So You Want To Own A Classic Triumph Trident? 

Thanks for the comment! 😊 It’s nice to have my thoughts confirmed by someone who has presumably ridden and written about many a classic in the course of a professional career. By the way, I’d love to turn ‘So You Want To Own…’ into a series, so if you have any interest in collaborating along the lines of e.g. you writing a script and us doing all the video work, do drop me a line at wobblyphil@yahoo.com Cheers!

Yep, my speedo hardly ever works too lol! Might be worth dusting your T160 off, although I suspect it’ll need more than a rub over with a damp cloth 🤣 They really are a joy, that sound!!! Still, at least you’ve got the Daytona, nice!

@@3Phils lol, true Don't ask me about my '79 CBX. haha God...I miss that one. Stay safe, friend :-)

You too! I always wanted a CBX… please don’t burst my bubble!!

I bought a 1970 Triumph Bonneville back in 1973 off of a guy that was moving and couldn't take the bike with him. I still have it, 18,000 miles on it and not a single part has been changed except the tires and I still have them hanging up in the garage somewhere. I'll never get rid of it. I cant keep the carb's adjusted properly so it doesn't get ridden. I ride a newer Triumph bonne now, gotta love fuel injection!

Thanks for the nice comment! I can kind of imagine what it would sound like with a 3 into 1 - hmm, that’s got me tempted!

It’s a sorry tale, that’s for sure. It was complicated by being during the lockdown, there was no chance to go and visit to check on progress and the very old chaps who worked there were isolating at home a lot of the time, so it was hard to get hold of them on the phone. They did kind of apologise for the final bill. I came away thinking I’d funded their furlough, however! Being self-employed myself and not getting anything from Rishi’s dish-outs, I suppose I empathised a bit. Either that or, more likely, I’m a soft touch. Thanks for the comment!

@@3Phils I guess you were informed about the process before they charged you the price of brand new Triumph. You don't rebuild engines while changing a gasket

@nigo1787 Not really. It started with a gasket, then covid kicked in and they carried on regardless. I think I was their furlough! But it was a few years ago and I’m getting over it now! To be fair, I now have an engine that will probably outlive me!

I have the same exact story!

Well don’t let me put you off! The reason the work on it cost so much was partly down to a lack of communication due to all the covid lockdowns. But then the guys who can fix these machines are all retiring or going to the Great Workshop in the Sky, so I guess finding a good one is going to become increasingly difficult. Personally, if I wind back the clock to 2019, knowing what I know now, I’d have bought another Commando to replace the one I had to sell in 2010. Much simpler bike and Norman White at Thruxton Circuit is still going strong if you need it fixed. Thanks for the comment. 😊

I agree 100%!

Yep, so much stuff came out of British factories barely functioning in the 1970s. My dad bought a brand new BL Austin Princess in 1975 and within a year there was more rust on it than metal. That’s not to mention the countless times he had to take it back for work on brakes, powered steering, the engine, etc. My mate had a Triumph Tiger 750, barely a couple of years old, and the indicators and silencers rattled off. Then he had to get the head skimmed. Ghastly!

Thanks for the nice comment. A triple’s a triple (although I’ve known Laverda owners who claim precedence!) and I bet you’re a lot better off and have had far less hassle than me! Happy riding! 😊

Thanks for pointing that out and I stand corrected. I’ve had several people mention it. I think I’ll pin a comment with a correction. 😊

The Featherbed frame was arguably better than the Commando frame, certainly as far as handling and roadholding were concerned. I had two 750 Commandos and also rode a friends Norton Mercury, which was the last Dominator model similar to the 650ss but slightly lower state of tune with single carb. At the time Andy owned the Mercury, I had a Ducati single, they were evenly matched handling. Unfortunately if you thrashed them they both vibrated like hell, which is why the Commando (Isolastic Frame) was conceived, to isolate the rider and all the other cycle parts from the potentially destructive effects of engine vibration. Don't get me wrong, I love twins and singles- 1 Ducati, 1 Harley, 4 Nortons and 2 Triumphs. My last Triumph was a 900 Thruxton, which after the addition of Hagon springs in the forks, rear shocks and Hyde Toga 'silencers' made it ride and sound like a traditional British twin. Heavier than the originals but reliable, oiltight and virtually no vibration.

Sounds about right! Good luck with the T160, when they’re running they’re the best thing on two wheels!

My T150V has a 1,000 Hyde kit. They are a bit of a different beast from the 750, as you would know. Had mine since 93, been off the road for about ten years, 2 years ago started rebuild, now 95% complete.

@KJs581 A different beast indeed! All the best with the rebuild, send us some video if you like, when you’ve got it running. Happy riding!

I live near the Haynes HQ on the A303 and every time I go past I give it the old Agincourt V sign. Why? Because I spent hours trying to get a cog onto the left side of the crank of my 1975 BSA Bantam before my Mum came home and found me using the dining table as a workbench. I really wanted to slip that Woodruff key in matron but it wouldn't go. Then I realised that the diagram in the Haynes manual had shown the cog the wrong way around! Billions of blistering blue barnacles!

