Triumphrat

bmwe30is · 11-03-2008, 12:55 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm a noobie Triumph addict, I've been haunting the forums for the last 12 hours looking up info on the TT600.

I've spotted one on Craigslist nearby, it's an '01 asking $2900 (obo), with 6xxx on the clock, 2nd owner, and all maintenance records.

It's supposed to be in great shape and I'm checking it out after work tomorrow.

What's your take? Anything to really look out for? After searching for hours last night, I came up with the only real problem areas of the IAC and thermostat.

I'm a big DIY car guy, so I can find my way around bikes, lay it on me! I'm a transplant owner from tooling around with a late 80's carburated Ninja 600, and definitely not afraid of scraping some knuckles and getting dirty!

If the bike is in the great condition it's supposed to be in (and maybe the 6000 mile service has been done??), what would be a fair offer in your eyes? I originally wanted a Honda CBR F4i, but prices are just too inflated (averaging around $4k for a clean used F4i), and I think the TT600 would be a great alternative.

The cold is starting to roll in so I think it's a good time to buy. And I'm pretty sure I'll put money down tomorrow if everything is as I expect.

Hope to see you around!

- Jonathan

GNTurbo6 · 11-03-2008, 01:48 AM

I was kind of in your position when I purchased my TT600. I paid a little more for a 2000 with about twice as many miles but I guess the time of the season had a lot to do with it. I haven't found anything to be terribly difficult to work on, but then again I haven't opened up the engine. Mine has been super reliable, but just remember if/when something breaks, or in my case, when you break ****, it can be a bit pricey to get replacement parts. I'd say offer something like $2500 and see where it goes from there.

bmwe30is · 11-03-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GNTurbo6

I was kind of in your position when I purchased my TT600. I paid a little more for a 2000 with about twice as many miles but I guess the time of the season had a lot to do with it. I haven't found anything to be terribly difficult to work on, but then again I haven't opened up the engine. Mine has been super reliable, but just remember if/when something breaks, or in my case, when you break ****, it can be a bit pricey to get replacement parts. I'd say offer something like $2500 and see where it goes from there.

Yeah.. I don't think I'll be modding the bike a whole lot. I think it'll be a great bike to ride to/from work a short distance every day, ~5 miles one way.

But I was skimming the parts compatibility list last night and it seems all the consumables aren't terrible expensive, like oil/fuel filters, spark plugs, etc...

swassermann · 11-03-2008, 03:58 PM

Sounds like a good price...the few I've seen for sale are in the $4k range. I paid $650 (theft recovery, minimal damage) for my '00 two years ago and have loved (almost) every minute of it! It's a much more capable bike than I am a rider, but I'm really enjoying the learning process

.

Mine is very picky about the battery, if it's low or old it can be a pain a start. It will eat cheap batteries for lunch, spend the dough for a quality battery when the time comes.

Parts can be pricey and difficult to locate, even on ebay.

So far, other than normal maintenance, I've replaced dry rotted hoses to the IAC valve, the speedo sensor (ebay), and had the left tank on the radiator replaced because it had corroded thru and was allowing air to enter the cooling system (with no external signs of leakage). I've also replaced the t-stat and rad. cap while troubleshooting the cooling system trouble caused by the radiator leak-they were probably fine, I just reached that head-scratching, parts replacing stage of frustration!

At that price you shouldn't lose money on it (should you hate it) if it runs, but be aware body panels are VERY expensive...that's my mine aren't the prettiest!
I look forward to riding mine every chance I get (usually daily

) and have done 400mi days on it with no unusual discomfort.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I were in the market (and $2900 would certainly get my attention!).

Good luck!!

Scott

themaster · 11-03-2008, 04:08 PM

The only other weak spot seems to be the charging system (which has been discussed at length on the stickies). The R/R fries the stator and neither is especially cheap, though there are aftermarket products.

So check the battery voltage is proper (engine off approx 12v, engine running approx 14v, but I'm sure you know that

)

bmwe30is · 11-03-2008, 04:36 PM

Sounds like everything I wanted to hear..

Thanks for the input (and more is always welcome)!!!

Unfortunately, the seller won't be able to show me the bike today (forecast for rain) and he was going to ride the bike to the office, so we're scheduled for tomorrow.

I just rang up my insurance company and it'll only be $24 a month for full coverage

I'm getting super excited... I'll be eating instant-noodles for the next 2 weeks though :rofl

superstew8 · 11-04-2008, 03:43 AM

bah 288 a year for bike insurance is a little pricey.. if i had no tickets on my record (3 within the past 5 years that are showing) my insurance from geico would be $103 a year (and i'm 22 years old) but with a couple tickets i think i'm paying about $189 a year..
one thing to be sure to do is always put top grade fuel into it.. i think thats what messed up my bike a little not putting the highest grade fuel in.. be sure to check and see if the battery is in good shape.. i bought mine and about a week later the battery went out, cost 80 bucks for a new one... and now my new one gets drained a little quicker then i thought it would..
GL with the bike hope its the blue one!

