First look: Triumph’s 2014 Thunderbird Commander and Thunderbird LT

Following on the heels of new model rollouts from Harley-Davidson, Honda, Ducati and the electric motorcycle company Zero, Triumph has peeled the wrappers off of a couple of new units for 2014.

The Thunderbird LT and Thunderbird Commander, entries in the increasingly popular cruiser category, feature an all-new chassis designed to increase space and comfort for the passenger and a more relaxed riding position for the operator.

The LT -- it stands for “light touring” -- comes with a quick-release windshield, removable leather saddlebags, wire spoke wheels and whitewall radial rubber, said to be the industry’s first whitewall radial motorcycle tires.

The handsome Commander, which, like the LT, employs a burly 1700cc engine, features what the company calls a “low, fat cruiser look,” and includes a huge 5.8-gallon gas tank, useful for longer cruises.

Both models will be in dealerships by spring, Triumph says.

Those models are accompanied by another new unit, the America LT, a light touring version of the company’s Triumph America. This one will hit dealerships in December, with a new lower price of $9,499.

The three cruisers join other already-revealed members of next year’s lineup, including the Thruxton, Scrambler and several versions of the venerable Bonneville.

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