Triumphrat

Mozart 2 · 10-02-2009, 03:40 PM

Hello out there. I'm a proud new owner of a 1995 Super III. Although I've owned and ridden motorcycles for 30+ years, I'm a newbie to Triumph and to this board. So I have a very basic newbie question: What do the various abbreviations mean, such as T3 and S3? Is S3 short for speed triple or Super III or...?
Please forgive my ignorance, I'll learn eventually as I plan to own my Super III for a long long time.
Thanks.

Berniebikes · 10-02-2009, 04:27 PM

I'm a relatively newbie myself, but I will try and answer. T-3, refers to the first series of Hinkley Triumphs, carbed 3 cylinder bikes, water cooled, which had pretty much the same big iron motor and frame across the series whether they were Daytonas or Speed Triples. From a post by "Daytona 750" All the 900 triples are T309. A T301 is a 1000cc four, T375 is a 750 triple, & the 1200s were T312. Ian Chadwick says the Speed Triple's particular designation was T309 SP, while the Trophy 900 was a T309 ST, my Trident was a T309 R, & Daytonas were just T309, I think Daytona got his info from a post by Kit.

Popularly, the T-3 is any of the 3 or 4 cylinder first version carbed Hinkley triumphs. S3 usually refers to a speed triple, though not a hard and fast written in stone rule. Super III's in the states are pretty rare, but more of them existed in Europe. People usually refer to them as super III's, with S3 or speedy 3 being a speed triple.

KitNYC · 10-02-2009, 04:36 PM

That sums it up pretty well. The T3 series includes the 3- and 4-cylinder engines, and ST and S3 are not good abbreviations to use because they are ambiguous.

Cheers,
-Kit

DEcosse · 10-02-2009, 05:06 PM

The respective nomenclatures that relate would actually be T3 & T5 - the T5 being the Fuel Injected series bikes.

S3 is just an adopted acronym for Speed Triple (or Speed 3)
ST is not generally an accepted term for Speed Triple as the Sprint has that model designation, although I see people trying to use it.

darthandy · 10-02-2009, 05:39 PM

Well, Mozart, these and many other answers are to be found amongst (I've been dying to use that word) the many fine "Triumphants" who frequent this forum. Welcome , by the way...and don't be afraid to ask any question of this forum...the only stupid questions are those not asked. As you may note, many of us are trying really hard to become smart by leaving no question unasked. Oh, and enjoy that bike some more before the snow flies.

KitNYC · 10-02-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEcosse

The respective nomenclatures that relate would actually be T3 & T5 - the T5 being the Fuel Injected series bikes.
<...>

Don't forget the T4 Tigers, or my personal favorite, the T6 triples.

(Yes, I'm a dork. Or does being dorky about British bikes make me an anorak?

)

Cheers,
-Kit

ruamoku · 10-02-2009, 07:48 PM

Gidday and welcome Mozart, very nice bike, but then I would say that!

And Kit, the world would be a wetter place without anoraks...........

Mozart 2 · 10-06-2009, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darthandy

Oh, and enjoy that bike some more before the snow flies.

Thanks one and all for the welcome, it's good to be here.
Darthandy, I noticed in your profile that your other bike is an RZ350

. My brother had several back in the 80's while I was riding an older RD350. I hope to get a few more weeks on the Super III before the snow flies. New fork seals will be the winter project.