2014–2018 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Big British Custom Attitude
Triumph built the Commander around a 1699 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin, about as big as that layout gets in production. It makes 93 hp and 111 lb-ft, and the torque is the headline: it arrives low, stays flat, and moves this much motorcycle without ever sounding stressed. The engine works as a stressed member in the twin-spine steel frame, belt final drive keeps the maintenance simple, and the six-speed gearbox suits the long gearing. Dual headlights, cast 17-inch wheels and a 200-section rear tire give it the fat custom stance rather than the touring-rig look. ABS is standard.
It feels expensive in the details: the metalwork, the finish, the way the whole shape reads as elegant rather than shouty. This is a bike for the rider who wants presence and long, open miles, and the 5.8-gallon tank with 36 mpg backs that up. The caveats are real. Ground clearance is limited and the floorboards touch down early, the fork has no adjustment, so you take the front end as delivered while the rear shocks take preload, and there's no cruise control for the long highway hauls. Heated grips and luggage cost extra, and on a used one, confirm the 2014-2015 ECU recall work was done.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 93 hp (69 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 111 lb-ft (150 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1699 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 310 mm |
| Front tire | 140/75-17 |
| Rear tire | 200/50-17 |
| Wheelbase | 65.5 in (1664 mm) |
| Seat height | 27.6 in (700 mm) |
| Wet weight | 767 lb (348 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.8 gal (22 L) |
| Fuel economy | 36 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Safety
This one isn't my ride impression. It's what years of listening have turned up: paddock talk, owners catching me at events, club-night conversation, the messages riders send me directly. On the Commander that chatter lines up unusually well. Praise concentrates on the engine and the seat, and a short list of frustrations keeps resurfacing.
The engine carries most of the conversation. Owners describe torque arriving from around 3400 rpm and staying there in any gear, with a pulse that reads as its own thing next to the V-twins many of them came from. The saddle comes up nearly as often; plenty rate it the most comfortable cruiser seat they've sat on. Handling draws steady credit too: for this much motorcycle, they find it neutral through corners and willing to hold a line. Finish work gets a nod, usually the chrome and the wiring you never see.
The gripes are just as consistent. Riders with larger feet say the floorboards don't give them enough room, and they're the first thing to ground out once the road turns. Slow-speed work comes up constantly: tight spaces ask for deliberate effort. A smaller group reports chewing through rear tires quickly.
Fuel injector unintended activation recall
NHTSA recall 14V-694: unintended activation of fuel injector by the ECU could cause engine stall, increasing crash risk. Affected 2014-2015 Thunderbird models need ECU reprogramming.
Engine knocking / piston noise (thunderbird knock)
A harmonic chatter or vibration from the engine, often traced to piston skirt or cylinder liner issues. Triumph has reportedly addressed this with a replacement kit. Some owners report the problem requiring engine removal and piston/cylinder replacement under warranty.
Decompressor mechanism failure
Rare instance of a broken decompression cam causing intermittent power loss and requiring top-end repair. Reported on at least one 2014 model with under 1000 miles.
Self-cancelling indicator malfunction
The self-cancelling turn signals may start malfunctioning after a few thousand miles, traced to a faulty speedometer unit. Replacement of the speedo resolves the issue.
Where this Triumph Thunderbird Commander pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Thunderbird Commander is actually built for.
If your year runs Sturgis to Daytona, this one turns up with its own look and its own beat, and it covers the miles between rallies without wearing you out.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Back roads, old towns, no schedule: that's the rhythm this bike wants. It looks right parked outside a diner, and the tank keeps the fuel stops where you want them.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
It handles big distances on comfort and torque alone, but go in clear-eyed: no cruise control, luggage is an extra, and loaded two-up you feel every pound in the slow stuff.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Triumph Thunderbird Commander. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2014–2021
Thunder Stroke, Chrome Soul
Roughly $3,500 pricier used than this bike at 9 yr
Competitor · 2014–2016
Old Soul, Modern Road Manners
Roughly $7,000 pricier used than this bike at 10 yr
Same Platform · 2014–2018
British Chrome, American Road
Roughly $1,900 cheaper used than this bike at 8 yr