufacturer. The addition of the Thunderbird LT should fill in the gap between the Thunderbird Storm and the Rocket III and help the company widen its customer base.
