ATLANTA (Feb. 20, 2009) - Triumph has great news for motorcyclists. The new Thunderbird is scheduled to arrive in North America late June, nearly two months ahead of schedule, and Triumph North America is now processing deposits for the first wave of Thunderbirds that will hit the shores.
The Triumph Thunderbird has been designed from the ground up to feature an innovative 1,600cc parallel twin engine, six-speed transmission and 200mm rear tire. The new bike's namesake first landed on North American shores in 1946 and received rave reviews from motorcyclists for its styling, agility and speed and later appeared alongside Marlon Brando in the blockbuster movie "The Wild One." The new Thunderbird is a radical departure from its ancestor, but promises to live up to its legacy.
To reserve a new Thunderbird, customers should visit their local Triumph dealer to place a deposit, complete a Reservation Form and have their dealer fax it to Triumph North America. Once the form has been received, Triumph will assign the reservation to the next delivery slot and send a confirmation email to both the customer and the dealer. The email will confirm receipt of the reservation and will indicate the expected month of delivery. As shipments are received from the factory, motorcycles will be sent to the dealers for customers in the order that the reservations were received. The special order program will run until July 1, 2009.
Triumph is air-freighting four prototype Thunderbirds to Daytona (Fla.) Bike Week for display at the Triumph Demo Truck, which will be located at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Bike Week is scheduled to take place from Feb. 27 to March 8.
"The initial reaction to the Thunderbird has been fantastic," said Mark Kennedy, CEO of Triumph North America. "We have received countless positive comments from motorcyclists who are ready for a big twin with Triumph's distinctive parallel twin engine. We think customers will be pleasantly surprised when they see the bike in person."
The Thunderbird also will be easily customized to meet each rider's own styling tastes and riding preferences with a long list of Genuine Triumph Accessories that include a long haul touring seat, windshield, passenger back rest, luggage rack and leather saddle bags.
North America has always had a special relationship with Triumph because of the spirit that Triumph represents. Like the motorcycles themselves, people who ride a Triumph tend to be quietly confident and have a distinctive sense of style that never goes out of fashion. Triumph survived bankruptcy in the early 1980s and a devastating fire that destroyed its factory in 2002. Unfazed by the challenges, the company continues to recapture peoples' hearts and minds as they take to the streets to discover the thrill and enjoyment that only a Triumph motorcycle can provide. Triumph is now one of the world's fastest growing motorcycle manufacturers in the world.