Triumphrat

johnyC · 10-08-2005, 08:56 AM

Just back from a solo 500 mile blast round the highlands. New personal record before reserve of 158.8 miles, but that's with a 120 / 60 instead of a 70 on the front, so maybe it's nothing great. Riding was cruising at 70 into headwind and duffing along at 40 on single tracks, some (ahem) spirited overtaking too (see ps)

One thing that really got on my t!ts was the screaming of my drilled t'bird TOR's. I enjoy the odd howl through the lower gears but on long runs at high-ish cruising speeds I wish I'd left them alone. I thought about swapping them back for undrilled ones, but I'm all jetted up for the way things are. So, my latest brainwave / storm is to maybe fit an early speed triple or Sprint sport exhaust system or even a 3-1 from an early injected speed triple. If it could fit without too much grief, that would flow enough gas to leave the power / jetting as is but without the screaming top end.

ps. another disappointing thing is that, even at 50 years of age, I find the howl makes me ride (sometimes) like a hooligan, red lining in 2nd and 3rd overtaking cars then enjoying changing up another three times just to rub it in. I had hoped to be mature by 50.

cafetbird · 10-08-2005, 11:40 AM

I discovered the hard way - in order to fit the H pipe from an early Speed Triple, you need to go with a radiator and water pump pipe from the same bike.

Triumph tried to obscure the water pump pipe on the T3 classic, and tucked it behind the exhaust. This interferes with the mounting of an H pipe. I ended up going with an old Yoshi system off a '95 Speed Trip, which works great.

Yoshi installed

My suggestion is to just wear ear plugs on long trips, and keep the bark! :-D

[ This message was edited by: cafetbird on 2005-10-08 09:41 ]

Slinky · 10-08-2005, 01:16 PM

Triumph-ant were developing a 3:1 header for the Tbirds etc. It might be worth giving Sandy a call ( but he aint cheap..)

PS I sincerely hope I am not mature at 50 either. :-D

dazco · 10-09-2005, 07:02 PM

Quote:

I had hoped to be mature by 50

Howling ! :roflmoa2: (i feel the same way at 52)

bobshields55 · 10-09-2005, 07:44 PM

Quote:

On 2005-10-08 06:56, johnyC wrote:
I had hoped to be mature by 50.

Why worry Johny, have fun. Nice story.
BTW, I am 50, never matured, too late now.

:-D :-D :-D

Bear · 10-09-2005, 08:16 PM

:-D :-D I'm 65 and my wife is still waiting for me to grow up.. :razz: :razz:

flybiker251 · 10-10-2005, 09:36 AM

I bought my bike two years ago at the age of 56 after a hiatus of 25 years and my age is going down instead of up. Flybiker

suemchenry · 10-10-2005, 11:13 AM

I just bought my bike a month ago after a 25 year hiatus at age 52. I'm afraid I'm going to have to be different here, though. I grew up some, and I'm still loving my bike. My favorite speed is around 40 - let's the wind whistle through my hair and jacket and I can relax a little in the back winding roads with (hopefully) enough stopping time to keep my older bones intact. I hope to be riding for a lot of years and I want to increase my odds. Thanks for all of the testimonies of older (relatively, that is) riders still riding!

lancashirelad · 10-10-2005, 11:33 AM

johny, I'm envious of your easy access to the Highlands, I love riding up there, but only manage May for the trial.
ps I'm 52 & still like to have a fast blast every now & then allowed myself to be drawn by a Subaru the other day, he couldn't go round corners so relatively easy to keep with him, he kept looking in mirror, I kept waving at him...

johnyC · 10-10-2005, 02:00 PM

lancs lad,

Friday was magic, north of Ullapool was clear and sunny with no traffic atall. Just before Elphin you could see Stac Pollaidh and as I turned right at Ledmore I had to stop for a proper look after I saw Suilven in my mirror. I sometimes go up for the pre '65 at Kinlochleven, I don't bother with the modern stuff now. If you don't have it already there's a dvd from Duke you must get: '6 from the Scottish' , six official films of the ssdt from 1952. The '59 is my favourite, which shows the works team of 3 Lambretta scooters, not just competing but all three finishing.

As regards fuds in motor cars, I came across a cracker today. Overtaking and cutting me up at a roundabout without indicating, this tw#t then weaved his way down the road in front of me. I could then see why he wasn't holding a line and why he probably never even saw me:

He was writing on a bloody clip board, held to the steering wheel by his other hand!

I couldn't let that one go unchallenged, so drew alongside and roared a few expletives (a handy thing about open-face helmets) whereupon he tossed the clip board onto the passenger seat as though I'd caught him playing with his private parts! He then pulled into a layby, presumeably to finish his homework safely. And there was me all guilt ridden about a bit of overtaking.