Classic Triumph Motorcycle Recommission & Ride - Trident T160 - Part 8 

I had one of these back in the late 70s, I think it was the best bike I’ve ever owned, the sound, the handling, the looks - just fabulous!

There is something really satisfying in watching a craftsman at work, doing a project correctly and seeing it through. Great series of videos. Thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Loving that BSA scrambler.

Tridents do sound lovely

I should put my T160 back together. Bought brand new in Feb '77 for $1895 in OKC. Drove it back to where I was stationed in Beaufort S.C. and all over the East coast for my last 2 years in the Corps. Then back to OK, out to Tucson and back. Never let me down. Kind of wore it out. One of my daily drivers now is a '72 T100R. No Trident, but I do love the old Triumphs. Acquired it 30 years ago. Always gets the looks :-)

I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about part 8 and we'd be stuck for evermore with a stripped bolt and a feeling of anticipation!

These are some of the best videos on RU-vid. Please keep posting more of Dave's project's. Thank you

I have a 73 and a 74 ...these videos have stirred up some motivation to give them some attention . One is in parts and the other has set a loooong time thanks and regards

I’ve always loved the T160....I went to buy one in 1980 but it wouldn’t start, Guy in the shop said come back at the weekend and we’ll have it running, I rode 10 miles and stopped at a kawasaki showroom and ended up buying a z650. I now wish I’d gone back for the trident as I would have never sold it, having said that how much trouble would I have had with it where’s I had no problems at all with the z650. If I could afford one I’d have a 160 now

One of my friends had a Triple, looked very much like this one. I remember him installing an electronic ignition on it. Brought back some found memories of my high school days. I enjoy your explanations and the detail in the fitting and fussing over these old bikes. Keep them coming! Cheers!

I love that triple sound, and the Norton mufflers brought back the memory of my 850 Commando. The T160 is a beautiful bike and I'm glad it fell into the right hands. I could find a spot in the garage for this one!

He is not charging enough..He is an honest geezer who is spot on with his work..£1100 ? I would pay double that...There are not enough blokes out there like him...God Bless ya mate..

Back in the late 70s and early 80s I was a mechanic for a Triumph/Norton/BMW/Moto Guzzi dealer. I did mostly British work and I built many T150s and T160s. To those of you who have experience with other classic bikes you owe it to yourself to sample a Trident or Rocket Three. There is really nothing like them. The three cylinder makes for a silky smooth ride. Since they are overhead valve and not overhead cam they carry their weight down low. This makes handling a dream. The engine will rev but it doesn't have to. It makes power and torque right off idle. They are heavy and thirsty but are oh such a sweet ride.

Excellent series, many thanks. I've PM'ed you.

11:28 Sudden flashback to the movie Lawrence of Arabia just before his untimely demise in a country lane. Excellent channel, I love to watch your work and commentary as well as feasting my eyes on all those wonderful bikes.

“I’m glad I’ve finished this one” translation ...... I’m glad to see the back of this bloody thing it’s been a thorn in my side off the road 8 bloody years turning into 18 ....

I watched all 8 videos in one day.Great videos as always.I used to own a 72 Rocket Three and a 70 A 50 Royal Star and I miss both.I would love to own that A 10,it is a wicked bike,or the DB34 600. I really like your attention to detail.

Good to see this bike back on the road. I think the Trident with the standard Triumph tank and mufflers (not Flash Gordon) is one of the best-looking bikes: a great mix of classic old and new, and a credit to your skills.

