Fury, Crossbones or Thunderbird Storm | GTAMotorcycle.com

Fury, Crossbones or Thunderbird Storm

Veej

Well-known member
Hi guys,

I'm Itching on getting another bike. I'm looking at the used market and narrowed my decision down to: Honda Fury, HD Crossbones, or the Triumph Thunderbird Storm (Dual Headlight model). I absolutly love the look of all these bikes.

I put them in following order for looks and my choice of purchase, with some concerns for each.

1. Springer Crossbones-Retro Killer Look- Worried about reliability and self maintenance, with out taking to Harley Spa.

2. Fury- Chopper style - You can't Kill a Honda So Reliability is 100%- but just wandering if I should try something different.

3. Storm- Beefy Cruiser with dual headlights- No experience with Triumph so reliability is in question and self maintenance in question.

I currently have a bullet proof 2004 Honda VTX 1300C, may just keep her with the other bike.


I would use the bike as my daily commuter, I ride most the year, from East Scarborough to Downtown, rain or shine. My year usually starts late Feb to early December. For the rainy days or so I may have my trusty VTX with me, if I do keep her, but if I don't (insurance cost reasons) I would rely on the new bike mostly.


I do know the Honda's would be the most economic and bullet proof even the upkeep is super easy as I've been working my VTX and other Hondas for years. I do all my maintenance (oil, filter, shaft oil, coolant etc) as well as break changes, tire changes to fork seal replacement. This past April long week-end I changed the front tire and with a new one, and replaced a leaking fork seal in the front. The fork was leaking oil for a while but I kept riding it as I knew I needed to change the front tire and thought I'll do it over the long-weekend as I'd have to take the wheel out to get the fork seal anyways so got 2 things done while in there.

I'm not to familiar with HD or Triumph and how they would be in this category, I'd love to just get another Honda- the Fury, but then I think shall change things up a bit as I've always had Hondas except for this vintage BMW which kept having issues and I got sick of, another story for another day.

As much as I love wrenching on the bike I don't want to constantly fixing stuff either.

I want to hear from anyone who have had experience with either of these models, the Good the Bad the Ugly, from the Fury, Crossbones, and Thunderbird Storm.

I could go on each of their individual forums but thats getting bias opinions from current owners, I wanna hear from those who may still have this bike or was a past owner of either of these puppies.

Thanks !
 
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No experience with any of them, however, I love the fury (if I could reach the footpegs with these stubs I call legs), but I think you may find it quite similar to the VTX. I would be leaning to the HD as my first pick.

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Get the Crossbones. You can keep it forever. My Dyna has been one of the most trouble-free bikes I've owned, user-friendly, with regular maintenance.

I was not a Harley guy until I bought the Dyna to see what the hype was about. Now I get it.

And the dealer network is second to none.

The Fury was out of fashion as soon as it hit the market!
 
Get the Crossbones. You can keep it forever. My Dyna has been one of the most trouble-free bikes I've owned, user-friendly, with regular maintenance.

I was not a Harley guy until I bought the Dyna to see what the hype was about. Now I get it.

And the dealer network is second to none.

The Fury was out of fashion as soon as it hit the market!

Good to see a HD guy chime in, the only worry I have on the Crossbones, is the maintenence, I see one on Kijji for around $12k but has close to 60,000 KM. Do the HD need the engine done at 100,000 KM or anything like that. There is another with low KM around 14,000 km but the guy is stuck on 16 K

Also working HD is it just as easy and economic as Honda?
 
The HD has more motor than the Fury, so it will probably be more thirsty. I like the looks of the triumph, but I'd rather a V-twin than inline. The 14,000km bike would be tempting, but it's definitely seen more storage than road, and may not be as maintained as the 60k bike. The 60k bike is obviously owned by somebody that likes to ride, and he's probably put in the maintenance to keep it going.
 
I'm not a fan of Harley but even I love the way a springer front end looks. If I were in the market for a cruiser for commuting I would give it a close look. Well, no. I probably wouldn't, but I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Japanese bike guy. The Honda will be the most reliable of the bunch and the cheapest cost of ownership and probably purchase cost too. It might be a little "dated" looking at this point, but if you like it who cares. I will say that the Honda would probably be the least fun to ride in stop/go city traffic.
 
There's also an older springer softail model called the 'bad boy' IIRC... Saw one in my neighbourhood 2 weeks ago.

Won't advise about the maintenance/cost - I don't think anyone ever lusting after a springer Harley has ever considered this - you better look for the Honda.
 
Cross bones has the TC96. Nice motor but will need the cam tensioner updated at some point. And if you don’t inspect the shoes and they go, well, I suppose you can update the motor to a 103 or something else like some others do when it happens.

It’s a great bike. But, it’s a solo machine and not designed for a passenger.

I’d be inclined to get the Brit. It sounds good. Liquid cooled. Lots of torque. Great brakes for its size.

