I have a friend of a certain age – ie, the age at which a man has raised his children past the “they’re going to die if you don’t pay attention to them all the damned time” stage – who, like many men of a certain age, has suddenly decided he is interested in motorcycling. Eager to support him, I encouraged him recently to hit me with every motorcycling question he might have, no matter how silly it might seem. He inundated me with dozens upon dozens of questions, one of which was: “At what point will I start looking like Marlon Brando? (Not the Marlon Brando from The Island of Dr Moreau)” Well, friend, if you’ve got $12,500, you could achieve that goal pretty quickly. This is the iconic Triumph Thunderbird 6T, the model that Brando made famous in the 1953 film The Wild One.
Generally known simply as the Thunderbird (but not to be confused with the TR65T Thunderbird of the 1980s, the inline triple Thunderbird of the ’90s, or the the underappreciated 1600/1700 Thunderbird cruiser of the 2010s), the 6T was produced from 1949 to 1966. Driven by a 650cc parallel twin engine, it claimed a peak power output of around 33 horsepower.
This particular example is “a complete frame off restoration,” so not a truly original machine. You’ll see a number of modern parts. Most of it is done well. Enough so that the lazy wiring of that taillight is really distracting.
“The motorcycle is in great running condition and is mainly used for weekend rides,” according to the seller. “It is a lovely ride.”
With just 958 miles on the clock, this Thunderbird is for sale in Madison, Wisconsin with bidding up to $7,500 and the reserve not yet met or a BIN of $12,500 here on eBay.