When the first Trident T150 (the dark green and black tank model) hit NZ's shores I went straight-in for a test ride on the importer's demonstrator. Being used to 650 sports bikes the likes of the Bonneville, the Norton 650SS, and the BSA Firebird, I was surprised how much taller and 'heavier' the Trident was, and it nearly caught me out on WOT with the rear wheel trying to swap ends with the front and this on just a slightly dampish level and straight tar-sealed surface. Cutting the power the bike stopped this fairly quickly enough, leaving my BP slightly elevated at the thought of nearly losing it like that. It seemed to me the frame, the wheelbase, was not long enough for the amount of power being delivered, which was linear, no peaks, but substantially MORE than any 650 I had ever been used to. The Dominator 650SS seemed to be 'safer' to ride in any manner you wished and had no really nasty surprises. The thing was that the Trident behaved like that on a level straight piece of tar-seal at only about 45mph hard accelerating. I decided I liked smaller nimble sure-footed road bikes like the Ducati 450 Desmo, one of my all time favourites for handling, that could safely be thrown around corners WOT or not, dampish or bone dry, and NOT deliver surprises. Another of my bikes that needed to be handled very carefully was the Guzzi V7 which would do something similar to the Trident (but take about twice as long to correct) on the slightest bit of dust or sand on a dry tar-sealed surface, leaving you, power off, struggling to keep the bike upright and heading in one direction under some vestige of control for as long as the unwanted 'rear wheel on a castor' antics lasted. And you didn't have to be riding either very hard or very fast for that to happen. Oddly enough heavy long wheelbase earlier mid-1950's bikes such as the M/G3LS didn't seen to display handling vices like this and could even be ridden along at speed safely enough on rutted metal, dusty stony roads with no surprises. Perhaps it is also something to do with torque delivery. The fewer the cylinders the safer the bike on less than perfect surfaces?

Well done Dave, numerous problems but nothing that your expertise couldn't handle.

i just love these recommission videos, please keep making them, i enjoy having a coffee in the morning and watching . i learn alot of great tips too. pay attention when the old timmers teach.

I've so enjoyed the whole series, it's nice to see the old lady back on the road and to achieve that with 'only' £1100 in parts is a great result. I'm already looking forward to the next series, whatever it is! Thanks.

This is a beautiful bike. The size, lines and proportions are in my eyes are very pleasing. I’m pleased you have this lovely bike back in running order. Bikes like this deserve to be ridden. What you have shown though is that getting these things running requires a great deal of skill, knowledge and experience. I was amazed at how cheap the parts were. At the same time I notice you didn’t mention labour which should have been many thousands.

Invaluable and profoundly enlightening Mr. David video series! If it had to solve problems similar to Triple's front and rear brakes, it would have an AV.C. That's why people are choosing Twins from the 50s and 60s so they don't have to deal with those surprise boxes and electronic circuits that leave you in the middle of the road without the slightest warning. Long live the English twins. Every video a renewed pleasure! Much obliged!

Very enjoyable vids and great bike. When I heard my first Trident in the 70's I knew it was the engine type for me. Go Triumph triples 👍

Nice one, Dave. Good to see the bike running. We enjoy the vids, Thank you.

Thanks again Dave for taking the time to put this all together. I was also panicking about episode 8, I need my weekly fix. Keep up the good work.

I have my current Trident since 1978 and owned 2 before that, so I feel your pain 😎

Thanks Dave. Very enjoyable. T160 is definitely on my list of Bikes to Own Before I Die.

Dave you made a nice job of that. A very enjoyable series. Many thanks👍🇬🇧

I had the same model, same colour, back in 1977, my main problem was the head gasket blowing on the left had side every 2-3 weeks, oily jeans over my shines... I was going to get the heads resurfaced as I believed this was the problem, but ended up selling it before I did this. fond fond memories watching your vlog, many thanks.

So where has Dave been hiding. I really enjoy his videos?.

That bike is beautiful.Absolutely gorgeous.Love the gold wheels.Enjoy.

Great series!!

Excellent videos, I've really enjoyed watching them. I visited your channel initially to watch your video on the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Meteor which I really enjoyed. Ive found all of your videos relaxing to watch and very informative. I have no mechanical knowledge but they've brought back some memories for me. I'm in my early 60s now and growing up in the 1960s, i was a regular visitor with my dad to a British bike dealers close to where we lived and can recall the bikes in the showroom as well as the section of the shop where the parts were sold. Listening to people discussing the parts they needed and hearing tips on repairs, etc was like listening to a foreign language

Thanks for posting. Your videos are like therapy. So relaxing. You are like the Edd China of vintage bikes. Who does the voice over at the beginning?

I owned a T160V in the early 1980's, the side stand on my bike broke off too. I had the stand welded back on by a mechanic at my place of work, he welded the stand at the wrong angle too. The bike leaned over a lot more that it did, I normally parked it on the centre stand, if I used the side stand I stood it on the kerb. The Trident was a great machine to own and ride, you don't feel it's weight on the move, fuel consumption was 35 mpg. Mine had a Norman Hyde 850cc (actually 871cc) big bore kit installed by the first owner, it was good for 135 mph in favourable conditions.

nice to watch again!