The Fury is what it is. You like it or don’t.

The HD maintenance is fairly straight forward and easy. Fluids, belt drive etc.

Might look at an oil cooler for the summer months. Aftermarket is decent. It’s a desired bike by many in the HD crowd. Some prefer the Heritage Special with Springer front end over the cross bones.

I’m a HD guy and if it was my money, I’d look at the T-Bird. It’s just a good all round bike performance wise, looks wise and it’s different. The only draw back could be something mechanical that needs done and having to wait on parts. I’d check out a Triumph forum and find out what owners have to say.

Can’t beat HD deal network but, HD does stand for hundreds of dollars.

I go state side for my filters and other things.




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Cross bones has the TC96. Nice motor but will need the cam tensioner updated at some point. And if you don’t inspect the shoes and they go, well, I suppose you can update the motor to a 103 or something else like some others do when it happens.

It’s a great bike. But, it’s a solo machine and not designed for a passenger.

I’d be inclined to get the Brit. It sounds good. Liquid cooled. Lots of torque. Great brakes for its size.

The Fury is what it is. You like it or don’t.

The HD maintenance is fairly straight forward and easy. Fluids, belt drive etc.

Might look at an oil cooler for the summer months. Aftermarket is decent. It’s a desired bike by many in the HD crowd. Some prefer the Heritage Special with Springer front end over the cross bones.

I’m a HD guy and if it was my money, I’d look at the T-Bird. It’s just a good all round bike performance wise, looks wise and it’s different. The only draw back could be something mechanical that needs done and having to wait on parts. I’d check out a Triumph forum and find out what owners have to say.

Can’t beat HD deal network but, HD does stand for hundreds of dollars.

I go state side for my filters and other things.


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Yep I love the look of the CrossB the most but am worried about reliability, and apologies about my ignorance on the slang of HD, when you talk about the need the cam tensioner updated at some point and the shoes and they go update the motor to a 103... what are you meaning and what would the cost be?

I know having the HD would be a premium bike over the Honda, just like having a BMW over a Honda Car, I'm willing to pay a bit more for certain things like the pads tires etc but not to point where it burns a hole in my pocket and since I do most of the things at home on my VTX is that a possibility with HD? I'm not into opening the engine and tranny up just the other parts.

Thanks for you input
 
My apologies. The cam tensioner “shoes” are a poly material and wear out over time pressed against the cam chain.

I’m not sure what the factory replacement for the shoes are but, if they are left unchecked, the damage to the motor can be extensive and expensive.

Many HD owners look to “upgrade” their motor when something major needs to be done. Going with larger bore and pistons to give it more torque and power etc.

The 96” stock motor is perfect the way it is. It will run fine for many kilometres.

Anything else, is basically the same as any other motorcycle in terms of maintenance. HD are fairly reliable and there are many owners and riders that put on several kilometres annually. And just as many sit in garages and do nothing.


If you can find one, sit on it and see if you like it. It’s not for everyone. Some folks don’t like the floor boards and the bike scrapes them pretty easy.

Personally, the ergos of the thunderbird are likely more comfortable and the bike has more power and better brakes than the Cross Bones.

Triumph dealer network might be a concern for some. It’s a big displacement twin and has a nice sound from the factory.





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Thats the thing about HD that makes me hesitant, I don't want to get into having the motor opened or boring the engine and all, just like to do the outside maintenance.

There is a Crossbones with close to 60 K km on it for around $12000, it's got I need on it, saddle bags, aftermarket exhaust, sissybar, don't need anything else, if it had around 20 k on it would jump. Do you think close to 60,000 km is alot on this engine? here is the add.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-street-crui...es/1340580967?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
 
Thats the thing about HD that makes me hesitant, I don't want to get into having the motor opened or boring the engine and all, just like to do the outside maintenance.

There is a Crossbones with close to 60 K km on it for around $12000, it's got I need on it, saddle bags, aftermarket exhaust, sissybar, don't need anything else, if it had around 20 k on it would jump. Do you think close to 60,000 km is alot on this engine? here is the add.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-street-crui...es/1340580967?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

I know the owner and the bike - this guy does killer maintenance, long time rider and loves his bikes. Won't go wrong on it
 
I know the owner and the bike - this guy does killer maintenance, long time rider and loves his bikes. Won't go wrong on it

Nice to know, any idea on the KM part like how much can this HD motor do before it needs any adjustments and costs associated with it.
 
I know these easily hit 100k without issue with good maintenance. Another buddy of mine has one at around 95000 and the motor has never had an issue. Certainly no more maintenance than anything japanese.
 
I’m by far an authority on this. Not a mechanic. Just an HD enthusiast.

The reality is, there are a lot of HD Motors out there. It’s one of their largest produced engines. So you will find reports of cam chain tensioner failures and various mileage reports.