@motorbikemuso 🤣🤣🤣

I can relate to that story! I’ve learnt to keep a ‘spare’ in my shed, typically a modern Japanese bike, for those occasions when the British bike is out of action! Thank you for the comment 😊

I know, that's the story of the British motorcycle industry right there.

Thanks for the comment. As I often mention, I am by no stretch of the imagination ‘mechanically minded’, but from memory and experience I’d have to say that the Japanese bikes were better designed, better engineered, and better made from the get-go. Like British holidaymakers abandoning Margate for Benidorm in the 1970s, we’d been shown something better and liked it!

Thank you for the nice comment. 😊 Yes, I effectively paid those ‘crusty old bandits’ their covid furlough! Still, despite not having requested a completely refurbished engine, it’s what I’ve got and to be fair they did a perfectionist job. When it starts, it goes great! 🤣

That’s very kind, thank you. I actually get a great deal of pleasure making videos that entertain people, almost as much pleasure as I get from riding my Trident! It’s nice to hear that my humble efforts are appreciated. 😊

Thanks for the sub! 😊

I don’t think any of us do! 🤣

Thanks for the nice comment! 😊 I owned several CBs back in the day, but never the 750. Generally they were all great, reliable bikes, the 400/4 being my favourite and the 550/4 being my least favourite - it seemed woefully underpowered compared to the 400. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the video - happy riding!

@@3Phils The day I met my wife she was riding a candy red 400/4.Thats how I got into biking.Still got a photo in her Rickman boots and bike. I’m now looking for Gs850 custom as a second bike or a CB 900f if anyone has one👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Wow, great story! @@pauloakes5718

Thanks for the nice comment! 😊 I was tempted to buy a Bonnie around the same time you were in Zed / Trident land, but the sight of my mate’s in bits every weekend put me off. It was barely a year old at the time. I ended up going down the Japanese route too. By the way, if you’d like to see more photos of chaps and chapesses on police bikes, that pic came from a great archive at Gloucesershire Police here: gloucestershirepolicearchives.org.uk/content/from-truncheons-to-tasers/the-development-of-mobility/police-motorcycles

And now those proud boys people buy Nortons from Fail-Over-Norton, instead of Andover Norton. I bet Andover customers get better shape and original bikes.

The history of the Donington Park Nortons has indeed been mixed. A can of worms which I’m not brave enough to open, I’m afraid! Thanks for your comment. 😊

Amazing story there, thank you. I’d like to pick up on your point about quality control going to the dogs in the last knockings of the old British bike industry. I was too young for a big bike back then, but out of misplaced loyalty I bought a brand new NVT Easy Rider moped, which was soon renamed the NVT Difficult Rider by me and my chums. Because there was no internet in those days I didn’t know what would be easily discoverable now, that it was just some rebadged crap. Within a month the little end had gone. My mate, who was much handier mechanically than I was (or still am) stripped the engine and discovered this cheap piece of brass rubbish masquerading as a bearing. In disgust I wrote to the then chairman of NVT, Dennis Poore, and received quite a patronising letter by return. Clearly nobody at that organisation in 1976 gave a shit, if that was his attitude towards a schoolboy who had saved his pennies and proudly spent them on a ‘British’ moped. After that, I so wished I’d bought an FS1E! My schoolmates might even have thought I was cool! In fact my next five bikes were all Japanese, and when NVT finally folded I couldn’t help but think ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish!’

Funnily enough, my Dad did similar things to a Triumph on a camp site in Italy in 1971 too. Only his was a Triumph 2000 car and it wasn’t far from Venice. I take your point, though. Clearly I didn’t inherit my old man’s mechanical abilities lol! Thanks for the comment. 😊

Thanks for the comment, and the kind words of encouragement! You’re right of course, communication is the key, but not answering the phone or returning emails seems to be a modus operandi for some of these old chaps. As for not paying the final bill, I think I might have been pursued with a CCJ if I’d lopped six grand off the bill. Besides, you seem to have much better negotiating skills than I do! The T160 is, though, my P&J and although it’s clearly not worth the money that’s been spent on it, it still puts a great big smile on my face! 😊

Hiya! Thanks for the info, you’ve got an awesome collection there. I hope I didn’t come across as too negative, I bloody love my Trident. Can’t wait for the sun to shine again and get back out on the road. Happy riding! 😊🏍️🏍️🏍️

@3Phils Here in NZ, we can ride all year around , winter does have a fair bit of rain but other that a frosty morning and beautiful blue sky days ,cooler for riding . On my channel, I have 3 of my bikes have a look . Cheers, keep those videos coming .

I subbed you and took a quick look at your gorgeous T160 - how do you manage to get it to idle at such low revs? By the way, I’ve been to NZ and utterly loved it! And now you tell me you can ride all year round!

