[wally509]

I realize there may be hundreds of Speed Triples out in CA or FL with over 100K miles on them because you can ride most of the year but...I finally rolled over my '97 T509 this weekend.

I purchased the bike back in '99 with about 4K on it.

The engine, trans, clutch, etc are as they left the factory save for normal service items and the water pump. I do minor stuff like oil changes and chains but all the major service handled by Todd Ligman at Team Triumph, Janesville Wisconsin. He is the master.

It runs and rides great, leaks some oil but burns very little (I might have to add 1/2 liter every 3-4 thousand miles).

I could ride this motorcycle every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it

Later,
Wally

 

[DEcosse]

Congratulations Wally - to you both!!!

Looks like you got brand new bike!

 

[ArmyVet]

Awesome!

 

[FoothillRyder]

Congrats on the milestone lad!

 

[mnhoulden]

Excellent work Wally!

 

[AaronB]

Send a letter to Triumph. Maybe, you'll get a free shirt!! Congrats.

 

[blue350zed]

Cool stuff!

 

[Moogs]

I now have a new goal.

 

[irena]

Well done

 

[DeanRider]

Congrats, but where are the other pics of your great bike?

 

[wally509]

Looks like you got brand new bike!

It's more like "wow, that thing is really trashed for only having 112 miles on it..."

DEcosse, I plugged Todd but also need to thank you for helping the bike make it there. You helped me troubleshoot some minor electrical gremlins over the years...so thanks!

Here's a picture of the bike. It's lucifer orange '97 (obviously), mostly stock except for the later stock exhaust, corbin seat and powdercoated wheels (they were originally black in '97). Oh yeah and the "Orange County Triumph" license plate frame. My friend, who's a Buell guy, bought that for me way back when Curtis Adams beat Shawn Higbee for the AMA Pro Thunder championship.

 

[Silver Jubilee]

Wally,

That is a milestone, so after 96K miles of ownership what are your thoughts on build quality service life etc. What had had to be replaced, what has lasted better than you would have imagined.

I hope my Exploder lasts as long

Andrew

 

[DeanRider]

Lekker SIII Wally. Many thanks for posting.

I thought I'd post your pics up bold n' brassy for you!

 

[wally509]

Wally,

That is a milestone, so after 96K miles of ownership what are your thoughts on build quality service life etc. What had had to be replaced, what has lasted better than you would have imagined.

I hope my Exploder lasts as long

Andrew

It has lasted better and been more reliable that I could have hoped for. I have only been stuck once on it back when it still had the plastic fuel fittings, one cracked and soaked my leg in gasoline and it had to be towed. Like I said in my original post, the only thing that was replaced was the water pump and that may have been my fault because I used automotive coolant and then it failed shortly after that. I would not hesitate to get on it and leave for a multi-thousand mile trip tomorrow. I think the best feature of these is the car style alternator (which of course they went away from), all my freinds that have had to abandon bikes or rent trucks to get home have been because of rotor, stator or regulator rectifier failures.

Even the paint is still in great shape, the only cosmetic blems are the fuel stained frame and then scrapes caused by me wiping out (three times plus another dump a freind provided it).

I guess one thing to qualify all this is that I don't beat on it...well except for the six or eight track days it has on it before I bought the Daytona. Or things like riding through the remnants of hurricane Rita 6-8 hours of blinding, soaking rain...or riding through 8-10 inch deep standing water for extended distances in the West Virginia mountains. Uhhh, I guess I've ridden this thing through a lot of sh-t.

It is also pretty well maintained.

Wally

 

[Twisty King]

Wow! That's one heck of a feat. Makes me wonder why I was hesitant on buying an S3 with 50K on it.