Triumphrat

porsche996 · 04-01-2004, 03:13 PM

Hey there. I'm obviously a new member around here, and wanted to ask a quick question. I'm looking at a 1996 Trophy 900 that the dealer is asking $3800 for. It's in mint condition, with less than 14,000 miles on it. Basically, it's in a small town in the middle of nowhere, with the nearest Triumph dealer over 100 miles away. I'm not from there, so that's not a concern of mine. anyways, he told me he's pricing it so low because nobody in the town will buy a bike when there's no dealer around to get parts, etc. I trust the dealer, as he's a friend of mine, and wouldn't bend me over.

So, is this a fair price for this bike, in excellent condition?

Trophy4 · 04-01-2004, 03:32 PM

Sounds like a steal to me. To find comparable bikes, do a search on Cycletrader.com and also check the Blue Book price at kbb.com. If the bike is truly in excellent condition, you won't need a dealer too often! My '96 1200 goes into a dealer for major service intervals only. Minor service intervals consists of oil & filter change, and topping off the coolant.

Just look for the usual signs of abuse before buying. If you can get the serial number (last 6 digits), any reputable dealer can check their database to see if any recalls have been issued against that bike that you might need to research further to make sure the work was done. (My '96 has been practically flawless!)

porsche996 · 04-01-2004, 05:36 PM

Hey, thanks. Yeah, I checked KBB & cycle trader, but thought those #'s were a bit high for the bike. But I don't know too much about Triumphs, so my opinion didn't really mean too much to me!!

Thanks.

trophyrider00 · 04-01-2004, 10:52 PM

Sounds like a pretty good deal. My dealer is about 100 miles from me and I only take mine down for major service, never had a bit of trouble with it otherwise.

permalink · 04-01-2004, 11:38 PM

Sounds like a decent price. I just paid $3300 in a private sale (he was asking $3500) for my '96 900. It's got 18k miles and some evidence of having been dropped and or mishandled. The P.O. had bought it from a used bike dealer a year previous and had only had his license for a year, so the bike's history is unknown/suspect. I'm willing to do most work myself so, for the price, I'm not too concerned about service. Plus there is a Triumph shop nearby and a couple well-regarded shops within an hour of me. So I'm pretty well covered.
$3800 at a dealer sounds pretty good, but it also sounds like you're on your own when it comes to service. If you're willing to take the risk and/or do your own servicing, go for it.
Otherwise, buy a Kawasaki Concours. They're similarly spec'd, priced and parts and service is all over.

Neil

porsche996 · 04-02-2004, 12:30 PM

Actually, I'm not from the town where I'm buying the bike. The city I live in has a Triumph dealer. But that's not a major concern, as there's nothing that could break that I can't fix myself.

but thanks for all the info.