Triumph Motorcycles

Who's got them and how are they as a daily driver? My cousin has an old one and I swear he spends 45 minutes at a minimum fixing it every time he wants to ride it. I came across this one recently and it looks really sharp:

It's a 2003 with very low miles and looks incredible! So, what's the good/bad/ugly on the newer Triumph bikes?

 

That Rocket III is insane! I've heard great things about their inline 3 cylinder engines but don't know much about the inline twins. They used to be a maintenance nightmare and you had to plan ahead to ride them (they typically took a while to get running). I'm assuming they're worked the bugs out but I don't see many on the road anymore.

I'd be coming off a Suzuki Katana, after doing a demo ride on a Victory, I'm pretty sure I want a cruiser

(Plus I want a cruiser that's not a Harley, I love the look but think they're WAY overpriced for what you get.)

 

That's comforting, my cousin's was/is a PITA to work on and now we can't get it to run right at all (it idles on one cylinder and runs on the other). This one's a 2003 with under 4,000 miles on it, I think I'll have to go for a test ride this weekend.

Thanks Mike, enjoy the riding season!

 

If I could afford a Victory, I'd do it in a heartbeat! I actually didn't like the Hammer, it was very uncomfortable for me. I was very partial to the Vegas 8-Ball though. Smooth, low, long and powerful, great combination! That's what I want when I grow up

 

is an '05 with 27,000 miles on the clock. The triple motor is as bullet proof as any of the Jap brands. Only problems I've had with her is the regular/rectifier burning up. Bad placement with an old design. Easy fix was to upgrade to a MOSFET style model (from a Jap brand LOL). Besides that, it has provided my wife and I with thousands trouble free miles.
Another plus is there is a huge Triumph following (like here) and you can find what ever you need over at TriumphRat.net.
Good Luck you wont be disappointed.

 

Thanks man, that's a nice looking bike! I laughed my ass off at your sig

"Japanese bikes are like bikini models, hot and often loaded with aftermarket parts, but nothing you'd want to go the distance with."

Mostly because mine is red, shiney and loaded with aftermarket parts

 

No Triumph afterall (at least not that one)... Was listed for less than a day, called to make an appointment to go see it tomorrow and already sold

 

plenty of bikes out there for you. I drove 3 hours to get my Triumph and almost 10 to get my Aprilia. Its all what you really want.
Most of the Triumph dealers have demo bikes for test rides. Try some out, the America you were looking at is a big paralell twin, try some triples too see which one speaks to you. Keep in mind these bikes have a character far different from what you might be used to.

 

The new twins are great, I had an 05 Bonneville black, put over 10k miles on it before I wrecked. I'd buy another but I have two other bikes (69 trident and a 59 panhead chop) and my girlfriend said I better buy a ring before I buy another bike! The Bonneville Americas and Speedmasters are both great bikes and they all have the same motor. 790 or 865cc.

You should have no problem finding a used one in great condition for less then $6k

 

I spent a few hours last Saturday sitting on a bunch of bikes, seeing what was comfortable and what wasn't. I didn't get to sit on a Triumph but there were about 15 others I got to try out. It was surprising what was comfortable.

Thanks for the input! I'll keep my eye out for another one but they don't seem to pop up too often (at least out here).

 

An 06 Sprint ST here. Close to 4 years with it now, although I dont ride it as much with other bikes in the garage.

LOVE the triple. The parallel twins are solid engines, I wouldnt worry too much.

FWIW, the America from a few years ago is pretty close to the current one. The engines have gone up in size (from 790 to 865cc), and new ones have FI, but they are both fun bikes.

You may also find a Thunderbird from the late 90s in your searching - this was a ~900cc triple that made a bit more power, and has a classic look that is just a little sporty, without going to the Thruxton Cafe Racer bike.

 

I have a 07 675 and absolutely love it, none of the 4 jap companies can compare to handling. It has a wonderful combination of torque and hp, i have mine putting 111 to the wheel and weighing in at a whopping 380 lbs wet

 

Triumphx, I see you went away from the undertail exhaust on your 675. Were you getting tired of the heat? The GP style side pipe looks nice, did it take much work to fabricate it away from the swing arm. I have had temping moments of trading my Ape for the 675R, the white over black with red frame looks so sweet. Plus all the Ohlins upgrades, and carbon fiber tid-bits. Talk about a value packed supersport.

 

Back in the early 70's a guy I rode with had a Truimph Bonneville. He was nice enough to let me try it out one night. One I got on it I realized it had rev foot controls. Almost killed myself just going easy up to the first stop sign. Told him I had enough and jumped off it and said take your ass backwards bike and stay way from me hehehehehehe. He just laughed and told me I did better than him cause he dumped it the first 10 min. He as on it. Haven't ridden one since then.
There are a few of the more classic looking ones around here and the riders seem to have a great time with them.

 

Ya the heat was pretty bad but the main reason was that the exhaust mounts to the subframe and would burn the shit outta my leg w/ shorts. It actually is a prototype made by triumph race support in the uk. They made 1 and decided not to manufacture them due to not enough demand. Its titanium w/ a carbon can and weighs 7 lbs header and all. In all honestly non biased since i have owned numerous bikes the 675 is hands down the best middleweight out there with great torque, hp and handling

 

Those are some impressive specs!

Nice looking bike! I'm finally getting away from sport bikes and going for a cruiser though.

 

If I loved mine any more, my wife would probably cut my d*ck off and throw it out of a moving vehicle.