@3Phils yes the idle is a bit low at the moment , it was a little cold on that video , and it was at about 1000 , and got lower and lower , I've come back from a ride and it actually idled well below 500 and stayed going ! Have to reset it , must mean the slides are still good , it's only done about 12000 ml , it was last regoed in USA in 87 , the guy I got it from did the OIL leaks 🤣 on the p tubes and fitted elephants foot adjusters on the tappets . At least you are in the uk you don't have the extra expense of freight , but wow 11k your money ,was a serious chunk of cash , maybe they sent your parts around the world twice ! ? , I used to be a Automachinist in the 80s to 90s , so hopefully I will be able to eventually give it a freshen , I have found Montys motorcycles really good , and best freight prices to me in nz , like a box of 3 or 4 items for 23 pound freight really good . I enjoyed your video always worth a chuckle . Cheers from NZ.

Thanks for the comment. You were fortunate there, in that the guy bought it back! So many are advertised as ‘sorted’ or ‘fully restored’ and those are the ones I’d be most wary of, to be honest. It all depends on the skills of the person who has sorted or restored it! I bought a ‘sorted’ 1976 Z900 ten years ago and it only ever ran on three out of four cylinders! I was lucky with my T160, the previous owner had looked after it very nicely and kept a log of everything he’d ever done to it, even spark plug changes. It was only the very minor top end oil leak and the poor starting that needed attention. Still, for my 11 grand I now have an engine that I could confidently enter the Le Mans 24 with!

well we live and learn.at least i got to ride my teenage dream bike.i ventured into classic v 4,s.big mistake.srick to injection japs these days.@@3Phils

@@3Phils worth it for the sound,was great while it was running.

Not at all! I do a bit of very light fettling myself and totally enjoy it, now that I’ve got a shed with light and power after 40 years of living in a shedless, inner city wilderness. What I really find snobby are folk who, without knowing my personal circumstances, or anything about me, tell me that I should be forbidden from owning a British classic if I can’t strip it down completely and rebuild it myself. There are plenty of people who love classic vehicles who pay other people with the necessary skills to work on them, why not classic British motorcycles? Or are we not allowed to enjoy them unless we’re part of their very exclusive club? Anyway, rant over. You seem like a thoroughly decent individual who isn’t a snob, who I’d almost certainly buy a pint if we were chatting in a pub!

Yes, I recall that, at the time, a lot of my mates wouldn’t touch a Japanese bike because of the atrocious handling. That said, I ended up with a Honda 400/4 back then, which honestly wasn’t bad round the bends. Obvs not up to race standards, though.

I was there as a 17 year old on that unforgettable day at Mallory Park when John Cooper on the Rocket 3 led Ago home in the Race of the Year....

In aftermarket frames.

But it would take a guy like Rob North to make them handle decent around the racing track. Even the Slippery Sam was altered compared to the standard T 150.

@@MrBradfordchild Certainly were, by Rob North - very good they were too

Couldn’t agree more. Would that have been the so-called ‘Quadrant’ four cylinder machine they were toying with, or a three pot litre bike, I wonder?

Thanks for the comment and I couldn’t agree more. I should perhaps have expanded on my comment in the video about there being some good guys out there, and emphasised it more. For example, I had an excellent experience with Norman White at the Thruxton Circuit when I owned a Commando - he’s still going strong if any Commando owners are reading and no, he hasn’t sponsored me to say that! - and I have an amazing mate who’s owned and worked on Tridents since they were brand new. So I’m happy to clarify and put the record straight. Happy riding on your Triumph!

Thanks for the comment and I broadly agree. My car goes in for a service and they strap a laptop to it! With proprietary software on! So I totally get where you’re coming from. It’s just that through various accidental or botched life choices I’ve ended up without a decent space to work on my bikes for the best part of 40 years. Things are looking up now, though, and I have a dry garage with power and light, albeit a way away from my house - I dream of having a house with a shed on the side! So, anyway, the imperial tools are building up and maybe one day…!

Yes, getting the clutch free play adjustment right is very important, if the release rod bearing fails it is quite a job to replace it. (Btdt).

Its a matter of making the best of the space you have. I completely rebuilt a Triumph T120v engine (con rod broke) in my mothers kitchen over several weekends, as I was working away at the time. She was a very tolerant mother. Also fitted a new head gasket to a Honda four on a table in a German barrack block when I was in the Army. Bike stood outside without the engine and I had to get it done between Friday night and room inspection on Monday morning. Our first house had a spare bedroom that became a workshop for fully rebuilding a Honda TL125 from scratch. Ran it once in the bedroom to test the engine - then took the forks out to get it down the stairs and outside. Needs must ..........@@3Phils

I admire your ingenuity, sir! Not sure my missus would appreciate bits of the bike on the dining room table, though, or in any other parts of the house! 🤣@@tokairic3925

I love mine, despite all the hassle, too.

You’re too kind! Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. 😊

It was good, I think you got it just right!!@@3Phils

I’d love to try a 3 into 1 on mine, the sound must be amazing! As for getting home, a 2022 bike left me stranded on the way home a couple of years ago. A one-off, admittedly, but nonetheless… Thanks for the comment.

