Wow, excellent, you have certainly achieved what you set out to do. There must have been a lot of head scratching, well done and thank you for sharing 🙂
Hi Jeremy. Thank you for the kind words. Yes, my fingers were perpetually filled with splinters! The work to the sub-frame was trickiest. I had to set the rear mudguard so there was clearance for the tyre and also that the indicators were level to the ground. So you’ll see in one of the earlier videos how I had to put in cross brackets and braces to get it right. There were a number of custom brackets to work out and make for the oil filter, horns, rear passenger pegs/silencers, rear master cylinder, swing arm and instruments. However, most of it was just about styling, like getting the seat to flow with the fuel tank and the use of satin black paint on the hubs, fork sliders, rims etc to get everything to tie in. I think it makes the bike look much more compact and together. It has a nice ‘chunky’ feel to it. Hopefully, soon, I’ll be able to post a video of the T150 on the road. Cheers, Shaun.
Thank you. I appreciate your kind words! I’m pretty pleased with the result. I paid more attention on a dry build this time and had a clearer idea of what I wanted before I started out. I haven’t always done this on other builds. For instance, I must have done a dozen cardboard/wood templates just for the rear exhaust/pillion foot peg hangers before I was happy. All this detail does come at quite a cost though! The only thing I’m unhappy with is the exhaust system. I hate the separate headers so might get a T160 type system manufactured and maybe a slightly bigger bore as well. Just started a similar restyling project on a 1991 Yamaha XJ900F, so look out for any upcoming posts! Cheers, Shaun.
Hi Rod. I’m glad you approve. I never really liked the look of T150s, always thought the styling was a bit staid. Originally I wanted to put a T150 or T160 engine into a BSA A10 frame with Rocket Goldstar styling to make a TRIBSA triple to go with my T140 based TRIBSA, but I didn’t want the hassle of the registration process as I had a BSA frame but no logbook. I think the key thing with my T150 was just get the styling right. So I decided not to use the terrible Lucas switchgear, clock and indicators, get rid of the agricultural footpegs and replace the simply awful looking oil cooler with something smarter. Other simple things like making sure there was no gap between the fuel tank and nose of the seat also helps to make the bike look more finished and compact. I also think the use of satin black and the modern dark blue paint (same as my SEAT car) helps with the updated look. Hopefully, with the T150, I’ve made a bike that will make people look twice to determine if it really is old or a ‘modern classic’. Cheers, Shaun.
@@chrismckell5353 Thank you! Unfortunately I haven’t been out on it much this year as I’m spending so much time on my XJ900F project. I’m contemplating fitting Mikuni carbs as I’m not keen on the Keihins currently fitted. May also fit a better looking set of downpipes. There’s always more tweaks to do!
Thank you! As you can imagine the lousy weather has put paid to further running in of the T150 this year. Hopefully I’ll be posting a riding video early next spring. In the meantime I shall be spending the winter planning my customisation of a 1991 Yamaha XJ900F, where I’ll be giving it a retro look!
Many thanks. It was probably the most costly build I’ve done to date. I’m still tweaking it believe it or not. Added an oil pressure gauge and T120 style silencers. I need to get some more miles on it so I can do the final torquing and tappet adjustment. Plus an oil change. Trouble is my time is being taken up by a 1990 Yamaha XJ900 project. I’m giving it the retro treatment. Wire wheels, round headlight and general re-styling. Hope to get a video up soon to show the first part of the transformation.
@@winksmt01 Thank you. Still doing a bit of tweaking. Haven’t got out on it much as I’m spending a lot of time on my Yamaha XJ900F special! I’ll upload a progress video on that soon. Cheers, Shaun.
Thank you! I should have done a voice over, then I could have gone into more detail and personalised it a bit more, but my presentation skills aren’t the best! Unfortunately the shift in weather means I can’t do some updates on how the bike’s running and also highlight some of the changes I’ve made. Hopefully next year. Incidentally, I’ve just picked up a couple of 1990/1991 Yamaha XJ900Fs. I’m going to restyle these, but whereas with the Triumph I decided to make it look like a modern classic, with the Yamahas I’m going to make them look more retro! I did say the Triumph would be my last project, but I just couldn’t help myself! Nothing like keeping busy I suppose. By the way, if you want more detail on the T150 project I have a little website which you might find interesting: www.triumphtrident1000.co.uk.
