Triumphrat

WildBill · 10-16-2009, 08:32 AM

After waiting 2 weeks,my '98 Trident finally arrived yesterday.Beautiful bike with only 5959 miles on it. Fired right up,and runs SWEET!! I'm gonna get rid of the stock mirrors and replace with bar ends. It came with an ugly tall windshield,which I'm gonna cut down a bit,and see how that works out.Also,it came with these strange aftermarket handlebars that I don't know what to think of yet.I think I'm gonna be in the market for some stock handlebars,so if anyone has some let me know.It didn't come with an owners manual,so if anyone has one they don't want,I'd like to buy it.

Scarletfever · 10-16-2009, 01:17 PM

Congratulations on your new bike.
I have a set of stock bars but as I'm in Wales I'm guessing you'll get some closer to home!

KitNYC · 10-16-2009, 06:56 PM

I may have a set of bars kicking around, let me see if they turn up while I'm looking for the gaskets for my RS. Where are the pics?

Cheers,
-Kit

WildBill · 10-17-2009, 08:50 AM

Thanks guys. The handlebars that came on the bike are HeliBar Multi Tour Sports.To me they look stupid and place my hands WAY too close together.They are one piece.My buddys '96 Trident,which I've ridden several times,and which convinced me I needed a Trident,are 2 piece handlebars just like on IdahoTB's '96 Sprint and on my Trophy.The HeliBars look to be 7/8.So I'm looking for some 7/8 bars I can just clamp on.IdahoTB has some 7/8 bars off a Legend that may work.Does anyone know if the '98 Trident came stock with 1 piece or 2 piece handlebars?Because the way it's set up now,I need 1 piece.These HeliBars would probably be fine for a little guy,but they don't work for me.As for the pics,Kit,I'm pretty computer illiterate and don't own a digital camera.I'll try and figure out a way to get someone to post a pic for me.

KitNYC · 10-17-2009, 01:52 PM

The original bars are bike-specific. There are seperate left and right bars and they bolt to the top yoke. Later Trophy bars were higher, but early Trophies used the same stock bars as the Trident. Legend bars, or any other 1-piece tubular bars, will not fit a stock bike. Looks like the Heli Bar setup you have adds a clamp, so you can go with cheap 1-piece bars if you want instead of the expensive OEM bits. Closest thing to stock in a 1-piece is probably the "Superbike" bars available from a number of places. Last I checked, Bike Bandit had 'em for about $17. (As compared to stock bars @ ~$250 for left and right set.)

Cheers,
-Kit

idahotb · 10-18-2009, 01:14 AM

Here is Wild Bill new bike.

I think it is real purdy, but then I'm from Idaho!

KitNYC · 10-18-2009, 02:33 AM

I am inclined to agree, except that giant sheet of plexi is kinda blocking my view of the apehangers!

Seriously, good looking bike in general, and that color scheme is very nice, but IMHO those bars and the windshield do need to go! Do those bars add 6-8" of rise and another 3-4" pullback, or is it just something about the angle of the photo?

That really is a nice blue, and the silver and red complement it very nicely.

Cheers,
-Kit

WildBill · 10-18-2009, 08:07 AM

First of all,thanks for posting the photo Niles. Kit, you are absolutely right.As I stated in my first post in this thread,the windshield,mirrors and handlebars all have to be changed to make this the bike I want it to be.Other than those three issues I'm really happy with this Trident.It's as clean,if not cleaner than the photo shows,and runs GREAT!! The windshield,I'm gonna try to cut down(a lot) and if that doen't turn out,then I'll simply sh!tcan it.Getting rid of the stock Mickey Mouse ear mirrors and replacing them with barends will be the easiest mod.As for those Heli Bars...I don't get the advantage of them at all.They are ugly and you are correct about them having 6" of rise and 4" of pullback.Needless to say they are worthless for highspeed cornering.All I can figure is the previous owner was a real short guy and did a lot of freeway riding.I went to the Heli Bar website,and these cost almost $300 and you have to spend an additional hundred plus dollars for an adapter plate so they can be clamped.The ideal bars for me would be the stock bars off my old '01 955i Speed Triple,but I'm not sure if they were 7/8 or one inch.For the time being we'll try and fit the Legend handlebars that IdahoTB has lying around.

KitNYC · 10-18-2009, 09:27 AM

Running out right now, but 2 things: Your '01 Speed Triple came from the factory with 7/8" bars, and they were really similar to the superbike bars I mentioned before.

Cheers,
-Kit

WildBill · 10-18-2009, 10:10 AM

Thanks Kit, I went to the Bikebandit Superbike bar page.The black ones do look real close to the stock '01 Speed 3 bars and the price is right.I think I'll go with them. The Legend bars IdahoTB was gonna give me,would've fit and would have been a vast improvement over the Heli Bars,but they've got a cruiser bend to them and still wouldn't have been right.