First thought on this thread - T300 classics are rock solid, very reliable motorcycles. However, being British, we know that they are expected to have a few "quirks" ;-) For folks considering one, keep these in mind:

1. Temperauture lights flicks on and off when the bike is NOT overheating. This is known to be a ground issue in the wiring harness.

2. Electrical system is known to overcharge the battery. Check the fluid level in your battery often to make sure it does not boil dry. Some also suspect that this leads to problems with the coils failing prematurely.

3. Coils - as stated in #2 - some bikes experience pre-mature coil failure. Some T-Birds were fitted with West German coils, but most bikes are fitted with coils manufactrured by Gill. Gill coils are less reliable. Nology makes coils that can be used as replacements, and are much more reliable.

4. Pressed nuts inside the silencers are known to break loose. It is best not to remove the brackets from the muffler unless absolutely necessary - instead, remove the bracket and muffler as an assembly.

5. 95 and early 96 models had an issue with a weak starter clutch. If you are considering one of these bikes, make sure it has been replaced.

This thread is for folks to list the know issues with the T300 classics line, in order to help out new owners of these bikes, and folks interested in purchasing one. All the on-line "experts", feel free to chime in with your experiences!



[ This message was edited by: cafetbird on 2006-05-21 06:26 ]

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Scot Dail, IBA #31553
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A good idea for a thread Scott, but before we go making potential new owners paranoid, we should make it clear that not all of the problems are inevitable, or even likely.

A couple of other issues that come up regularly-

Sprag clutch failure. Before VIN # ??

Ditto The alternator impellor bolt shearing.

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"You can't fly with the eagles if you keep scratching with the turkeys."

In general for all the classic triples, Accessories are getting harder to find (Particularly the Late model Adventurers, '99-'01), no issues with getting repair parts yet tho'.

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Dave Hall

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The "old" style alternator shaft bolt was used up to VIN 56684.

Don't about sprag clutch access, books only say later models.

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Bob
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Oil breather system can be problematic. Make sure the oil level is absolutely right or the excess gets thrown into the airbox.

Even with correct level, the same thing can happen. I think it's down to the left hand cover oil seal and the slinger in the right side cover.

I have had problems with this - but to reinforce the point about not wanting to make potential buyers paranoid, I haven't had any other problems with my 99 T/bird. Great machine.

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nil illegitimo carborundum

Anyone buying a TBS should expect to swap out the seat for a more comfy model if they expect to do over 100 km per trip.

Steve



[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2005-11-09 13:49 ]

Just for the record. I have a 1999 Legend that runs great.

I have not (Knock on wood) had any of the issues listed above.

Mark

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If it were easy, everybody would be doing it and we would all be out of a job!

Quote:

On 2005-11-06 18:31, legend wrote: Just for the record. I have a 1999 Legend that runs great. I have not (Knock on wood) had any of the issues listed above. Mark

Same for me.. :-D

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"You can't fly with the eagles if you keep scratching with the turkeys."

Quote:

On 2005-11-07 00:53, Slinky wrote: Quote: On 2005-11-06 18:31, legend wrote: Just for the record. I have a 1999 Legend that runs great. I have not (Knock on wood) had any of the issues listed above. Mark Same for me.. :-D

And the same for me , Adventurer... :-D

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Bob
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I'm not an "on-line expert", but I'll throw in my two cents. First off, the bike has been great. It has style for miles, and for me is a very satisfying all-around bike.

Here is my list of issues:

1. Oil leaks due to overfilling. The amount prescribed in the manual is too much. It should be filled only to the midpoint on the sight glass. I forgot to specify this during my last service, so now I have a leaky bike again. The solution is to drain the oil to the proper level, which is midpoint in the sight glass, and to drain the airbox tube often until the excess oil has been run through. In 2003, the centrifigal oil distributor in the crankcase was replaced with a slightly different version under warranty, per Triumph central, but this hasn't seemed to make a difference.

2. I've also had the grounding issue with the instrument cluster, fixed under warranty with a new wiring harness.

3. My speedometer becomes erratic at times, despite the cable having been lubed.

4. My throttle cable snapped at only around 5,000 miles.

5. The horn sucks