new member

[easy_rider]

Hi all new member here living in Bedford UK just become the proud owner of a 1991 trident in really good shape being new to triumphs and the in particular the trident, Any info regarding the bike ie weakneses or good points would be appreciated i really love the bike but have no info on this model except it was one of the first reborns from Hinckley.


Cheers

easy_rider

Welcome, easy_rider.

I'm a bit new here myself, but I have a bit to say about the Trident.

First, as far as weaknesses go, if your sidestand lets the bike lean too far over, get a Trophy ('00-up) bracket for it. That'll save you a bit in mirrors, signals, levers, & dents on the tank. Kawasaki ZX1100 levers fit & cost a lot less, & I'm looking into Buell mirrors & signals.

As far as strengths go... I love my '96! I can sit up straight or hug the tank as I please, it's got plenty of go without being prone to wheelies, it's got enough stop to back up the go, both of those still apply 2-up & my passenger has some leg room... I could go on & on, but riding it will give you a better idea of its strengths. Really, parking is the only place I've found weaknesses. :-D

Cheers, welcome, & enjoy your new ride!
-Kit

[easy_rider]

Thanks Kit for the welcome and the advice, I have to say i did expect just a tad more of a welcome and comments from other members but there ya go. Anyway Kit i have taken on board your comments and thanks again :upthumb:

[Les]

Hi Easy and welcome,
Sorry you haver not had much in the way of info back however do a bit or reading back here and you will find plenty to answer your question.

As far as weaknesses are concerned the bike is very heavy and a bit top heavy, it is easy to drop it if caught unawares. The sprag clutch can be a bit iffy. Always ensure your battery is in good shape and its should be fine. Fork seals have a tendency to fail but apart from those the Trident is a sound bike.

The engine is bullet proof just ensure you carry out regular oil changes. Comfort is good and so is the riding position. Tridents can scratch as well as being good touring bikes. Some sort of nose faring maybe a good idea to deflect the wind off your head and body.

Hope the above is of some help. Les

[easy_rider]

Hi les, Thanks for that :chug: I only took delivery this morning so took her out on a 30mile trip and she goes lovely. I do already agree about the fairing though i was getting buffeted a bit at high speed.

I have taken a picture its in the album but here it is:



Thanks again

[j98sprint]

Hello Easy and welcome to the list. Fine machine you have there. I suggest you get a manual and read up on your model. The factory manuals are good but a little dry. I like the Haynes; it's a hardback, is in color, has many pictures and the introduction has some informative history. You'll have a better feel for your ride.

j98sprint

[TrumpetSprint]

Welcome to the group. You'll find a collection of loyal (fanatic) Triumph riders in this forum. You'll find that the members combined knowledge will get you through just about any problem you might encounter.

The engine is virtually bullet proof. Some of the earlier models have had sprag clutch problems, but from what I can tell from the previous posts, it's likely your bike may have already encountered the problem and therefore been fixed.

I have a 98 Sprint Sports and have only encountered an ignition pickup problem at about 30K (now have about 36K).

The moderator, J98sprint, has got to be pushing 80K on his and has had the same ignition pickup (at about 30K) and recently coils.

The bike isn't really that heavy, but the center of gravity is relatively high and makes it feel much heavier at low speeds. At higher speeds it's a really stable bike. :-D

[pendraig]

Hi Easy; I was away when you first came aboard, but I send my belated welcome. Ditto to what everyone else has said about your machine. Take the caveat about low speed handling seriously, especially anyplace you're in a sand or gravel parking area. Other than that, these are happy machines with over-strong engines, they go like h311 and handle quite well at the speeds that really matter.

[vik]

Hello from him too, also new here. Don't know how Tridents and Sprints compare but judging by today's standards these are indeed heavy motorcycles. But they are built like a brick , dropped mine twice seriously already and apart from some cosmetics no real damage (I was OK too, thank you).

I bought it at 32K Km and problems so far:

- leaking fork seals (soon after I bought it, I think the previous owner had left it standing for too long)
- replaced the ignition pick-up diode at 38K km

Now the rear brake stoplight swith still doesn't work (I don't think it ever has since I bought it) and finding neutral becomes difficult when the engine is warmed up and the neutral light then doesn't want to come on, so to be on the safe side I always start her with the clutch lever pulled in, which contrary to newer Sprints, is normally not necessary for starting.

Conclusion : the mechancis can be bulletproof but the electrics sure are not.

Also soon as I bought it I had to change the brakepads as they were hopeless, there was nothing in between stopping and going, so zero feedback (which I think is the main cause of my two spills). I don't think I ever experienced brakes like that before. With the new pads everything is as I think it should be and the front wheel no longer locks up instantly like it used to. It did even when I was simply pushing the bike in and out of the garage.

Options :

- Givi DS windshield
- Givi Wingrack with Triumph Cases (rebadged Givi's) and Givi
big topcase
- Laser Pro D'or stainless steel silencer on three into 1 pipes (a lot louder than the original setup)
- Triumph 'Voice' alarm (hilarious and thus always good for a laugh on runs) :razz: