Is this a Bird?
- Thread starter celticroots
- Start date
- Tags bird?
Yes. Its a Bird Thunderbird. It looks like someone removed the front springs from the forks. You can see the small area, about 2 or three inches, at the top of the forks that would be where the springs went over the lower forks. See brochure pic. It appears your lowers are pushed all the way up to the triple trees.
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They made them like that as well, didnt find a brochure but heres another members, This one would have been built in the first of the 1980's becuase of the pressed foam seat, some of the names that bird used for them were thunderbird, nighthawk, spoker, think there was others too! they started in mid 70's and went up into the 80's with the frame design.
They made them like that as well, didnt find a brochure but heres another members, This one would have been built in the first of the 1980's becuase of the pressed foam seat, some of the names that bird used for them were thunderbird, nighthawk, spoker, think there was others too! they started in mid 70's and went up into the 80's with the frame design.
Thanks for using my bike as an example! It makes me feel important ( I know how much you like those ugly birds).:laugh: However Every thing I found on that model pointed to the ones without the springs being the early models, like 71 and also found some numbers on the motor that pointed to the same thing. I'm not saying your wrong just telling you what I saw. If it had high rise bars it was the Nighthawk, If it had the MX bars it was the Thunderbird The tank and wheels stayed the same between the two models but the seat and graphics changed thru the years at any point in time the seat and paint would be interchanged thru the years but the identifying difference was the bars. They originally had a Tec HS4. and they do clean up nice.
Sorry to burst your bubble, you can believe what you want but if you take 10 minutes to look through online available brochures, and a little research on Tecumseh you'll see what am talking about.
and you know whats Ironic, I've HAVE been giving that design crap for years and is on my top ten ugliest rides list and what do I go out and do...........
I buy and have been rebuilding the bike that Bird based that bike off of :doah:
incidentally, this is a mid year 1973, note the curved shroud HS40:
Those bikes did not exist in 1971, that tec square shroud/steel flywheel was only introduced in 1972 when the HS50 came out, and not used on the HS40 (or anything else) until, at the very earliest LATE 1973, your numbers are 1982, which coincides with the pressed foam seat, another thing that didn't appear on the bird bikes till the 80's. If anything, Bird dropped the springs on the "thunderbird" in the 80's so they could sell the flashier more optioned out nighthawk.
Sorry to burst your bubble, you can believe what you want but if you take 10 minutes to look through online available brochures, and a little research on Tecumseh you'll see what am talking about.
and you know whats Ironic, I've HAVE been giving that design crap for years and is on my top ten ugliest rides list and what do I go out and do...........
I buy and have been rebuilding the bike that Bird based that bike off of :doah:
incidentally, this is a mid year 1973, note the curved shroud HS40:
Sorry to burst your bubble, you can believe what you want but if you take 10 minutes to look through online available brochures, and a little research on Tecumseh you'll see what am talking about.
and you know whats Ironic, I've HAVE been giving that design crap for years and is on my top ten ugliest rides list and what do I go out and do...........
I buy and have been rebuilding the bike that Bird based that bike off of :doah:
incidentally, this is a mid year 1973, note the curved shroud HS40:
I have a bird thunderbird as well but NO chain.
U seem knowledgeable...do u know chain specs ...length.
Thought maybe a #35?
I have a bird thunderbird. Looking for chain type...I've gotten conflicting info....#35?
And length if anyone knows.
U can send email to keithnodaros@yahoo.com if u know or this site works.
Thanks all!
And length if anyone knows.
U can send email to keithnodaros@yahoo.com if u know or this site works.
Thanks all!
Hard to believe you have been trying to get chain since 2022. Believe me, I do understand procrastination and/or having a project bike that's perpetually on the back burner. As Skipp said, the bikes are different from one identical model to another identical model and that can make the chains vary in length, especially between new and used chains or manufacturing variances in the chain perhaps.
On your Bird Thunderbird, move your engine all the way to the rear on its slotted mounting holes and then wrap a string [or a tailor's tape measure] around both sprockets [just like a real chain] until the string meets. Mark it where it meets and measure the length of the string. That will be your base chain length, and then as it 'wears in' you move the engine forward to take up the chain slack. Instead of trying to find a #35 chain that is precisely the length you measured, just buy #35 chain in bulk plus some connecting and offset links, a chain breaking tool and you'll be in business. The smallest amount of bulk chain I have seen for sale is 36".
I would skip all of the string acrobatics, order about 5 feet of quality chain and a couple of master links. Wrap the chain around your sprockets with the engine all the way to the rear, mark the chain, use a chain breaker to remove a link and install the chain.
I no longer have the patience nor the flexibility to hold a piece of string around a sprocket.
I no longer have the patience nor the flexibility to hold a piece of string around a sprocket.
For the economy of language make the chain your string. 
It is rocket science when you are working in limited space, limited tools and no work table. I got chain on. Now on to the points, condenser and coil.
I see a number on condenser but does anyone know the coil #, are they pretty common? Any recomended aftermarket brand and part # is appreciated. Its the tecumseh HS40 555126. I'm just going to freshin everything up.
Funny, it sat an extra 3 yrs b4 I finally dragged it out, might as well replace it all.
Thanks all for your patience
I see a number on condenser but does anyone know the coil #, are they pretty common? Any recomended aftermarket brand and part # is appreciated. Its the tecumseh HS40 555126. I'm just going to freshin everything up.
Funny, it sat an extra 3 yrs b4 I finally dragged it out, might as well replace it all.
Thanks all for your patience