Go Thunderbird

I was delighted to see you include the Triumph Thunderbird 900 in the Leftfield Delights article (Bike, March). All too often the Bonneville twin, and all its variants, gets the retro style Triumph coverage. But I see Hinckley Triumphs as being synonymous with triples and these stylish torquey, solid (heavy!), well finished and dependable T300 bikes are all triples.

I have had three of these: a 1996 Thunderbird; a 2003 Thunderbird (from new) and after a bit of a (Triumph) gap, last year I picked up a 2000 Legend with less than 6000 genuine miles on the clock. I would recommend them to anybody. There is the Thunderbird Sport for those who want a bit more go with adjustable suspension and a twin front brake, and the less popular Adventurer cruiser which is a very similar bike to the rest under the cosmetics. I average around 60mpg, they are simple enough to service at home, no TFT or ABS or IMU, not even a fuel pump.

Richard Coates, email

Above: when it comes to buying Thunderbirds you’ve got to have the Brains, be Virgilant and you’ll get the right Tintin