Triumphrat

j_nelson335 · 12-27-2008, 05:50 PM

Hey everyone!
I'm a newbie from Milwaukee WI and I have a 99 Adventurer. I'd wanted a bike for about the past 10 years or so, and I finally got one- and a Triumph, no less! I was able to put on about 2000 miles before the first snow, and now it's sitting in my garage. Instead of riding, I am relegated to sitting here and thinking about what can be done for next season.
I've been reading many posts about the bike I have, and I'm becoming a bit more aware of it's strengths and weaknesses. I lack experience on other bikes, and I'm wondering, can my bike be used for touring? (I'm talking about trips of 1500 miles or less). This may be a terribly naive question, but I figure that this is the best place to find someone else who has cabin fever and wants to talk about this...

Thanks!

BigAl8295 · 12-27-2008, 06:25 PM

Engine guards with footpegs so you can stretch out those legs. I have a set of Engine Guards from Ma's Cycles with some cheapo clamp on footpegs.

A windshield. I was never one for the look, but keeping the wind off you lets you ride alot longer without getting beat up. You can also handle colder weather. At Toller's recommendation I bought a National Cycle Plexistar 2.

Maybe Toller with chime in here, I believe he rigged up an Auxilliary Tank.

davidc · 12-27-2008, 06:29 PM

Sure, the bike will go touring, but will you go with it? I ride all over on my Bonneville and take a break when I feel the need.
Get on it and GO - whoosh!

General Sir Ron Pig · 12-27-2008, 06:36 PM

Wind shields suck-at night or in the rain. Can't seem through them if they're high and if they're set up right (top of screen level with mouth) you get a nasty bit of turbulence on your head at higher speeds. Pootling along at 60 is fine, though. Unless it rains or the Sun goes in.

Get the luggage bars for the Legend-quite common on Ebay and pretty cheap. Then fit soft luggage if there's no risk of theft or hard if there is. Uprate your headlight. Service the bike. Take essential tools etc and off you go.

ssevy · 12-27-2008, 09:02 PM

I had a Triumph tombstone style screen on my 99 Legend, and while it was fine around town, it made the front end very unstable on the interstates. Also concentrated the air dams around semis when they passed, and wow, that was not cool. I ride it naked (the bike) now, and feel much more stable on the interstates, etc.. Yes, there is more air hitting me, but it is predictable, and the front end stays planted where it belongs. As for luggage, the Triumph hardware is expensive and hard to find, but someone mentioned using a bungee cord in a clever set up, and that might be perfect. Do a search and you'll find plenty on this. Personally, I consider my Legend a minimalist touring machine, meaning the journey is the focus and not the destination. Using back roads and taking a break to stretch the legs when necessary, as well as stopping to investigate any place or shop I find interesting is all very much a part of the experience. If you find yourself wanting to get from point A to point B on the slabs as comfortably as possible, or do lots and lots of miles per day, get a real touring bike, and save the Triumph for when you want to ride for the pleasure of the riding itself.

toller · 12-28-2008, 01:39 AM

You can tour on damn near any machine that will go 90 mph. you must get crash bars or a single left side parking lot crash with gear on board and you'll loose your shifter. I like a windshield, others find it ruins the lines. Have a look at highly modified thunderbirds for my less then pristine but highly modified machine. I also prefer hard saddlebags. I have a friend who put Jesse saddle bags on; bike looks great thought hose bags cost a fortune You can keep all the lines on the bike clean by using a big duffle for your gear.

Carrying a lot of gear does effect handling and gas mileage; so who's surprised at that? It won't make you crash. If wind or big trucks bother you, ride more, you'll get used to it, or stick with 2 lane blacktop roads. (ride your own ride and all that)

My biggest gripe with the the legend TT is the smallish gas tank. When you ride with BMW guys who go 150 miles between stops, 4.2 gallons just won't do, so I added an extra tank. but the stock setup is just fine. Start with fresh tires; fresh oil change and a credit card and you're good to go.

A cool place to go in mid july is the superbike or vintage days at mid ohio, less than 400 miles for you. And in your own back yard, Elkhart Lake is a great track that also has superbike races.

Get a can-do attitude and hit the road.

toller · 12-28-2008, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl8295

At Toller's recommendation I bought a National Cycle Plexistar 2.

Maybe Toller with chime in here, I believe he rigged up an Auxilliary Tank.

How do you like the windshield?

You can set that puppy high or low, angle it or have it near straight up and down. I always look over the thing except in the rain, at which time I go faster which enlarges the air envelope and keeps me dryer. Someone else mentioned being unstable in the wind; maybe so, though I have always found the legend to happily run dead straight with no wiggle when I take my hands off the bars. Other bikes wiggle much more. I haven't gone much over 100 mph with the windshield, but it hasn't caused harm other than maybe a little less gas mileage in exchange for keeping my neck from getting sore.

j_nelson335 · 12-28-2008, 02:57 AM

Thanks a lot for all the responses! Sage advice to be sure. My bike already has forward riding pegs that straddle the engine, and I have the (tombstone style) windscreen that Toller mentioned.

A couple of other questions- I've heard of Aeroflow windscreens, but I haven't been able to find them for my bike. It's louder than hell at freeway speeds(Are earplugs legal?), but I'm still physically comfortable at 75. I've also heard the classic triples referred to as "tank slappers' - I don't have much riding experience on other bikes to compare it to, but the Adventurer seems remarkably stable at freeway speeds even with the stock screen- so I'm not certain that I even want to mess with it.

Having read your responses along with other posts, I will admit that a 6th gear would be a nice option. Would it be worth my time to change out the rear sprocket (not to necessarily increase top speed, but to lower my r.p.m. at cruising speeds)?

Finally, I would love to hear about that auxiliary fuel tank setup. Toller, if you wouldn't mind sharing some knowledge, I'm all ears...

BigAl8295 · 12-28-2008, 10:27 AM

You can change your sprockets to cruise at lower RPM. There are alot of threads about that in here.

Toller, I love the Plexistar 2. Sure it screws up the lines of the bike visually, but it is clear so it looks better than most. It also comes off in seconds. It went on very easily. I put some MacGuires polish on it. The rain rolls right off of it. The shape of it covers my hands and is very stable at high speed. Deifinitely the right choice for my Legend.

cafetbird · 12-28-2008, 11:29 AM

It's a good ride for touring - enjoy. Capable of an Iron Butt is you like. I don't mind the frequent fuel stops - ready for a break by 130 miles anyway.

The Adventurer has factory mount points that can easily accomodate hard bags - much simpler than on Legends and T-Birds. Givi bags are good. Champion makes a few bags that look the part for these bikes very well!

I carry a spare ignition coil and a throttle cable with me, and always a good compliment of fuses. Keep your batery topped off. Some folks may recommend that for touring, you replace the spoked, tube type wheels with cast wheels, that can run tubeless tires. They are much easier for a roadside repair. I have run 100s of 1000s of miles on tube tires though, and only had 1 flat.... I would recommend getting roadside assistance coverage. Progressive Insurance adds that to your policy for $8 per year.