It's the best sounding engine - ever! (despite the dropping a cyclinder at the end of the test ride!) Loved the series .. :)

I totally wish I lived close to you!

Thanks Dave. Great series. Please keep them coming.

Thanks Dave, really enjoyed the build, looking forward to the next one. I think I'll stick with my twin.

Nice one, Dave. Thanks.

Enjoyable project thanks 👍

Crystalized brake fluid?! Wow, that bike came from an archeological dig, no doubt. ;-) I really appreciate that you guys include the ups & downs, fits & starts, that are a part of wrenching, especially on older bikes ... all done without a curse word to be heard. Must be edited out. :-)

Great video series -thanks Looking forward to the next series already 😀

Thanks for posting. Enjoyed every episode. Hope more is on the way.

A fine job indeed fella!! from start to finish its been a series to savour, everything about a trident is classy ,,except those handlebars !thankyou for posting all this priceless viewing tho dave,, loved it ,!!

Great learning and entertainment here... Thanks

I've had very good luck with carb syncing measuring exhaust temperatures.

Dave great video series 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 easy to watch , your commentary is straight forward and very informative. Looking forward to the next project. Cheers Chris 👌🏻🏁🍻

It looks great! really impressed.

Turned out a right treat .

Thanks for this final video on this rebuild. Looks and sounds very good but I think it confirms that these bike need to be used regularly otherwise they can be a lot of work , as you have found. Cheers, 🏍👍🇨🇦

Great work, as always. Well done on achieving such a good result👍

bellissimo risultato grande dave

Hi Dave, great job as usual,with tank sealers, modern fuel has a habit of breaking down the lining over time, try evaporust or metal rescue,they’re both water based rust remover,just clean out the tank & make sure it’s clear of any petrol, fill it to the top with either product & leave it in a warm room for 4 to 6 hours, then check to see how it’s going,but 24 to 48 hours & all the rust should be gone, just slosh some distilled water around the tank & that prevents flash rusting,you can reuse evaporust a number of times til it turns black, I did this to my kettle that I restored a few years back & the rust still has not come back ,the reason I don’t like tank liners, is because watching a z900 being restored on Johnny’s vintage cycles as his mechanic was cleaning the tank out , the liner started to come out in large lumps,

After all that work getting it to run and look the business, I really hope the owner regularly uses this machine so it does not develop a case of "sit-itis" in which things start to glooge up again. This bike needs to be ridden and enjoyed as much as possible for as long as possible. For me, this is one of the bikes that got away in my lifetime so I hope it lives a long happy life on the road and not in the back of someone's garage or shed.

Love them Tridents , well done for saving another one , things don't always go as expected , hope you get that clock sorted and tell us all what was wrong , loving your rebuilds .

btilliant job, very good result, nice bike

Superb job Dave. Really enjoy your explanation on the Machines. 👍

The bike looks great Looking forward to the next project Nick Australia

Dave. Good to see you back with the last video of this series. Hope your next re-commission is simpler than this one 👍

Great to see the final part of the recommissioning and great to see another classic back in use. And I couldn't believe how low the part spend was ( I guess I'm to used to Japanese parts prices ). Hope to see more videos soon 👍.

Thank you so much for your informative videos. I am in the process of looking for an older Triumph and I think you convinced me to stay with the twins. The Tridents are a wonderful bike but a little over my skill lever! Thank you again.

Great build - thanks, learned a load.

I bought a new one back in the 70s. Speedo packed up the first week took 6 months before they gave me another one. The bearings collapsed in the steering column and the central big end went about 10,000 had engine rebuild but centre big end bearing went again after another 10,000. A friend of mine he had one and his big ends went to regularly. Nice to see one again but I wouldn't want to own one again.

Dave fantastic videos t160 and the bsa db34 well done 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Great series, a mate had an identical bike around the late seventies. First bike I ever went on (as a pillion) from that day on I was hooked!

Hi Great series. Always fancied a triple since when I first saw the back in the 70s. Never fancied a twin for some reason. I think the time is imminent. Like the T160 expensive though.

Nice resto, I have really enjoyed this one. A few of my friends had Tridents back in the day, T150 & T160’s. I myself ride a Tiger 150, really like the triples, used to own XS750 Yammy triple, that was nice too. Keep up the good work!