BombFactory · 11-04-2008, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superstew8

one thing to be sure to do is always put top grade fuel into it.. i think thats what messed up my bike a little not putting the highest grade fuel in.. be sure to check and see if the battery is in good shape.. i bought mine and about a week later the battery went out, cost 80 bucks for a new one... and now my new one gets drained a little quicker then i thought it would..

You don't need to run 'top grade' fuel in the TT600; they run just fine on 87 octane pump gas and it will not harm anything. Buying old stale fuel from a random no-name station is another thing however, as they tend to buy older gas and it sets a lot longer than the larger chains—87 and 91 octane alike.

As for the battery: if a battery is being drained faster than a typical battery there is something wrong--that’s not a normal TT600 trait. TT600's commonly don't drain the battery, but there are cases of this every now and then which are most likely/usually due to a bad battery/low acid level, bad electrical connections, a grounded wire, malfunctioning/grounded out rectifier, or malfunctioning/grounded out stator. If none of those apply, the charging system works as well as the next.

The speedometer sensor magnets crack or deteriorate about every four years, so expect to buy a $190 sensor when that happens (easy swap).

I've never heard of any issues with the thermostat per se. There have been problems with water getting in the temp sending unit connector which gives random readings, but nothing to do with the thermostat or that isn't solved with compressed air. Some people experience overheating after coolant changes, but this is usually due to air bubbles not being burped out before running the engine.

For a bike that you describe, I think $2900 is a great deal and personally would not try to bargain lower for fear of insulting the owner or ripping them off. The TT00 is a great machine that is durable and reliable when maintained and to see a nice one with only 6k miles and documented maintenance go for less than $3,000 is something to jump on.

Kinc · 11-04-2008, 06:24 AM

Well I've owned mine for 3 years now, do about 3k miles a year, 12k on the clock now, had to replace the battery when I got and not touched it since, service it every year (not had valve clearance service yet, very expensive) so no hesitation recommending it.

I did have a low side once cost me a new oil pressure switch and brake pedal plus respray and decals, but as that was my fault it doesn't count.

You rarely see on any bike forum like this someone saying no problems, after all it's where we come to solve our problems.

Good luck and I hope you get the bike.

bmwe30is · 11-04-2008, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superstew8

bah 288 a year for bike insurance is a little pricey.. if i had no tickets on my record (3 within the past 5 years that are showing) my insurance from geico would be $103 a year (and i'm 22 years old) but with a couple tickets i think i'm paying about $189 a year..
one thing to be sure to do is always put top grade fuel into it.. i think thats what messed up my bike a little not putting the highest grade fuel in.. be sure to check and see if the battery is in good shape.. i bought mine and about a week later the battery went out, cost 80 bucks for a new one... and now my new one gets drained a little quicker then i thought it would..
GL with the bike hope its the blue one!

I'm not too worried over the insurance, I'm just glad it isn't more expensive... I believe the quotes I received for the other super sports I was interested in were between $30 - $45 a month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BombFactory

You don't need to run 'top grade' fuel in the TT600; they run just fine on 87 octane pump gas and it will not harm anything. Buying old stale fuel from a random no-name station is another thing however, as they tend to buy older gas and it sets a lot longer than the larger chains—87 and 91 octane alike.

As for the battery: if a battery is being drained faster than a typical battery there is something wrong--that’s not a normal TT600 trait. TT600's commonly don't drain the battery, but there are cases of this every now and then which are most likely/usually due to a bad battery/low acid level, bad electrical connections, a grounded wire, malfunctioning/grounded out rectifier, or malfunctioning/grounded out stator. If none of those apply, the charging system works as well as the next.

The speedometer sensor magnets crack or deteriorate about every four years, so expect to buy a $190 sensor when that happens (easy swap).

I've never heard of any issues with the thermostat per se. There have been problems with water getting in the temp sending unit connector which gives random readings, but nothing to do with the thermostat or that isn't solved with compressed air. Some people experience overheating after coolant changes, but this is usually due to air bubbles not being burped out before running the engine.

For a bike that you describe, I think $2900 is a great deal and personally would not try to bargain lower for fear of insulting the owner or ripping them off. The TT00 is a great machine that is durable and reliable when maintained and to see a nice one with only 6k miles and documented maintenance go for less than $3,000 is something to jump on.

Thanks for the advice BF. I hope to see you around, I'm local in Santa Clara/San Jose

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kinc

Well I've owned mine for 3 years now, do about 3k miles a year, 12k on the clock now, had to replace the battery when I got and not touched it since, service it every year (not had valve clearance service yet, very expensive) so no hesitation recommending it.

I did have a low side once cost me a new oil pressure switch and brake pedal plus respray and decals, but as that was my fault it doesn't count.

You rarely see on any bike forum like this someone saying no problems, after all it's where we come to solve our problems.

Good luck and I hope you get the bike.

Thanks Kinc! I can't wait..