Triumphrat

jp99tbirdnm · 07-12-2006

We sure have had a lot of new Classic owners as of late. What do you all think the reason is. I have my thoughts but I'll wait until I see what you think. :razz:

[ This message was edited by: jp99tbirdnm on 2006-07-12 18:16 ]

Tre900 · 07-12-2006

Well, the Classics are getting older. My guess is that the people that picked them up (second or third owners) that just wanted a bike as entertainment are pushing them along to commit to either a full on sport bike or an HD. I think the trend that was a live for "retro" isn't as strong any more and the trend is moving to naked.

I think anyone who really knows these bikes can build anything from a Naked to a chopper if they are inspired but majority of folks aren't.

That's my $00.02 but it's a great topic and I'm interested to see what others say too.

Tre900

But what do I know? I think mine is a bobber for petes sake!

[ This message was edited by: Tre900 on 2006-07-12 18:29 ]

YrfuneralMytrial · 07-12-2006

In the case of TBirds, Adventurers and Legends, perhaps they're trading into the hands of more interested, visible owners. I think the masses are really slow to catch on. Around here, I don't think the selection process goes
beyond what the local Japanese dealer has on the floor for a lot of new buyers. I know a few guys who are way into riding but they didn't really even know Triumph was an option. So, now these older bikes can be had pretty cheap (often with low miles and in great shape) and with resources like this site, a person can see just how ***** cool these bikes can be with a little effort. You get A LOT of bike for the money with these classics. I guess that's my point...for a little dough and some imagination, you can have yourself one bad motorcycle that no one you know is likely to have. It just took a while to realize.

highcard · 07-12-2006

I just bought my last spring after 20 years of no riding.

I specifically sought out the tbird (within 200 miles of my house, in case I wanted to ride it home).

Nostalgia, Looks, Price (price, price).

07-13-2006

After 30 plus years and numerous Honda's, Kawas, Zuks, and Harley's, I was looking for something as close as possible to my favorite ride. { 81 Honda 900 C 10 speed }. Hadn't given much thought to Triumph since the dealership is 2 hours away, but when I saw the 99 Legend on e-bay a short 90 minute plane ride to Tulsa was too much to walk away from. The 400 mile ride home convinced me I had waited too long to try one on for size. I have had it 3 weeks and 1200 miles now and other sky high accessory prices am glad I found a bike that puts great riding ahead of chrome and leather parties.

Rincewind · 07-13-2006

The Triple Classics are great UJM's, or in this case, UBM's (universal british bikes). I was searching for a standard-style bike with class, and I found it. They also make great cafe racers from what I've seen here. Equally, they can be set-up for touring.

Tre900 thinks the retro craze is dying out - I disagree. Especially considering the new Ducati classics, and the continued success of the Bonnie variants. The Tbirds and their ilk provide a nice low-cost entrance into the world of modern retro bikes, and I think that's why they'll continue to be bought and cherished.

TexasTri · 07-13-2006

Let's see they have a classic name, the bikes are versatile, can be made into just about anything you want, or left as is and still be a great ride.
I think that with some of the newer models, Rocket 3, Daytona 675, Bonnie's and now the Scrambler , Triumph is just getting a lot more recognition from the press. As folks start to look into Triumphs they are finding these as a well priced entry into the market.

JhuFrank · 07-13-2006

The only thing that will kill the classics is the lack of supply. As an owner, Ive already noticed the supply is somewhat limited when it comes to the Hinckley Classic Triples. Parts are expensive, can only be purchased on certain websites. And look at the number of Tbirds and its ilk on Ebay as compared to Bonnies, Speedies, Rockets, etc.
However, I think it is a great bike for newbies. It is my return bike after twenty years of not riding, and so far has been a wonderful experience. With a limited amount of wrenchturning experience, one can do an amazing amount of maintenance to these bikes. Plus they pretty much run forever (or so I have heard). :-D

Tre900 · 07-13-2006

Rincewind -

Having never been much into the duc's myself (other then racing them) I guess I haven't personally classified them as "retro" which they are yes, but when I look at them I see "naked"...just my own perception. Don't get me wrong I think they are beautiful bikes. Just the way I have looked at them I suppose. Having no expedience with old Duc's I can't really say "yeah..that looks like an old duc" if you follow my thought process.

jp99tbirdnm - What's your train of though on this?

datapimp · 07-13-2006

Well, I'm a secong time owner, so I don't know if that's a 'new owner' or not.

When I bought my first 98 TBS, I did so for several basic reasons:

I didn't want a cafe bike, I didn't want a cruiser., A standard riding position always appealed to me.
I can do some basic maintenence, but I'm not really versed in engines etc, so an older BSA, Triumph, Norton, BMW etc seemed a little bit too much for me to start out with given my knowledge. I wanted something more with more modern engineering. But, I really liked the look of those old bikes. That pretty much left all practical concerns at BMWs and Triumphs for me- Though I did take notice of the Kawasaki 600 (W600? I forget the model, the one classic styled bike they had out for, like a year around 2000). As far as aesthetics go, BMWs are not my thing. So I started looking at Adventurers and Legends etc, thinking maybe they'd do. . .but even they were a little relaxed looking for me. When I saw a TBS, It was instant love.
Then I researched it, compared it to other bikes in its class, whent and sat on a HD Sportster 883 of the same year to compare (even though I already knew I didn't want to put a milwaukee twin between my legs) when the information backed up what I felt based on sheer looks, I bought it. I loved it.

So come this spring when my father starts talking about doing the pacific coast with me next year, I naturally looked for another TBS. The only things I disliked about it had been changed (pipes on two sides for easier pannier fitting, newer carbs etc) so I was still sold.

So for me, even though it came down to style, sort of, it isn't that I like the look because its classic, it just happens that the lines and look I like happen to be 'retro'. If plastic cafe bikes were classic, and TBS was a design never seen before, Then I'd like modern over classic. Objectively its the most comfortable, fun bike i coukld get that I also think looks*****-hot!

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