As I rode under a dark grey storm along the narrow roads of Buckinghamshire, large pellets of rain splattered down relentlessly, gathering in my lap. This wet, gloomy weather is far from the biker’s dream of big, blue skies and empty highways. But that hasn’t stopped British bikemaker Triumph from aiming squarely at the American biking idyll with its latest cruiser, the Thunderbird.

It is a confident but risky move: in reaching for the cruiser market, Triumph has had to play by the rules that have put Harley-Davidson in the leading spot and kept it there.

Cruisers are long and low; they have flat or high handlebars. They have forward foot-pegs and little cornering clearance. These defining characteristics describe a traditional Harley – but they also sum up what many buyers expect of any motorcycle. Just as most car drivers would regard with great suspicion any vehicle that did not have four wheels, most cruiser riders would not look favourably on a bike without these classic features.

Triumph already has cruisers in its range. The Rocket III, for example, with its 2,300cc engine, outdoes most in the big and wide stakes. But the Thunderbird is aimed at the traditional middle sector, an area in which it has not yet pitched a contender.

Harley has been hit by the recession, so this is a good moment to strike. Such is Triumph’s bravado, it even boasts of plans to be the second-biggest seller of cruisers within 10 years. So it has been assiduous in following the rules, and the Thunderbird has all the styling that buyers of these motorcycles demand.

But where Japanese bike makers have also aped Harleys by using V-twin motors, Triumph has given itself a unique selling point with a parallel twin engine. This layout harks back to Triumph’s 1950s and 1960s heyday, but it has been cleverly modernised by giving the engine an architecture that makes it sound very similar to a V-twin. Ignition of the two cylinders is 270 degrees apart, which means that the bike has the offbeat exhaust rumble familiar to all cruiser riders.

At 1,597cc, or 98 cubic inches, the engine can supply enough grunt to move the rather portly motorcycle surprisingly quickly. And, operating through a six-speed gearbox in which top gear is an overdrive, and a belt rather than chain final drive, it delivers a smooth and sophisticated ride.

Which is slightly more than can be said for the chassis. It is accomplished enough, so that it feels safe, but gives a rather remote feeling from the wheels. Especially when using the powerful brakes.

And then there is the riding position. Bombarded by raindrops, I felt as if function had lost out completely to style. With arms and legs out, even 70mph is not comfortable for any length of time. And that riding position made it impossible to avoid my spine being jarred as the bike tried manfully but failed to iron out moon-crater-sized Buckinghamshire potholes.

When I first saw the pillion accommodation that I would be asking the Professor, my partner, to use, my heart sank lower than the height of the rider’s seat. However, after an admittedly short ride she was favourably impressed. While the rear seat is tiny, it has enough padding that the Professor pronounced it better than any Harley she has sampled.

Triumph does, however, offer more comfortable seats, and a range of alternative parts. As the company points out, Harley buyers tend to spend about £2,000 on accessories. Buyers of Triumph’s own Rocket III tend to spend upwards of £1,500. More than 1,000 accessories designed alongside the bike are already on offer from Triumph, including a big bore kit which takes the engine up to 1,700cc, with a commensurate increase in power and, of course, grunt.

Even without adding masses of chromed engine covers and other parts to the bike, it looks good. The single-colour bikes are also rather sophisticated and understated – which is a hard act to pull off with a machine that is all about attracting attention.

There are aspects that are less effective. The built-in steering lock is separate from the ignition switch, so less usable. It is also pretty much the same as the one on the 1966 Triumph Tiger Cub I once owned, which makes a mockery of progress.

But for riders seduced by the endless highway dream, who want something other than a Harley but with more character – and heritage – than the Japanese offerings, the Thunderbird could well hit the right spot.

The quality could even, as Triumph hopes, succeed in winning over riders of other types of bike. But unless the only riding they do is on Arizona highways, or at the very least sun-soaked byways elsewhere, they should include in their riding dreams the likelihood of acting as an outstretched sponge when it rains.

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The details

Triumph Thunderbird

How much
£9,499 in single colours, £10,099 with ABS

What’s new
Not the name, certainly, but the rest is fresh – a punchy big motor in a well-executed cruiser bike

How powerful
The low-revving, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled 1,600cc parallel twin puts out 84.8bhp at 4,850rpm and 107.7ft.lbf at 2,750rpm. Six-speed gearbox and belt final drive

How thirsty
About 55mpg

How heavy
746lbs ready to ride with a full tank of fuel

Also consider
Almost any Harley-Davidson, but the smaller Sportsters are vastly outstomped by the Thunderbird