My Laverda 1200 got me to Portugal and back to Germany about 25 times without any issue, aside from a car crashing backwards and breaking my brake pump. Yes it has been rebuild, but for a Laverda Expert mechanics bad Quality day action that made the bike run without oil just long enough to make a touch of work necessary on the bottom end. 😞

Thank you for the very kind comment. I’m sure I would have developed all the necessary skills if I hadn’t left home, and the comfort of the lit and heated garage at my parents’ house, at the age of 18. Since then, and until very recently, I’ve lacked a similar facility due to mostly inner urban living. But I’ve now got a fantastic shed to work in with all mod cons, and I’m getting more tools together to do the basic work I used to be competent at in my teens. I’m too old now to learn how to pull an engine apart, though! Happy riding! 😊

@@3Phils Pulling an engine apart is the easy part, it's putting it back together so that it works that's more of a challenge.

🤣

Quite. If Ronald Reagan hadn’t stepped in with protectionist measures, HD wouldn’t have survived. His close ally Margaret Thatcher had no such protectionist plan for the British motorcycle industry. Nonetheless, HD and ‘new’ Triumph are both thriving today, albeit having arrived here by different journeys. These days I would imagine both are concerned about Chinese manufacturers putting them out of business by flooding western markets with cheap, subsidised crap on two wheels! Thanks for the comment. 😊

Good comment. I always try and use the same workshop if I can, depending on what bikes they specialise in. For example, I always used a Norton specialist when I had a Commando. That way they couldn’t blame anyone else, not that they would. Workshops that just say they do all and any old British bikes should be avoided in my experience. That said, you won’t be surprised to hear I haven’t been back to the £11k specialists!

@@3Phils no, not surprised, lol.

With one crucial difference - a horizontally split crankcase! Was yours a ‘wobbler’ or one of the later models? Always a decent looking machine, I thought.

@@3Phils First one was 1972, purchased in 75, red and white, beautiful bike, fond memories. Regretted selling, much later on purchased a 73, blue, gold, black.

Thanks for the comment. I’ve wondered many times whether it’s been worth it, but that feeling goes away every time I fire the Trident up and howl around the twisties. Of course, I’ll only be able to afford Pot Noodles for dinner for the rest of my life.

Love the Jota, I’ve got a mate with one and it sounds like a box of hammers being thrown around by Thor himself! Life events like yours have conspired to leave me owning classic bikes but without a proper shed to work on them for decades, hence my lack of mechanical experience and reliance on ‘old geezers’ 😂. Anyway, good luck with the lottery (if I win my dream would be to own a house with a fully equipped workshop attached!) and thanks for the comment! 😊

@3Phils Definitely. I've actually got a double garage and seperate workshop. Although I didn't have what I would have loved, I have had other old bikes, Triumph 3TA (bathtub), Yamaha's and a couple of Italian bikes. Just sold my Yamaha Diversion 900 I had from new. Looking for something else now but sadly my pockets aren't deep enough for a T160 or Jota.

They’re not fetching as much as they used to in the current financial climate. Or you can pick up a decent Bonnie for quite a reasonable amount these days. Just a thought. 😊

Thanks for the comment and I totally agree. A bit of money needed to be spent, although the previous owner had been assiduous so nowhere near 11k. The folks who worked on my machine were in their 80s! And self-isolating a lot, because it was during covid. I have a horrible feeling that I funded their furloughs! Still, I will say they did a very thorough and professional job, just not really the job (or bill) I was expecting.

Interesting. I’ve had no such trouble with mine, and probably never will given the engine has been all but race prepped for my 11k! Mind you, I don’t put anywhere near that kind of mileage on it, it’s leisure only. Thanks for the comment. 😊

Totally agree I bought one and it turned into a vast money pit. Endless bills. They are also overweight but no one ever seems to mention that. (Apart from 3Phils here) Nice when they are going well, but the carbs are setup using ice lolly sticks to guage the movement of the slides, why? Because there is no facility to balance them by air take off for vaccum guages. Which means that its almost impossible to get them to balance accurately. I put three years and £6000 into mine 15 years ago all wasted.

@@thebadterrorists5323 I had a 1976 Norton Commando that I could never balance the carbs on either. I cannot for the life of me understand why people waste time and monet on bikes that were nothing more than overdeveloped re-hashes of pre-second world war bikes !

Yes, the carbs are a bit of a bugger. In the end I opted for refurbed Amals with vacuum ports, which helps, but it still involves buggering about and they never quite seem 100%.

Oh I didn't know that a set of new amals came with vacuum take offs. Probably just as well as I would probably have bought a set, thus adding to the thousands I'd already spent. I seem to remember the clutch being a bit hit and miss as well. Still I've owned Velos since then so I'll stop moaning about Triumph clutches. Glad you like yours and still own it. I took mine to Bacelona once and ended up on a campsite for a week waiting for a new electronic ignition unit to arrive. Happy days.@@3Phils

@thebadterrorists5323 My Amals were a special mod as part of the ludicrous amount of dosh I spent on having that oil leak fixed. Basically it ended up being a total rebuild. As you rightly say, these bikes are potentially a money pit. And yep, my clutch went bosoms up too. Still, on a sunny day, when it’s all working , it’s tolerably bearable, even fun! Happy riding!