Well Done ! She has a nice 'throaty voice;' no baffles necessary. Great attention to details. Like the color & black accents here & there. Pinch yourself ! (Greetings from America.)
Thank you. Nice to know it’s appreciated on the other side of the pond! In the past, on some of my builds, I went a bit chrome mad, but it’s expensive now and I wanted the T150 to have a slightly more ‘modern classic’ feel and the satin black does look so good. Practical too as it needs no polishing. I really like the look and sound of the short peashooters. Unfortunately the tuning process of a bike is not to everyone’s taste so to keep my sensitive neighbours friendly I’ve since fitted T120 style silencers. They look good and still make a nice sound without setting my neighbours roof tiles free! The weather is rotten here at the moment, but when it gets better I hope to get a few miles on the bike and start running it in. I’ll try and upload a video when that happens. Cheers, Shaun.
I have a deep fondness for the Triumph marque; way back in the day i rode a 1961 Thunderbird. Of the 8 bikes i`ve owned over 30 years of riding, it was my favorite. Triumph triples have always fascinated me. Yours is absolutely magnificent. Now that my riding days are long over, if i had THAT machine, i`d park it in my living room & just gaze at it everyday from my recliner, & smile---like a work of Fine Art. I will be with you 'in spirit' as you Ride On this Spring !@@tribsa7503
Nicely done,sounded like the tappets were adjusted really well Honestly didn't seem to loud id used a piper 3 into 1 and short cone megas no baffles on my T150V never had any complaints but not practical on a long run unless you use ear defenders 😅
Thank you. I’m hoping to put a few miles on soon and do a final re-torque and tappet re-set. It’s a pain to do as I have to remove the fuel tank and carbs each time. Once I’m happy with it I might get a custom exhaust made so I can ditch that awful exhaust header. It looks ugly and it’s difficult to seal. I’m hoping that with the larger capacity engine I can go up to 1.5” diameter pipes. I only changed the silencers because some of my neighbours are of an age where they don’t fully appreciate the T150’s “music”!!!
Thank you, it really has been a labour of love! Probably one of the most costly builds I’ve done. Unfortunately the weather here is so bad I haven’t been able to test drive it and take it for an MOT. However, after the initial start up I’ve discovered that it wet sumps badly, so I’ve ordered an non-return valve to fit in the oil tank. That may (hopefully) explain the slight blue smoke I noticed from the exhaust. I had a couple of Commando 850 Interstates a few years back. Wish I’d kept one now as I’d like to have done an “updating” job as with the T150. I particularly like the builds by Colorado Norton Works. Good luck with your project!
Fantastic looking bike and great video except for the music during the first five minutes; it was depressing and made me like I was watching an old video about the ravages of war or the aftermath of a natural disaster. If it weren’t for the creepy background music choice, this video would be too notch. Great job on the restoration of the old girl, she looks great.
Thanks for the feedback on the video. It’s the first I’ve done one like this and on very basic software. I promise to add some more upbeat background music next time!
Very nice bike. Have the same mufflers on a Matchless G15 and they are a bit loud ..... So will watch how you proceed with them. Also had some similar airfilter setup due to space restrictions some time ago but they had to go after the first test ride .
Thank you. I have since changed the mufflers to the kind fitted to the Triumph T120. They look OK and bring the tone down to something a bit more acceptable. It’s quite a nice sound. At some point I’m going to get a custom system made. I managed to shorten the rubber inlets for the carbs by a couple of millimetres which has allowed me to get some shallow pancake style filters in. I’d like to use the standard airbox, but the Keihins are large carbs and there’s not quite enough room.
I’m building a T150 repatriated machine, I always wanted a A75 Rocket 3, but prices are ridiculous now. I’m not a T160 lover as they are effectively a Tribsa and not in my view genuine; a parts bin bike. So a genuine T150 is being built. Love the sound though.
I agree, the prices of some of these triples is ridiculous for what they are. Even the Hurricane is overpriced in my view. The triples are fairly basic machines and not particularly powerful. I think they get a bit hyped up. In comparison I could recently have bought a very respectable 1979 Honda CBX1000 - only a few years later than the Triumph and way ahead in technology and build quality - for a little over £12K. Personally I don’t like the styling of the T150. As a designer myself I don’t feel that the design of the bike ‘flows’. I wanted to create something that looked more together and integrated, while retaining a factory look. In my case the decision was easy as I only started from a frame and set of crankcases, so I had a blank canvas. Hopefully, by not starting with a complete and original bike, I have managed to avoid upsetting the purists! Good luck with your build, I hope it goes smoothly.
