[JohnRimmer]

i think winter boredom is taking a toll but I have been thinking about adding a 3rd Trumpet. I have a 2005 Tiger for touring duties and a '95 Tbird which I've owned for 11 years.The Tbird will stay with me forever and I've modified it to suit my riding - lower handlebars,Hagon suspension and fork springs,6 pot front caliper and upgraded master cylinder,drestricted carb rubbers and plenty of Triumph accessories. The bike looks well and goes well. I would like more performance and have been looking for a 2nd hand S3 but haven't found the right one (yet). The S3 is the Triumph I've had the most fun on,although I prefer the looks of the classic. So there is a 1998 TBS (red with 2 exhausts on one side which I've always liked) for sale locallly,only 7000 miles for £2750. My question is will the slight improvement in performance be worth having as well as keeping my Tbird(which has 35000 miles and still goes like new) ? My other alternative is to keep the Tiger a bit longer and then trade in for a 1050 next. What do you think ?

 

[meanchuck]

You should buy my bike! A little more classic than other S3's and a heck of a lot more performance than a TBS.

Mods include-

Engine- head ported, polished and decked, Super III cams stage 3 jet kit, K&N filter and Staintune 3 into 2 full system with carbon fiber race cans, carbon fiber side cases (not covers these are the real deal) 109.6 rear wheel horsepower

Transmission- upgraded to six speed

Suspension- racetech fork springs and gold valves WP fully adjustable (including height) rear shock

Body- carbon fiber front and rear hugger fenders, carbon fiber tank guard, Corbin seat with custom upholstery( carbon fiber look and patent leather look vinyl)

Other mods- Helibar handlebars, billet aluminium rear sets, union jack reservoir caps, diamond cut headlight, mini clear turn signals. T300 Daytona gauges in a T509 gauge pod with a T509 flyscreen

This bike is in exelent shape and has gotten a trophy at every show I entered it in. It is not perfect but it is one of the nicer ones out there. I have all the stock side cases to the bike and will be included. The bike is due for tires and a rear rotor and pads. 19,000 miles.
Make me an offer, all offers will be considered, I can email you all the pics you want

more pics here
http://www.putfile.com/meanchuck/images

[ This message was edited by: meanchuck on 2007-02-05 13:11 ]

 

[Wombat]

John,
I doubt that a TBS would give a great deal of performance increase over your bike as it stands.
You will of course get the twin front brakes and adjustable suspension, but the motors are basically the same.

 

[Rincewind]

I would go with a used Speed Triple or Speed Four.

Or, like you suggested, I'd trade in the 955i Tiger for a 1050.

To me a TB and TBS together would be too redundant and, like Wombat said, I don't think the engine performance would differ all that much.

 

[TBSstunta]

People collect all manner of bikes so if you are really taken with the Thunderbirds I think having a TBS would be cool as well. Not to mention it means you could do a really cool cafe racer for you because your Tbird is relatively stock.

 

[MickMaguire]

I think that once you ride the TBS you will find the Tbird lacking in the suspension and braking department, but the bikes will seem too similar to make you enjoy the difference.

I would get the 1050, and perhaps trade the Tbird for the TBS

 

[JohnRimmer]

I'm tending to agree that performance wise the difference may not be sufficient.I'm also looking at Wilcox Engineering cams with off-road exhausts apparently gives 102bhp which should make a big difference,if I can find the exhausts. Of course this adds substantially to cost but I always enjoyed throwing money at my Tbird ! The black S3 is certainly very nice but is in Pennsylvania ! Plus I've already discovered that it is not possible to add a non-stock bike to my Carole Nash mutibike insurance policy that I've just renewed. I've been looking for an S3 for a couple of months and haven't found the right one. The thing with bikes is that the look and feel is important to me. I'm also thinking that I can't lose much with a TBS as they are quite rare and I could never bring myself to sell my Tbird which I've owned for 11 years and made my own. A TBS would reduce the mileage on my Tbird which is at 35000 but the bike gives the impression it will go forever as I've looked after her properly. So dunno,I might contact the TBS seller and have a ponder. The Tiger is for touring and I'm looking for a Sunday ride with my mates who have a Monster and Tuono (both ex S3 owners and ride quite quickly). Common sense says no to the TBS but if I feel tempted I'm quite capable of an impulse buy. I remember the TBS was launched after I bought my Tbird and I thought 'that looks nice'. Still kept the Tbird anyway.

 

[meanchuck]

I knew you were from across the pond but I thought I'd try anyway. I understand the what you mean by the look and feel, it's what all my bike purchaces have been based on.

 

[Wombat]

On 2007-02-06 11:44, JohnRimmer wrote:
Common sense says no to the TBS

What!? Are you going all sensible on us?
If Common Sense had anything to do with it, we probably should all drive a cage.

 

[JohnRimmer]

Correct Wombat , common sense is often out of the window. Of the 5 Hinckleys I've owned 3 of them were impulse buys because they looked right. I tried common sense when we did a lap of the Nurburgring. I was on my Daytona Centennial and said to myself as I queued at the barrier 'now just be sensible'. The thought lasted 'til 2nd gear and that was the end of comon sense. I reached the first chicane bend at far too quick a pace,braked and block shifted,locked the back from 120 and just slowed down enough to make the bend. Then I remembered common sense. It's what doesn't make us bikers I guess. I'm waiting for a call from the TBS owner. Latest thought is leave my Tbird off the road this year,run the TBS and Tiger and wait for about 18 months for Tiger to include some accessories in list price and then trade them both against a 1050 Tiger in 2008/2009. Sounds like a cunning plan,so all I need to do is convince the wife (piece of cake) and see what transpires. I always felt the garage needed 3 bikes.

 

[TBSstunta]

On 2007-02-06 13:12, JohnRimmer wrote:
I always felt the garage needed 3 bikes.

Well they are triples after all. :-D