Thunderbirds Are Go

[GoldOxide_imp]

I get it. If I don't like the looks of a bike, it's hard to see past what I don't like. A friend once told me that when an unknown woman approaches you and you involuntarily and instinctively scan her up and down, there's a moment when your brain says "Um, no. Don't like that." He said that whatever it was that made your reptile brain say "No" is the thing you find most important in a woman's looks. But you really have no basis to form any rational or empirical conclusion about the woman at all at that point.

If not for the luck of the draw in renting a Thunderbird in Vegas, I never would have given it a second glance. "It's a chrome-y heavy cruiser with a parallel twin. Whatever." But after riding it for a few days in Death Valley, these highlights were inescapable:

[li]It handled incredibly well with good ground clearance[/li] [li]It got great fuel economy and long range with the large tank size[/li] [li]It was completely stable in strong crosswinds[/li] [li]The engine pulled hard with a flat torque curve and smooth fueling[/li] [li]The engine was happy being lugged or operated at the upper levels of its range[/li] [li]The engine note had a great character at all rpm[/li] [li]The braking was strong if a bit lacking in feel[/li] [li]The transmission shifted precisely and smoothly[/li] [li]It was extremely comfortable[/li] [li]The windshield created a pocket of stable air without noise or buffeting[/li] [li]It had a low-maintenance belt drive perfect for touring[/li] [li]I had more fun and felt more "at one" with it than I have any other bike
[/li]

So far it sounds like a fantastic relationship to me.