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.