Triumphrat

08-03-2006

My previous ride was a ZX9R Kawasaki, I highsided it at 30 mph and broke my ankle. The kwak was a write off due to bent frame and swingarm plus lots of plastic damage. A mate who deals in bikes told me he had an immaculate 97 Trident in a local shop, was I interested. He let me have this at cost (£3500 in 2000 with 925 miles on the clock) I took his arm off! I have not looked back since (although Buells and Ducatis have a lot of appeal).

So, fate made me do it. I am so glad he did'nt offer me a Honda instead.

Be Happy
:upthumb:

johnnycactus · 08-05-2006

had always liked the bug eyed speed triples ever since they came out, but on my wages it wasn't ever going to happen.
they just seemed to have a different look about them.
a few years riding a few jap 600s, really loved my bandit- until a cager decieded to give me a a quick kiss, followed shortly by a head on collision with an isuzu trooper who 'thought' he was on the right side of the road. 10 months later and the insurance headaches cleared i went and got a daytona 900. haven't looked back! ol' bug eyes still out of range ( insurance and price) but dare i say it the s4 is looking tasty. providing the change in low end grunt isn't too much of a trade off...........would miss the triple roar though.............. :???: :-D

smaughazard · 08-05-2006

I cut my teeth on BSAs, but have had many others over the years. My Trident was gathering dust when I purchased it from the former owner's widow with 7k on the odometer. It took a while to make it fit my size and style, but now it's my favorite around-town/short-trip mount. :-D

themaster · 08-05-2006

Went for a Triumph because I didn't want to follow the normal "order" of things. I'd been toying with a couple of very unusual machines - bikes I'd never seen in the UK. Wince if you like, but I was toying between Yamaha Bulldog and a BMW R850.

I'd just passed my test, and thought a twin would be the way to go - I just didn't really want the standard Jap four.

Then I saw the Speed Four. I hadn't seen any of those either, and it was British. Strange that you don't see many Triumphs in England.

I sat on it, thought it uncomfortable (I'd thought it would be more upright). I test rode it and thought it jerky. But it had to be a Triumph - why blend in with the rest of the new rider crowd on Bandits, Hornets and SVs?

2bugeyez · 08-05-2006

I saw a T-Bird back in in '98 @ the Del Mar concours & fell so hard for it that I went out & found a new '96 in Diablo Black at a dealer close-out. Sold it less than 2 years later (huge mistake!) & was bikeless for almost a year. Saw a black '01 S3 on sale @ the dealer & fell hard again! Still have her w/almost 27k on the clock.
The looks, the sound, the name--Trumpets have it all!!

jrussell6 · 08-07-2006

well, I"m going to offer a youngins perspective (23 years old), i started riding motorcycles about a year ago, i rode a honda ct90 around for a little while just to see if this was something that i was interested in,,,i realized i loved it, so i started looking for a first bike,, i mean real first bike, not a 90, I saw pics of the scrambler online and loved it, did a bunch of reasearch, and as a designer i decided i could not go with a jap bike. then i saw the bonnie black,, wow,, looks like a real motorcycle just without the dainty two tone. i think harleys are status symbols and handle like sea-cows on land. (the two i've ridden) when my co-workers asked why i didn't get a real bike (harley) i said that the bike felt to heavy and my wallet to light. so then after riding the bonnie black for 6 months, i was bored,,, i couldn't keep up with new rider friends, and it hadn't givin me enough chance to be young and stupid (wheelie).,,,, so i took a test ride on a speed triple,, it was over,, a week later, i bought one. good buy boring but beautiful bonny, hello s3. i'm in love, and my s3 is amazing. i will however say that as soon as i get the money, hello ducati desmosedici or hypermotard if it actually comes out... i know triumph has said it doesn't want to focus on powerhouse bikes, but just make one, and make it right. or i'll have to go jap.

mikey · 08-27-2006

I've been offered a 2001 Sprint RS with low mileage but cosmetically challenged as a trade for my 1997 YZF1000 T-Ace.
First I said yes then I wasn't sure and decided to keep the yamaha butnow I find myself looking at the bike again with greedy eyes

Currently the bike has a set of Kawi legs since the oem where busted.
I have a complete 96 ZX9 upside down forks for it as well.
The other day I picked up a bunch of Yamaha R6 parts and included was a complete R6 forks.The fork legs on the R6 is 43mm in diameter fully adjustable with killer brakes.
So now I want the trumpet again since I have so many extra parts for it myself. The bike is sitting at my house and is mine if I want to do the trade.
Advise anyone ?
mikey

faffi · 08-27-2006

My brother bought a 1993 Daytona 3 seasons ago and I was very impressed with the build quality - it hardly deteriorated parked outside at all times just a stone throw away from the North Sea. Other bikes he's owned turned into corroded pieces of junk literally within a month (well, his Laverda 750SF held up reasonably well).

So far, I have owned 19 Japanese motorcycles and planned on continuing in that reign when I a few weeks ago spotted a 1997 Sprint with Givi and Bagster for significantly less than comparative 900 Diversion or RF900. It had 17,500 miles under its wheels only and one owner. Only modification is a Hagon shock absorber. So far I don't regret it, but it's still very early days. I hope it is substantially better made than the factory workshop manual which is a total waste of paper.

NewMetal · 08-29-2006

I first got into Thriumphs when my Grandfather was restoring his first bike. A bonneville. From that time on i always watched him restore older then older bikes. My father had his jap bikes but his first bike was a thriumph also. I was looking around for new bikes and instantly fell in love with a 05-06 triple. Soon to go to an auction finding a 96 trident with 8,733 miles on it for 3,800 bucks. The man selling it is know well from my family(he tlaks to my grandfather alot when restoring bikes) for restroing bikes Randy Baxter. SO i knew i was getting an awesome bike. I will soon get a triple but i luv my Thriumphs. My Grandfather is the one who got me into it and he has about 40 bikes now he runs FLying A motorcycles in Town Bank NJ. So my Grandpop(Tom Ackroyd) got me into it seeing old thriumphs and loving there sounds i truely hate Harleys sorry that was random lol.

ivar · 09-24-2006

Got my licence in 03 (10 years late), but didn't afford to buy anything until 05. Then the desicion was mainly between the SV650S, Z750 and a carryover 02 Sprint RS. The RS was really tempting, but I had to let my wallet decide. So SV it was. But with a feeling that a Triumph would be in my possession in the future.
Never got much time to ride in the 05 season. Then come late winter 06, a buddy selling his 02 Bonnie at a killer price. I simply could not afford to let it go

Very happy with it, the SV's been collecting dust. (I find the SV a nice bike, just not comfortable with the ergo's)

I'm thinking of selling the SV and get another Trumpet instead. So many nice triples to choose from. I like them all, from Daytona , via ST/RS to S3 and Thunderbird.