Links, New & Events

Fast eddy Sports Information & Links Page

Here is where you can find information of events, new products and helpful Triumph links.

Find me on:     

• New! Water Proof Seat Cover! Protect that new seat on the long hauls and keep your trip dry. See Youtube Video Demo.
• Biker Crosses.com - British Motorcycle T-Shirts by Soren

• Casper’s Leather - Great Custom Leather goods featuring lifetime guaranteed custom  made Insulated Chaps

• Bonneville America.com
  • Great online community for Resources for Triumph America and Speedmaster’s
  • Support BonnevilleAmerica.com by purchasing
    • Store Items
    • Get the Patch
• Bonneville America.com Tech Vault
  • Tweaks and fixes, cross references and parts guide, it’s all here and then some
• Thunderbird1600.com
  • The premier site for information on the NEW Triumph 1600 Thunderbird
    
• Triumphosphy.com
  • It’s not just another Triumph site!
    
• SRS Chrome
  • Specialty, quality items from Australia. Top notch quality items and customer service oriented.
• Pat’s Triumph Site
  • You want to do it yourself, this is the place folks world wide go for answers on how to do it yourself.
    • Jet Calculator
    • Shim Calculator
    • Pat’s Carburetor Site
• Triumph RATnet
  • Official Triumph Owners Website
• New Triumph Delphi Forum
  • Online community for chat and help with wide range of New Triumph Motorcycles
• Triumph Dealers In My Area
  • Belle Plaine Motorsports -Minnesota

• Anton Gear - Great Place for music equipment

• King Of Fleece
  • Need some warm stuff?

• 1/19/09 Just added Skype to my customer service tools. If you have Skype, my user is fasteddysports, if not e-mail me your phone number and I will call you to answer any questions you may have.

• 9/30/08  At FeS I do whatever I can to keep prices down. The best way for this is to drop ship when possible, I eliminate extra shipping fees that raise prices. With the current financial situation gripping the credit market I will not be buying large amounts of inventory so it MAY mean a delay in me receiving some items. As a small and growing business I do not have the resources outside of debt to acquire inventories necessary for rapid turn over and shipment and debt makes me beholding to creditors and that is not a place I choose to go. I will let you know when any item you buy from me will have a delay as I do now. For almost everything I sell, there will not be a change but for some items an additional week may be required to get the things to you. My goal remains to get you quality items at the best prices that I can as fast as I can.
  

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Bike Review - Triumph Thunderbird 1600 vs the Triumph America

Well, this is an impromptu first blush comparison of the New Thunderbird 1600 and my 2003 Triumph America. I have been following the development of the Thunderbird when rumors first hit the boards, that there was a new version of the America/Speedmaster in the works. For those who are going…huh? America…Speedmaster? Here is a brief history, in fact let me take it back a bit further.

A long time ago, in a land far far away… 1902, Triumph built it’s first motorcycle. Over the course of the years to come they had more than a few that endeared themselves to riders world wide. The Triumph Thunderbird was first built in 1949. In 2002 Triumph built a 790 cc parallel twin “Bonneville” motor and placed it into a cruiser style frame and called it the “Bonneville America” and it’s brother the “Speedmaster” with a few cosmetic differences and sprockets set ups that made it an even more a torquie beast with forward foot controls to capture the hearts and minds of the cruiser riders in the US but still maintaining that classic, British look. Later the Bonneville was dropped from the moniker and it was then just called the “America”. You could look at a 2002 America and compare it to a picture of a 1937 Triumph and you knew what you were looking at, a Triumph. Much like Harley, with Triumph, you had heritage that could be clearly seen and it was not a copy of another motorcycle nor was it trying to be.

Now, those who own the America or Speedmaster will tell you, there was plenty of room to make modifications to enhance performance of these bikes. Don’t let the 790 cc fool you though, the parallel twin generates incredible torque with the light weight, nimble response of Triumph engineering designed to compete head to head with Harley in the light weight cruiser class. Let me tell you, it could out perform the Harleys in the heavier classes too!

So back to the story since I have given you a bit of history of Triumph Motorcycles and the two motorcycles I am referring to. Around 2006 rumors that Triumph had a big engine cruiser designed to go head to head with the Harley market as a mid range cruiser. After much secrecy and hoopla in 2009 The NEW Thunderbird made it’s debut with early release bikes.

The bike had a very appealing cruiser specific profile, but clearly some changes from the America and Speedmaster models, that seemed Triumph took their cue from monitoring the conversations on the boards. Without going into much detail of the different considerations that those familiar with would already know and the uninitiated would scarcely have a reference from which to make a conclusion of what I am referring to, I will just press on to the real meat and potatoes of the comparison between the two model lines.

Handling is exceptional and responsive. Early on I heard that the weight was going to be 200 lbs heavier than the America. Man this was sure to be a mistake in my opinion. From early pictures it was clear that in true Triumph engineering fashion they settled the rider deep into the bike’s center of gravity just as the America and Speedmaster riders sit making you feel part of the bike and incredibly stable in the tight turns and twisties allowing you to push the bike and feel safe in doing so. My first ride in twisties I was truly amazed, the engineering was flawless and the weight did not feel like a hindrance, but an ally giving the bike a feel of stability not taking away from the agility known by the America and Speedmaster riders, but the added weight could be felt as a real asset. Now conversely, when your moving the bike around without the aid of the engine, it’s a beast, but on the highway…sweeeet!

The engine, well, it has been said, it’s like an Speedmaster on steroids” and they are correct but it is an understatement. No matter what gear you are in you turn the throttle and you go! Without trying I can hit 95 in 3rd gear without hitting the red line. Took it up to 110 in 4th and was only running 4500-5000 RPMs! Now I leave room for plus or minus rpms here because at 110 mph I am not too concerned about RPMS, but I think you get the point. The bike is incredibly responsive, not quite a Rocket III but has a similar feel.

Over all? I think the Thunderbird is an awesome piece of machinery and engineering, truly you are getting what you pay for. Out of the box, you could live with stock settings and exhaust and even foot and handle bar position is a little easier on the back. There is always a little more than can be rubbed out of anything, but really, you could be happy with a stock machine. The exhaust is not too quiet, though certainly would not hurt to step it up just a notch, but for me to say…it’s OK, is a big deal.

The brakes on the Thunderbird make me realize how lacking the America is in the stopping department (ignorance was bliss). Best example I can give is this, I entered into a tight right hand long corner in which I was doing 65 mph, at the crest of the turn I met a semi truck who was across the center line. I had time to hit only the front brakes and what happened amazed me, the bike remained stable, it did not dive and I instantly bled off the speed necessary to shorten my turn radius and avoid the truck without emergency maneuvering. The bike felt as if it was not in an emergency situation that would require additional adjustments to correct my sudden alteration. I know from past experience that my America would not have behaved as nicely in that same situation.

So what do I think? An incredible ride, much better than I would have imagined. But let me also say this about my America. I did not sell it or trade it in, I kept it because it has been one of the finest bikes I have ever owned. Even though there are some technological advancements with the Thunderbird that make it in most respects a superior bike, my America is still, something I want to keep. There is no question in my mind, it still remains a fine motorcycle and to me, worth keeping. In the end, the America still remains a lot of motorcycle for the money, after nearly 40,000 miles logged on it on it and not a single problem in the past five years, I still take it out for a putt, even though it’s cousin sits right next to it.

Extravagant? maybe, but those who own the bike know of the love affair with the bike. I just can’t seem to part with it, so until I have to, I won’t and if a friend comes to town and wants to go for a ride with me? they will have a bike to enjoy and I will have the pleasure and joy of watching them smile as they ride.

eddy