Triumphrat

shedds

lets see i had the coils go bad twice , i had the internal oil seal go bad, water pump was replaced, bad ground issue output shaft seal and bushing replaced bulbs in speedometer went out tail light lens cracked, petcock leaked at times (but never for the dealer)transmission was very notchy and false neutrals were common but it did straighten out onse it broke in more. everything except for the second coil (which i payed for after warranty expired ) was covered under the warranty my bike was a 2001 thunderbird but i must admit after all the glitches were sorted out i drove a whole year without and issue except for the second coil so when i sold it the next guy had a gem of a bike without any faults

doa666duck

Cam chain tensioners were known to be faulty on some early (1994-1996) models. My 1996 Trident lost its tensioner and took the head/valves with it. The manual covers cam chain adjustment and I now replace the tensioner at 20K intervals. Cheap insurance.

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Dan

Tbirdnz

Here's an update on my 98 Thunderbird at 55,000km.

1/ Front brake stop-light micro-switch replaced
2/ Flasher indicator relay replaced
3/ Gear lever, cracked, replaced
4/ Headlight bulb replaced
5/ Front brake pads replaced
6/ Original battery replaced (9 years, not bad)

Other than tyres and spark plugs that's it. I've followed the manual for servicing.

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Ride on !

andys116

I love my '01 Legend TT - and recent cosmetics make it look like an even sportier version of the Triumph Thunderbird Sport - although it is not tuned as aggressively as that bike. However, there are some really annoying problems - any suggestions would be welcome.

1) Most annoying - required me to purchase a new tank on ebay was somehow the gas gap would get too tight - especially after running the bike hot as metal expand. I had to use WD40 and some careful rescrewing to get it back on. This was a big problem when it rained as I did not want water to get into the gas tank. I purchased a custom painted tank with pin-stripes that looked great on my bike, but that was the only "fix".

2) Very annoying - bits and pieces of the "rubberized" paint would flake into the tank. I used duct tape to pull the coating off, but it wasn't perfect and still happens. Some of the tank "paint" has the consistency of tar and is still under the lip. As this problem was first reported in '96, I can't figure out why my bike had to suffer from this in '01.

3) Annoying - After pouring two 16 oz. cans of seafoam in the bike to remove gunk from the carbs, I pulled the them (what a task - they barely fit in the bike) and looked them over - I did not pull them apart because they looked surprisingly clean. I get smooth acceleration, idle, etc. but upon deceleration they backfire. Sometimes it is pretty fierce. I have a perfectly tuned Suzuki '81 GS1100E that never does this. I took it to a dealer who rode it briefly and said his Thunderbird sounds the same, the acceleration and idle is fine, and not to worry - his customers like the sound. Even if true, most new classic triples have blue pipes (as does mine) indicating that the bike is running lean, or choked out. I've yet to see one normally chromed.

4) Least annoying - It is easy to overfill the coolant and the oil and the bike coughs some fluids over the nice shiney chrome when I ride it hard.

But, I really do love the look and the bike. It looks (to me) as nice as the Bonneville, but has the triple 900 engine which is peppier and has the cool whine. I will keep this bike for a long time.

MarkBartels

May I ask what VIN# (last six digits) are as I have a 1996 T-Bird as well and the sprag clutch (which works fine yet) issue is lurking in the back on my mind.

Mark

chrismatthewsmm

last six digits: 036593

skippy

Hi just a note to say about levers being not adjustable,i have found that the reach for the front brake lever on my adventurer 2001 model a little far to say the least,my local motorcycle shop was verry helpfull and found a pattern suzuki lever fitted great,hey i now its not british but i can get a good hanfull when needed.

ddmars

one of my coils resistance is not the same as the others is that proof it is the bad one ?>

QUOTE=cafetbird;262382]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 ][/quote]

Toborone

Thought I'd throw in my experiences. Got a '96 Sprint and whoever designed it didn't think much about access for servicing.

To change the front sprocket (or even look at it) you have to drain the oil! 4 litres worth!!

Centre spark plug - enough said previously.

Air filter change - have to remove carbs!!

Rear brake caliper - exhaust silencer is in the way, but it's just manageable to get the caliper off without taking the silencer off. For what ever reason I managed only 4000 miles on a set of rear brakes pads and also managed to ruin the caliper coz I wore them down so low without checking them! but 4000 miles!! I'll be keeping a close eye on them this time!

When I got it the centre stand was broken, probably due to the weight of getting onto the stand.

Finish is terrible, engine coating peeling, flaking.

But the reason I still have it...

I find the riding position comfy, pillion passengers like their seat too, cornering is excellent (tho top heavy as already mentioned), big petrol tank, 25 liters. Now get this... I did 3500 miles around Norway last year and when I couldn't find a petrol station for miles I ended up achieving 225 miles WITHOUT switching to reserve! 55 kph very strictly enforced speed limit and long open roads helped achieve this. Good front brakes, but i do have 'special' EBC brake pads in for the R&D Department of EBC.

Fuzzball

My 96 T-bird. A bit of trouble shooting after a couple of hard-to-no-starting sessions revealed it would start easily cold and then run at idle for about 5 to 8 minutes and then shut down suddenly as if you turned the key. Cool down lasted about an hour and then it would start again. Sound like solid state electrics having a heat-attack? Yeah, I thought so too.

The two potential culprits were the Ignition Sensor and the Ignitor. Ignition sensor is way more heat susceptible, being inside an engine cover. Yeah, Whew! that was it----$70 instead of $700.

So that's it. I read somewhere here about that part lasting only about 17,000 miles or so, but the bit about it being affected by engine heat is a new twist so I thought I'd share my particular experience.

Cheers!

Fuzz