Thank you Mark. The T150 has passed its MOT, and now I have been issued with a registration number. Hopefully when the weather improves I can start running it in and post another video. Regards, Shaun.
Best not to let it idle , might be best to put two people on it for some extra load on the motor and ride it on some hills , this will help bed the rings . Cheers .
Hi. I’m inclined to agree. It used to be with older engines to run them in with care and build up the revs over a period of time. Don’t know why, but it seems that the consensus of opinion with regards to tridents is to run them in fast, or as some put it “ride it like you stole it”! Just waiting for some good weather so I can get an MOT. Then when I have a registration number I shall give it some good runs. One thing I need to sort out is the wet-sumping, but will probably do that at the first oil change.
My T160 , can't see or smell any oil burning , but added a small amount to tank the other day , which is good , but one day would like to freshen up the bearings , etc . Been collecting a few parts like oil pump, clutch , triplex conversion etc .👍
@@Cobra427VeightGlad your engine is behaving. I know I checked, checked and checked again the rings so I couldn’t figure out the smoke. Then on the second start up it was noticeably worse. When I unscrewed the sump plug 600ml, we’ll over a pint, of oil poured out! Annoying as I took care with checking the ant-wet sump ball and spring. That said, in way it was kind of a relief!
With regards to British classic bikes I too have only owned twins, until now. So the T150 will be an interesting experience. Like you I prefer Tri-Spark for its simplicity and easy set up. I hope to post a couple of videos soon to show how the T150 goes.
@@tribsa7503 I will be fitting a Tri-Spark to my other twins. Currently I run it, on a RE S ll Interceptor-Built/shipped 1/70. Experimenting... I have backed off the throttle valve/speed screws and have achieved a 600 rpm idle speed. Still Smooth. My idle speed is set @ 900 rpm. With Amal Premium carbs. 40+ years with this stuff,I think this is as good as it gets.Cheers
@TRIBSA750 they are temperamental if ridden regularly... Maintenance is a must as I said if ridden regularly ie torque head and check tappets/clearance every week...use grease on Tappet cover gaskets,comes off easier when going in and out regularly,saves ripping gaskets
Hi Matthew. Thanks for the compliment. I’m still playing around with the carburation at the moment so hardly done any miles. Hopefully will do a video soon when it’s sorted. Also fitting hopefully quieter silencers as the tuning gets ‘noticed’ by the neighbours! I’ve also just picked up a 1991 Yamaha XJ900F which I’m going to do a styling job along the lines of the T150 with wire wheels etc so getting a bit distracted. The reverse camplate works well. I got it David Madigan in the US. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. If you contact me through my website: www.triumphtrident1000.co.uk I’ll send his contact details, unless you already have them. Regards, Shaun.
Matthew, just realised you’ve already contacted me via email/triumphrat about Neil Beadling’s big bore kit!!! Thought I recognised your name. I’ll email you Dave Madigan’s details.
Well, let’s hope not! I must admit, it’s not something I’ve heard of, despite big bore triples being raced. Mostly you hear of rods being thrown. I’ve always considered the Triumph transmission to be fairly robust, and as mine is just a road bike which will only be used for country lane riding it won’t be too stressed. An interesting point though.
Megacycle Cams-Half race or 3/4 Race Cam,Lightened and balanced Crank,Black Diamond Tip Valves/Springs/Big Carbs-Dellortos,Big Jetts,Tappered Inlet Manifolds,Dyno’d,and tuned to 3-1 long headers to reverse cone about 1/4 shorter than yours in length from connector to tip,(free flow of course-NO BAFFLE),and 3/4 less in reverse cone…All complementing that 1000cc Kit…Norman Hyde?…My mate had a 850 Norman Hyde Kit with all of the above…Faaaaaaarrrrk that was lethal on the road💯You gotta beauty right there mate!Bloody Champion!..Triples For Life!
