Launch: Triumph Thunderbird

Triumph's long awaited 1600cc parallel twin is now on sale in Australia for $20,990, in a middleweight custom cruiser market that has hitherto been dominated by V-twins - led by the all-conquering Harley-Davidson brigade.

To coincide with the national dealer rollout, the Bikesales Network recently attended the Australian press launch of the T-Bird (as it will surely become known as) through the northern NSW hinterland, and here's the drum: it's a magnificent piece of kit.

It's a sporting cruiser which loves to impose itself with a grunty engine and excellent road-holding manners. For Triumph's maiden effort in this category, it's a massive fillip for it's the company's technical dexterity.

Although it's arrived a year later than first anticipated because of some changes to the crankcase, the Thunderbird fills a considerable gap in the Triumph cruiser range between the perennially popular 865cc America and Speedmaster, and the gargantuan 2.3-litre Rocket III (the Rocket III Classic is no longer sold in Australia).

Make no mistake: Triumph is eyeing off Harley-Davidson big-time with its latest all-new release, yet another step in the company's aim of having 20-plus models in its arsenal within the next 3-4 years.

In fact, standby for 2-3 new models alone in 2010 and, further down the track, the T-Bird will almost certainly generate a number a variants, much like the legendary Bonneville has.

But for now it's all about the T-Bird, which has been styled by the Los Angeles-based -- but just about Hinckley local -- Tim Prentice. It shares the same 270-degree crank throw as the Speedmaster and America to provide the kind of sound and feel that cruise customers expect. It also has additional benefits for helping to meet tight Euro 3 emissions laws.

The engine is 99 per cent new - the only parts that are not are the valves, which come from the Rocket III.

The Thunderbird's liquid-cooled DOHC eight-valve engine, also known as "T-16", has twin balance shafts either side of the massive crankshaft, and there's also an automatic de-compressor, with one unit at each end of the exhaust cam.

On the left end of the crank there is a big torsional damper to cope with the big power pulses of the T-16 engine. There are also dual sparkplugs, and the compression ratio is 9.7:1.

The gearbox has six speeds, with the final cog intended as an overdrive. All the gears except first are helical designed, which are smoother and quieter than conventional spur gears.

And for the small amount of time riders are in first gear, it's not an issue anyway.

Of course, all those specs are freely available in the T-Bird's literature, but during the launch Cliff Stovall, Triumph Australia's technical and warranty manager, pulled apart the engine in front of the media throng.

It was a compelling exercise, especially when Cliff got to the heart of the matter: those massive 104mm pistons, which are even bigger than the Rocket III Touring's.

Triumph also offers a 1700cc big-bore kit for the Thunderbird, which costs around $2500 fitted (there's about 10 hours' labour involved) and increases power from 85 to 100hp (when fitted with aftermarket silencers) and torque from 146 to 165Nm.

The kit includes new cams, pistons, rings, liners, gaskets and a new tune download.

The styling philosophy of the bike is reflected in the engine - it was set out from the start to be 'clean' and uncluttered by minimising external oil and water pipes.

And that it is, with the engine also used as a stressed member in conjunction with the twin-spine steel frame.

So does it make the grade on the blacktop? A full launch report will follow, but versatility is definitely the T-Bird's calling card: happy to chill out on a freeway in overdrive, not far off its peak 2750rpm torque, but also not afraid to take on your favourite piece of ribbon at a fair clip, with only a lack of ground clearance the limiting factor.

Mechanical noise is just about non-existent, and the only sound that will bore into your ears will be from the exhaust. There is also a distinct lack of vibration - good job there.

It certainly doesn't feel like 308kg of cruiser. It steers well and there's plenty of agility, which belies its raked-out geometry.

The perch is good, the four-pot Nissin front brakes are excellent, and the machine looks refined and no-nonsense - but of course you can personalise with the biggest range of dedicated accessories in Triumph history.

The T-Bird press fleet extended from the standard machine to others adorned with various types of accessories, including racks, sissy bars, exhausts, lots of chrome and different screens. I particularly liked the shorter slash-cut exhausts.

Some accessories look great, some not so alluring - but cruisers are all about putting an individual stamp on things, and the T-Bird doesn't drop the ball on that count. There is no lacking for choice.

And it would be remiss of me not to mention the belt drive, which is the first one on a Triumph since 1922! The system is certainly clean and quiet, and Triumph claims it will give more choice for aftermarket wheels.

The rear pulley is coated with a tungsten carbide thermal spray, which is long-lasting and corrosion resistant.

Yep, the T-Bird is a winner, even though it probably has one gear too many for such a powerhouse engine. But I'll put up with that, because it's a sporting cruiser through and through.

Keep an eye out for the full report on the Bikesales Network.