Many many owners have run 100s of thousands of miles without an issue.

And a lot depends on maintenance.

The reality is the design is prone to some failure. It’s a hard surface pressing against moving chain so wear is going to happen.

I would google what HD recommends for service or inspection.

There are gear driven upgrades that are possible. Depends on the crankshaft run out tolerance.

Personally, I won’t worry too much about it if the right price can be had.

What is the right price? That depends on who is buying. Lol.


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Thats the thing about HD that makes me hesitant, I don't want to get into having the motor opened or boring the engine and all, just like to do the outside maintenance.

There is a Crossbones with close to 60 K km on it for around $12000, it's got I need on it, saddle bags, aftermarket exhaust, sissybar, don't need anything else, if it had around 20 k on it would jump. Do you think close to 60,000 km is alot on this engine? here is the add.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-street-crui...es/1340580967?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Looks to be a pretty good deal imo. I’d rather this over a low mileage garage Queen.


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Do your research on the springer front end . The rest of the bike is pretty reliable .
 
Cross bones has the TC96. Nice motor but will need the cam tensioner updated at some point. And if you don’t inspect the shoes and they go, well, I suppose you can update the motor to a 103 or something else like some others do when it happens.

It’s a great bike. But, it’s a solo machine and not designed for a passenger.

I’d be inclined to get the Brit. It sounds good. Liquid cooled. Lots of torque. Great brakes for its size.

The Fury is what it is. You like it or don’t.

The HD maintenance is fairly straight forward and easy. Fluids, belt drive etc.

Might look at an oil cooler for the summer months. Aftermarket is decent. It’s a desired bike by many in the HD crowd. Some prefer the Heritage Special with Springer front end over the cross bones.

I’m a HD guy and if it was my money, I’d look at the T-Bird. It’s just a good all round bike performance wise, looks wise and it’s different. The only draw back could be something mechanical that needs done and having to wait on parts. I’d check out a Triumph forum and find out what owners have to say.

Can’t beat HD deal network but, HD does stand for hundreds of dollars.

I go state side for my filters and other things.




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So did some research on the Cam Chain tensioner, seems like most sites are saying this is an issue with the 1999-2006 engines and after that they went to Hydraulic to get rid of the springs. Here is a link that talks about this: https://www.lawabidingbiker.com/73/

I Googled "Crossbones and Cam Chain Tensioner and nothing out of the ordinary came up rather than folks upgrading their Cams to S&S and some other upgrades".

You say you would rather buy this one with high miles than the garage queen, why is that? wouldn't it be better to buy the garage queen with low miles?
 
It’s a personal preference. Nothing scientific about it.

Some bikes with low mileage that sit for long periods of time some times need some love.

Bottom line, if the owner takes good care of the bike, it should carry on as a good bike for the next owner.

Some bikes that sit often and get regular washing and polishing end up needing some guts replaces like wheel bearing or fork seals etc. They don’t get used over a period of time and then a new owner puts some miles on it and things start to shake loose and need replacing.

That’s my theory and experience.

HD softail line is well established with plenty of happy owners and I can’t think of anyone saying a bad thing about the Cross Bones itself. Many admire it and desire it.

And the one posted had a passenger seat so, I was off base about that too.


Maintenance is pretty easy for HD. There are three areas of the engine that need oil.

The clutch pull can be a little stiff for some. Especially after you ride a Honda or the like.

The brakes are a little wooden and you would probably want to use the rear brake to help bring things to a stop in addition to the front.

Most HD rarely are stock. They will have an after market exhaust, air cleaner and tune for the increased flow.

There are big. They are heavy. And they are fun for some.

If you like it, get it. Doubt you’ll regret it.




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Thanks for the input Nakkers,

I looked into the cam tensioners more closely seems like its something I can handle if needed, as it's pretty accessible, and straight forward.

The only thing about the Bones that is making me double doubt is the extra costs of maintenance or break downs, and not wanting to have a garage queen, I want to ride my bike hard and be reliable with just your yearly maintenance and upkeep.

Is this something Hogs are good with? Are they meant to be ridden hard and barely washed just with your minimum yearly maintenance? The reason I ask is most Hogs I see are shiny looking like they never see rain or salt, pampered at the HD Spa, I really don't want a bike like that. I believe bikes should not out last you, they should be ridden hard, after a commute in the rain you just park her and let her dry on her own and ride out the next day.

On my VTX I did all the work myself from installing a Cobra exhaust, dual LED headlight, to the back rest that was not made for it but bolted it on none the less and made it work, recently took the colour off and have a clear top coat so riding her bare metal. I rode her to NYC 2 years ago and had a blast and no worry about her giving up on me. That is one thing I want is the confidence in the bike that any given day I can jump on her and ride her out of the country with-out a second thought. Too bad I can't post any pics here cause it keeps giving my size limit errors, but think of a Rat Rod...that's my VTX.
 

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