@@razbishara6491 Wow, your mate chucked everything at that then! Impressive. I haven’t ridden mine much due to the lousy weather and it may well need a bit of tuning and tweaking. I expect mine will be a little lazier than your friends bike particularly with the longer stroke, standard weight crankshaft. My 1000cc big bore kit was supplied by Neil Beadling here in the UK. Will post a riding video when the sun shines and it warms up a bit!👍
These boxes are tough, norton rotary used them,always slick, neutral always easy to find, if you need a neutral light you shouldn't be on it ,had my 160 from new took it to aus in 76, it's a bit of a rat but looks aren't everything, still running a duplex and have a new spare chain, change often and check primary oil level and should be good for 50.000 miles
Hi Martin. I’ve only taken the bike up the road once to test the gears (only got up to 3rd!) but the clutch is really light. You can actually pull it in with one finger. Haven’t used it in real anger because of the weather and I have to get an MOT in order to obtain a registration number before I can really test everything out. I had the clutch put together by an expert and initially fitted a heavy duty cable from Venhill. When I pulled on the lever I instantly realised I wasn’t going to enjoy using the bike with a cable set up, so I splashed out on the hydraulic unit from LP Williams. I bought a different handlebar master cylinder/lever to closer match the Brembo brake lever. Some people say you don’t get any feel from a hydraulic unit, but I think that’s rubbish. I fitted one to my T140 engined TRIBSA and it worked like a dream. My personal opinion is that they are well worth the money. They are self adjusting, have no cable to break, are fairly simple to install and make riding a LOT more pleasurable. I think it makes it easier to find neutral too. Just fit and forget! Regards, Shaun.
Hi Gareth. To be quite honest I haven’t added up all the receipts for this one yet! But I know it wasn’t cheap. The most expensive parts were the engine upgrades: Big bore kit, special crankshaft and conrods, uprated oil pump, starter motor, Keihin carbs etc etc. I also like using as many new, rather than reconditioned parts, hence the complete new gear cluster, instruments and so on. I suppose the problem is the bike would cost more to build than it’s worth, which isn’t a problem for me as I’m not after making a profit. Every time I build a bike I always say it’s the last, but never say never! I had in mind to do up and re-style an early XJ900 or CX650. But if the right T150 project comes along….!
Hi; for sure looks good but not better than a STD. Lose the sporty look; gained the new T100/scrambler orientation.. With those handlebars and a 1000cc you will feel the front wind in a not so good way. I have T140s with dual plug heads and lower bars and I use them mostly on the road (about 10000km per year) for distances between 60 to 250km at 120km/h and the front wind is not good. Also I have a new Husqvarna with those bars and was a real problem on the road; so I changed to lower ones and is like Day and Night.
With all due respect, I think you’ve missed the point entirely. The original bikes were just a miss-match of poor design thinking. Take the style of the instruments, footpegs, indicators and that utterly dreadful car oil cooler. My aim was to bring the bike up to a more modern classic feel, and to look like it came from the factory. There are plenty of standard bikes out there already, so why make just another one? I’m a designer by trade, so I know what looks right and what doesn’t. My two previous bikes were a 1700cc Yamaha VMAX (200bhp) and a 1200cc Moto Guzzi Griso (105bhp). Both had similar handlebars to my T150, but they had a LOT more power. The bike I have built is designed for two up riding on twisty country roads. So torque, handling, comfort and brisk acceleration are the prerequisites, not top speed. It’s more a sports tourer. I’m pleased with the riding position and it’s much more like the aforementioned bikes I’ve owned. However, I do find your opinion interesting, but not unexpected!
@@tribsa7503 Hi I am designer of surfboards and I am into deign in general; mainly modern houses. I understood pretty good your intention; I mean; that tourism with a twist but I think that the bike just look bland/soft to the eye without character. Yes, as mentioned in the other comment, looks good but as many out there that are not icons of anything. For example the Trident racers that the factory did in the early 70s look incredible; yes, the concept of this bike is other; actually I only mentioned that looks like a new T100/scrambler ad that the wind will be a problem (may be not so much for small country lines) but you mentioned 2 new bikes and I ride (commute with) old bikes since few decades ago so the perspective seems vary. All this without disrespect your build but I am into the style and character of old iron, so engine; frame; the "mechanical parts" instead of all hidden like new bikes are good in my book. Tridents were a superbike in that era
@@TheReverb1 Thank you, I really do value your opinion. I know my styling won’t be for everyone. I used to go mad on chrome plating, but on this bike I wanted it to be a lot more understated, so I went for satin black and dark blue. If you’re interested I have a little website detailing the build (triumphtrident1000.co.uk) On there you will see my “Other builds” and a TRIBSA I finished a few years ago., with a T140 engine. I’d be interested what you think of that. Regards, Shaun.