Excellent comment! I have to say I didn’t go into it completely blind, I was prepared for it to cost a four figure sum, but I hadn’t in my wildest dreams expected a five figure sum. So being someone without the skills, it wasn’t that I wasn’t prepared to pay someone to fix it. I’ve done that with all my classic bikes, just the scale of it was way above my expectation and far beyond anything I’ve ever shelled out before, five grand being the most I’ve ever been quoted (for a Z900 engine rebuild, although on reflection that was probably a ‘builder’s estimate’). Anyway, the video isn’t meant to be a ‘poor me’ moan, more of a ‘caveat emptor’ for other folk. Hopefully it won’t put off other people who have a desire to own one of these glorious machines, more give them an insight into ownership so they go in ‘eyes open’. Enjoy your T140, and, if you’re in one of the warmer, drier parts of Europe, I’m feeling rather envious now, looking out at the drizzle here in Blighty!

@@3Phils I fully understand paying an expert to work on something, I do that with my car, it’s a modern Mini and to be frank, I just can’t be arsed! What I can’t get my head around is they didn’t keep you informed, shocking really. My mate Dave (we all have a mate called Dave!) pushed me into working on the bike myself, telling me it’s way easier than I’d expect and I’d soon understand the bike relatively quickly, he wasn’t wrong. I’m pretty sure if I’d have to pay an hourly rate for the (slow) work I’ve done myself I’d be bankrupt! I live in Austria by the way and we’ve been snowed on yesterday so no bike riding! Most of us are off the road for the winter because of the cold and salt, this gives me time to work on the Bonneville! I’ll subscribe and follow your adventures, will also check if your on instagram!

Yes, we all have a mate called Dave! Although most of my mates are called Phil - ha! One of my many mates called Phil has actually owned his Trident from new, so I’m lucky in that I haven’t been up the creek completely without a paddle. Sadly he lives 100 miles away from me, but he’s been giving me tutorials. Thanks for the sub. We haven’t really sorted our 3Phils Insta out yet, being relative newcomers to this sort of thing. By the way, I think we may have spoken in the comments before about Austria. If so, my apologies for being a repetitive old gipper. Happy riding - when the sun eventually comes out!

@@3Phils You’ve probably already seen it but, if not, search the Classic motorcycle Channel for Dave Mitchell’s recommission of a Trident, great little series! Bring on the spring, enough of this winter!!

Yes, I’ve actually watched that. Great series.

All good points, thanks for the comment. I’ve heard some Tridents start fine, and I’ve got a mate with a T150 that’s not a problem. Maybe the electric start has something to do with it! 🤣🤣🤣

Good old boys, who are happy to talk you through everything and keep you posted, are hard to find. That said, most bike shops are a bit frosty at first, I’ve found, until they’ve sized you up and decided you’re not a total winker. My worst experience was at a Honda dealer in London when I came in to swap a quite expensive helmet I’d just bought which was too tight. The owner was talking to a copper at the counter and I was waved off with a ‘I haven’t got time for this!’ When I had a Commando I eventually found a top bloke but he was 200 miles away, so I feel your pain.

They're definitely a more complex proposition than a Bonnie or Commando, but 'pig' is maybe going a bit too far! Lots of the original 1970s niggles have been ironed out 50 years on, electronic ignition being one of the dividends of the space race - ha! Once you've got one set up right, I find the main thing to do is start and run it regularly. These old Brit bikes need that. I'll give you 'pig' when it comes to firing the thing up, though!

@@3Phils yeah perhaps... I think it was the unreliability of a new bike that frustrated the owner.

@Free_Ranger_CT110 Oh, yes, I’m with you now. Lots of brand new British stuff left the factory unreliable in those days, QC was perfunctory and manufacturing standards were grim. My dad bought an Austin Princess, for example, and it was riddled with rust within a year. I had a new NVT moped at the time and it threw a con rod in three months!

@@3Phils should have bought a Fizzy like I did 🙂 A mate had a Malaguti that was fast but one night leaving his house we were going on a ride he missed a gear & it blew front & back lights... He had to go back home...

@Free_Ranger_CT110 Always wanted a Fizzy! I had an irrational, lingering loyalty to Brit bikes at the time, though. Stupid, I know. Later I had a tuned Lambretta GP200 which wiped the smiles off all my mates’ faces who had sub 250 Japanese ‘learner’ bikes. So some Italian engineering worked back then!

Thank you!

Love the comparison with builders, although I have to say the difference was there was no intake of breath at the start and the engine hasn’t leaked a single drop since it came back. It runs like a charm - albeit with some quirky starting and warming up. Money pit issues aside, the T160 has lived up to everything I imagined from the bike, so overall there’s little buyer’s regret on my side. Thanks for the comment - and the sub!