A good work, you are a specialist. I must be very satisfing when you could repair the oldest bikes and so thay can go on. Yery cool. Thank you 👍

Excellent video, learned a lot from watching , thanks ! I have a T150v that's a love hate relationship, fix one thing and something else plays up on the next ride. Its a test of ones patience owning a brit triple.

Love those triples.

Just watched all 8 very good . Picked up few ideas.. ihave a t150 .

Good job! Wondered if you were ever going to finish it. Really appreciate your videos keep up the good work!

Sounds sweet.

Very nice 👍🏻 🇨🇦

Thanks Dave for another great video. You had your work cut out with this one. Please please do a video on Norton Commando recommissioning or new season pre ride maintenance and getting going after a long lay off.

I’m just at getting ready to start my recommissioned T160, carb cleaning was a major issue, minor oil leaks another time consumer, new wiring harness required some time to route, brake and master cylinder issues just like yours. Hopefully it will start and run like the one in the video. Provided nothing else crops up and fingers crossed that should happen this weekend. Enjoyed the videos, keep them coming

Someone has a nice bike.hope its used. Good work Dave.

I had a T160 new in 1975 but it didn’t have fork gaiters on it and all the photos I’ve seen of T160’s don’t have them either. Any reason why this bike has them? Excellent video by the way. Nice to see the old T160 again. Had to smile when he said parts cost was just over £1100. I paid £1200 for the bike new and that was a lot in 1975.

Timeserts are good, drill slightly bigger cut a step with a stepped tool. Tap with tap in tool kit, screw in with tool a threaded insert until shoulder engages in recess, complete installation which swells and lock thread in place. Your now back to standard. Very profession finish can be used multiple times. Not cheap.

A triple has to be my favourite engine sound.

Great stuff Dave, really enjoyed the whole series - What's next ?! - The T160 looked and ran really well in the end with only some minor fettling after the first run (I wish I had so little to tweek when I do a rebuild..) That Spitfire Scrambler sounded healthy too, it would definitely make the neighbours whimper !..

I’d like to see you do a complete rebuild on a Mk 4 Spitfire 1966/67

Nice work. I had a T150V that I bored out to 850cc. Lovely bike. I tell you, I much rather tune three Amal concentrics than just one Keihin FCR slant body carburettor - they’re a ridiculously complex carb by comparison, and three concentrics work well.

Really enjoyed these videos; excellent filming, commentary and lots of good tips. BTW how about using the braking system itself (provided master cylinders are ok) to drive out the caliper pistons?

I much admire your knowledge and patients. I ran a 1975 T150V for may years. 1985 until 1994, and thanks to my dad I managed to keep it running. Watching this series was like a reoccurring nightmare. I have done every job. As great as theses triples look, sound and ride they really were rubbish and its no wonder the industry crashed trough the lack of investment. They could have been so much better, would have loved a Les Williams but out of a 20 year olds price range. GreatThankfully

Holy mackerel10:36 that is running smokeless like a top is maybe better than you k n o w! Instant lost lust for these kind of bikes returns got... What a mechanic I can't believe it dot-dot. So freaking

Enjoyed watching the series , very informative , wondering if you replaced the rear shocks ? Thanks

Will Dave be back ??? Love his work and presentation style 👍🏻

That's what I hate about multi carb bikes. One plug or carb goes funky and they do everything but run fine. I had a VMAX that one carb got fuel issues and took 5 minutes to fire up without choke. At least with a twin there's less to work on if something goes haywire. Sweet ride though. Safe ride.

I see alot of negative comments on triple reliability but when u get them right they stay right for quite while. My only complaint was the pull rod for the clutch it was always a heavy pull with minimal accuation. Passing a couple of back to back 18 wheelers at high speed on a twin always scared me a a bit but not on my 5 spd t150 t.

Could you have used Helicoils if they are still available? Memory from my younger days !!

Grate job, Do these bikes need additives in the fuel or can thay run on lead free E10 fuel without work done to the valve seats??

Phew❤️

Dave what type modern oil have you works best in these oldies?

were gummed up rings on that oily plug considered? tip top walk through of work undertaken.

My '74 850 Commando with two Amal concentrics needs lots of tweaking on the carbs. I don't envy anyone having to deal with 3 of them! How on earth do you get at the middle carb idle & pilot adjustment screws?