Yes, good point on the featherbed frame there and thanks for picking it up. 😊 I’ve found most folk who own a Trident are obsessed with oil temperature and pressure, especially pressure, hence why so many are fitted with the completely pointless LP Williams (other brands are available) oil pressure gauge. I removed mine after I bought the bike. I’m not sure I’d take the chance on your suggestion, but thanks anyway. It’s not so much the amount of time it takes to properly warm up, really. That can be sorted by riding it in a ‘spirited’ manner for the first few miles. It’s more the starting, and the unreliable tickover until it has warmed up. On your other query, it’ll happily sit at 70 all day, although as with most old British bikes it’s best to vary that a bit, I find, just to be on the safe side. It’s probably at around 4,500rpm at 70. A lot of folk, me included, need reminding they’re on a triple not a twin, and they like more revs! First few times I rode it I was riding it like a Commando but as the blokes who rebuilt the engine said: ‘Now go away and rev the nuts off it!’

@@3Phils Ah yes. The oil pressure gauge is a fine way of telling you why your engine has just seized. I was advised exactly the same by Norman White, they are just paranoia level indicators, especially on tickover. Thanks for the info, I will have a look around, I will be looking at 160s, as the 150s have the gears upside down on the RHS, it will be a matter of time before I get it wrong. If its on the left, its way different and therefore easier to remember. Cheers, happy riding.

@bertie6355 Happy riding too! I know what you mean about right and left foot confusion as I always have a modern bike in the shed for when the classic is having a day / nine months off. Yep, Norman is the best! He used to look after my Commando. Always ready with a cuppa!

I bought a Le Mans rather than a Commando after reading a magazine road test. The writer, coming back to England from the Sth of France on a Guzzi, pulled up at the ferry to hear a terrible racket coming from his engine. Only to turn around and see a bloke on a Norton had just pulled up next to him.

Hehe! They do clatter a bit, ‘tis true!

Thanks for the nice comment. I thought about putting the invoice in the video but it made me too distraught! Like I said, they took the cylinder head off to fix the leak, and then carried on downwards. I’ve tried to make excuses, like it was lockdown, it was hard to get hold of them, but at the end of the day all I can think to justify it, to myself at least, is they were perfectionists, they mainly built racing triples, and they really couldn’t leave anything alone if it didn’t look 100%. So it’s now a fantastic engine, probably one of the best out there, but my bank manager ain’t pleased! Yes, I’ve heard Guzzis are pretty easy to work on and CX500s are unbreakable! Happy riding!

That incredible invoice would complete the story - I expect everyone who has watched this video will be wondering what could possibly be in it? Also perhaps fair warning to anyone else with a Trident who might otherwise give them a call, if they’re still in business? @@3Phils

Thank you! 😊

Yes, I’ve been contemplating Mikunis after a completely refurbed set of Amals last year failed to do the trick. I had a Mikuni single carb conversion on my Commando which helped a lot. Still wasn’t a 100% reliable starter though. The marmalade that masquerades as ‘petrol’ these days doesn’t help!

Yep, 11k! That’s GBP! A large portion of the cost went in labour, tbh.

As a knowledgeable gent once said to me: ‘The Commando is the only motorcycle that looks like it’s doing 100 just sitting on the stand!’ If I could afford another Commando I’d buy one in a heartbeat.

Yep, the cush drive went on mine too. And yes, mine likes an oil top-up after virtually every ride. And I agree, a lot of carb problems are due to the water-loving petrol we have nowadays. I always use E5 if I can get it, apparently Esso’s almost 100% consists of what you want to buy, i.e. actual sodding petrol! A mate of mine who owns a T150 also gave me a handy tip if your classic is going to be in the shed over winter - make sure you store it with a brimmed tank. That way there’s no air space for condensation to get in and combine with the faux petrol in your tank. Great comment, thanks. 😊

You’re not wrong! To be fair, there were a few cosmetic odds and sods too.

Thank you for the sub and your thoughtful comment. 😊 With a bill like that, should I have gone down the ‘Good morning, judge’ route? Ha! No, although 11k was way more than I was expecting, you have to take it on the chin, there’s no other option. I completely agree that there’s no point trying to get a neglected bike up to snuff, it’ll be a perpetual money pit. My T160 had been very nicely looked after for 20 years by the previous owner, which is why this bill came as such a shock. But then anything that’s over 50 years old will have issues, as my doctor keeps telling me! Safe riding!

I can certainly relate to ‘The British Leyland of Motorcycles’, my father had a series of new BL cars in the 70s all of which were abominable. He turned to the blue oval in the 80s and never looked back, apart from when he glanced in his rear view mirror at all the stranded BL drivers on the hard shoulder. Thanks for the comment! 😊

I can’t see why it shouldn’t last a lifetime. I could now go racing on this Trident if I was inclined, but the bike really only gets a few hundred dry miles put on it every year, with none of them over the speed limit (honest, guv!). Good luck with your Honda and happy riding!

@@3Phils haha yeah if I travelled a mile for every minute I've spent fettling with mine I could have ridden around the world 🤣 I don't even want to know how little distance I've actually ridden..oh well, I must love the mechanical side otherwise I wouldn't do it. Ride safe

Yes, somebody else mentioned that and I’m always happy to hold my hands up when I’ve made some kind of technical mistake. Perhaps I should pin a correction in the comments. Thanks for pointing that out. 😊

Interesting comment, thanks. How long ago was that?

@@3Phils They started on it in December 2022 and had the bike running for 2023 TT.

In that case, I guess they added another 4K onto my 2020 bill just for sh1ts and giggles! 🤣

@@3Phils For clarity I shall go over the whole of the work done as you gave me cause to look over the bill again and it was actually closer to £8k than £7k ( £7k being the headline number for her indoors ) I the removed the engine from the bike and took off the cylinder head ( makes the engine easier & lighter to get out of the frame ) and cleaned the engine before delivery to them. They stripped the engine , fitted a nitride & balanced crank that had the oilways crossdrilled , the crankcases had the oilways enlarged, Carillo connecting rods fitted and new bearings throughout the bottom end, triplex primary drive fitted, high out put alternator fitted, new electronic ignition fitted, rocker boxes faced and rebuilt, cylinder head faced and re-built with new valve guides and uprated valves & springs the ports got a gas flow to comply with a triumph service letter about T160 cylinder heads that had not been manufactured properly, cylinders rebored with updater pistons & rings ( no more Smokey exhaust ), upgraded starter motor, Carbs re-built with new parts as required.. They did also inspect the gearbox and called me to ask if it was original, apparently it was so good they had thought it could not have run the 18,000 miles that was on the bike. I got the clutch balanced ( add £150 to the bill ) They then put the engine back in the frame and modified the new sprockets to take a modern 520 O ring chain, then ran the bike in the dyno to test it. I was invited to see the dyno run and witness the power output. I found once the engine was out of the frame the paint was missing under the engine so stripped the frame and got the frame powder coated by a company in Borden , hampshire ( £500 ) . The aim was to produce a reliable bike with standard power output but using P &M’s racing experience to make the bike smoother to ride and more reliable, I was going to fit a high output oil pump but they said this was unnecessary on a street bike. There was no secret’s from me and I was always allowed access to see what they had done but this openness cuts both ways so I was not in their workshop every five minutes disturbing them. All told I can’t recommend P & M highly enough for Triumph triple work. They also have considerable experience with other classic types and I would expect similar service for anything they are happy to work on. The other thing I should mention is they have a waiting list so expect 6-9 months to get your bike into their workshop but once through the door work continues at a reasonable pace.

@Robinbamv Thanks for that very detailed explanation. I guess taking the engine out yourself would have saved a bob or two. And in addition to very much the same amount of work you describe, I also had some cosmetic additions like new stainless silencers, which would have upped the final cost. So the fact I was charged what now appears to be ‘only’ three grand more than you makes more sense. My experience was very different when it came to communication, though, but that could be explained by the fact it was during lockdown. So no visits at all from me, and besides it would have been a three hour return trip!

Quite right. I stand corrected, sir, apologies. As mentioned in the video, I’m a mechanical moron, hence paying other folk five figure sums to know these things inside out.

@@3Phils No apologies necessary. I have owned my Commando since 1973 but have always been curious about the triples. Enjoyed the video. Sorry about the issues you’ve had with the bike.

You’re not wrong there.

Thanks for the comment, lots of points to address there. First, I actually bought the machine having seen an ad in the TR3OC which was pointed out to me by a mate who’s owned a Trident from new and knew I’d always hankered after one. It was a very good machine when I bought it. The previous owner was an engineer and he had lovingly looked after it for twenty years. So I was definitely ‘eyes open’. The only real issue I wanted fixed was a slight oil weep from the rocker box covers, so it went to a highly reputable shop to have that and a number of other minor things fixed, plus some cosmetic items like stainless pipes. I was expecting to pay a fair bit, but as time went on, and covid with all the lockdowns kicked in, a lot of ‘mission creep’ happened, not helped by a general lack of communication. But I agree - I would have wanted a brand new bike for £11k!!! My circs haven’t helped further my mechanical skills, being an urban dweller with no access to a proper workshop. Anyway, I’m not making excuses or having a go. Much of it’s down to me. I still love the bike, the engine is bulletproof (it bloody well should be!), and following a prolonged period of drinking to forget I’m a happy Trident camper! Happy riding, I envy you being in Straya!

Thanks for the comment, you make a lot of sense there. I couldn’t agree more with what you say about folk who deride those who love classic motorcycles but are mechanically inept or just haven’t had the opportunity, because of various life events, to acquire the skills (mine being the fact that I’ve been an urban dweller for 40 years with no access to a garage with power and light). I presume these people have laptops, mobile phones and tablets, can they work on those themselves too? Or do they rely on other people to repair them when they go wrong? If so, they shouldn’t bother owning them!

Thanks for the comment! Yes, I always wanted a Laverda 3C and I have a chum who has one. As you correctly highlight, he’s spent far less on that than I have on the Trident. Maybe I’ll do a video on that some day 😊

😂 The reason for the mahousive bill was more that they rebuilt the entire engine over nine months without, like, keeping me abreast of the ongoing cost. Still, it goes like a three cylinder Ferrari now! 😂 Thanks for the comment.

Well said! Bike shops in the UK are a funny old thing. Oftentimes, as a paying customer, you’re greeted with a certain amount of suspicion, as if you’re not welcome unless you can prove you’re already a master of the magical, mysterious powers they possess. If I was, I wouldn’t be paying them to sort it out! There’s usually a little dance involved whereby you’re required to certify you’re not a count without the ‘o’ before they’ll even talk to you like you’re someone from the same planet. That said, I guess they probably do have to deal with a lot of annoying numpties, and they’re not universally awful, especially if you take the time to get to know them. And I do now have a Trident that’s a joy to ride, and definitely life-enhancing. I can’t think of many other things that would give you that much pleasure for the price! Thanks for the comment!

@@3Phils LOL I'm Gen X so I'm a generation or 2 younger than those dudes and I know more about these bikes than most of them do, so they never know quite what to do with me. 😗The first bike I put on the road was a 1955 T110 that I bought when I was 15. Older dudes that I knew when I was young had such bikes, so that's how I became aware of them and interesting in those bikes. I'm not conceited about it , though, unlike some of them. I wasn't born with any knowledge of these things, and frankly, they aren't really much more complicated mechanically than a lawnmower 😁 .And learning something about a motorcycle can't quite be classed as a badge to your valor and manhood like winning the Victoria's Cross or Medal of Honor, can it??? LOL!!! But absolutely these bikes are the most visceral bombardment of you senses of any motorcycle you can ride -- the valves whir and purr, the exhausts roar, the bikes vibrate like they are living things, and they even smell of hot oil and gasoline. The only near to "modern" bike I've ridden that comes close to delivering that fullness of experience riding is 1985 Yamaha RZ350, although some of the air cooled "modern" post 2001 Triumph twins I have to say have got a bit of that kind of charisma, too! I hear the new Norton Commando has got a "bit of this" kind of rock n roll character GOIN' ON, and it's riding experience has come rather as a revelation to test riders who've only ever ridden roadgoing kitchen appliances😚

@@dirkdiggler5164 You've nailed it there, I think. It's great to hear from a Gen X-er who has devoted time and effort into understanding and enjoying these magnificent machines. And you've described the assault on the senses these bikes make to a T! It's the look, it's the sound, it's the sensation, and, what most folk forget - THE SMELL! I often find I have the same reaction to steam engines, that perfect whiff of heat and oil combined with purely mechanical power! It's sad to think that the generations after Gen X often don't even bother to learn to drive these days, let alone experience the vivid excitement to be experienced from piloting a classic motorcycle round the twisties, your entire future literally in your own hands. Happy riding!🏍🏍🏍

I’m inclined to agree. But on the plus side, and as I mention in the video, they pretty much entirely rebuilt the engine to a very high standard. Not what I asked for or wanted at the time, but, after getting over the pain of the cost, I now have one helluva T160 which will probably last me out. Or am I seeing it all through rose tinted specs? Thanks for the comment. 😊

You may well have several points there! The entire, sorry episode was complicated by covid lockdown, and in my defence I’ve haven’t had access to a proper shed with light and power until very recently. Unlike Straya, us poor Poms are very short on space, and when it comes to properties with yards and sheds they’re as rare as rocking horse manure! Thanks for the comment and happy riding!

Hehe! Not heard that one before!

YOUR A LAUGH

Thanks for the comment. To be clear, I did not buy the bike without professional guidance and if you had listened to what I said in the video you’d know that all it required was some attention to the top end. I did not ask for or sanction anything like a ‘restoration’, the machine didn’t require it, it was in very good condition when I bought it and, besides, I generally have no truck with ‘restorations’. What I got in the end was an almost completely rebuilt engine (just the engine, no powder coating, petrol tank lining ‘restoration’ crap) which is fantastic and a credit to the shop that did the work. But it was not what I asked for, nor did I expect to pay £11,000 for it, partly because there was no communication from the shop as to the ongoing costs. Lockdown was mostly to blame for that. So before you go throwing around unfounded accusations of penny-pinching, I suggest you spend some money on a professional person to get the wax out of your ears first.

🤪

Regard away, my friend, regard away. The exact amount was actually £11,042.16. What you gonna do, not pay and tell them to keep the bike? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

The first thing would be to to have the bill scrutinised reliable sources. The next thing would be to see a solicitor with a view to taking legal action@@3Phils

The first thing would be to have the bill scrutinised by reliable sources. The next thing would be to consult a solicitor, with a view to taking legal action @@3Phils

Well it was back during lockdown, which seems a lifetime ago now, so I’m getting over it! Also, just being out and about on a Trident is enough to wipe the frown off anyone’s face! Thanks for the comment 😊