Own a Yamaha XS750SE, bought new. Made a camping trip with wife on the backseat, around Schotland in 2010 (aged 64 and 60) 🙂 Best regards from the Netherlands
Ah, the memories.Owned one for over 25 years. What a nightmare. The clutch is hard to keep dry, the carbs wear like nothing else, the rockerbox gaskets get squashed out by the cylinder head bolts pressure. Leaks everywhere especially at the pushrod tubes...I could go on. I made aluminium rockerbox gaskets that cured the leaking at that spot, fitted a Tryspark ignition and a 1000cc Hyde barrel. After that it became useable .The new owner is delighted as am I for having sold it.
Mine is no trouble at all and I can pull the clutch in with two fingers if I want. You must have changed the crank too, to get 1,000 cc, mine is 831 cc with Hyde barrels and pistons.
In about 1981 or so, my buddy had a Trident and I had a '65 Sportster at the time. We'd swap bikes while out riding every so often and both enjoy the different feel of each other's machine. One day he forgot to turn off his fuel tap and on of his float needles must have hung open a bit. He went to start it the next morning and the bike caught fire and literally burnt to the ground. The engine was really just a pile of melted aluminum when it finally burnt itself out. Not a bit of paint was left on the frame. It was heartbreaking. I!m just telling this story so everyone will always remember to turn their fuel taps off so it never happens to anyone else.
Pau🎉l, this question comes from Longview Texas. Seems as if everytime I see a rider tickle the carbs on their bike it looks like a frantic morse code message! I traded my chopped Honda 305 SuperHawk C77 for a used 1968 T100c in 1972. Had to tickle that one. Sold the T100 in 1978 and bought a new '78 Bonneville T140E with the Mk2 Amals. Choke lever on that one. The point is I just held the tickle down till the fuel started to leak out around the shaft. It didn't take any time to "flood" the bowl .
I highly recommend braided brake hoses Paul - and it sounds great ! A friend started an old 650 unit Triumph for the first time in 6 years once when we had the old four star petrol..... just turned the key after flooding the carbs (with 6 year old juice !) and it started after the third kick !!! The clutch was stuck so we push it at first, stuck it in gear and he did about half a mile opening and closing the throttle until it freed off.... those were the days, the 1980's..... R.I.P Peck ( Mick Pertl).
Paul I have a set of points for that bike off my old t 150 which I swapped to electronic ignition complete with back plate etc your more than welcome to have them and a few other bits and bobs no charge cause what you are doing is educating motorbike enthusiasts and doing a damn good job
I can remember people having these from new and wondering what they were like to ride, my best mates dad had twenty++ British bike which he wanted us to ride. Turn up on a dry sunday for a ride, most used to give me the equivalent of white finger in feet, legs, hands ,I had most of the Kawasaki triples and then the inline four's, the 2 stroke triples mirror vibration the inline four's bugger all vibration, zero oil leaks in either . To be honest, as much as Ive loved these old bikes, I've never bought anything else than Japanese bikes . I guess that I learned from experience, without buying
Tridents and Rocket Threes tend to be pretty oil tight and vibration free, many other British bikes can be oil tight and run pretty smooth, if properly maintained and adjusted, but lots aren't and a badly set up big twin will try to shake itself and its rider to bits. I also have a couple of Japanese bikes, I like some of their machines too, but many are far from perfect, even if they might have seemed to be 'back in the day'. They are also often extortionately expensive for replacement parts, compared with British machines, but it's a case of each to their own, I guess.
Very nice English market example with original horns mine is missing and nice front fender which on my bike doesn't look as nice as yours. I was lusting for this tank for a long time, but finally decided there are too many changes to convert my 73 American market bike to European look, specially when my tank is in very good condition. Mine takes me for 100 - 150 km trips every weekend on Niagara escarpment area after I finally leave my big town behind. I too keep gaiters on a front end, 3 phase alternator with powerful light up front and oil gauge to be sure everything is right there. Our Summer is little too hot for English bikes with temperatures around 35 C, but last Monday I got great weather ( 25 C and clouds ) and my ride turned spectacularly well, However my bike is one kick starter cold or hot and goes like hell I still have 2 nagging issues with it - little too much vibration above 4000 rpm and front fork which is still much too stiff for my ageing body. I plan to change all bearings with both chains in my primary during winter + balance my clutch together with primary wheel / damper to hopefully reduce vibration and order new dampers for a front fork from 3D motorcycles ( Richard Darby ). Other than that it's great bike for me, easy to start, great handling and performance and much faster than current rider. :)
Dag Paul , men heeft nooit het verkeerde T-shirt aan . Het speelt zich allemaal in het hoofd en in het hart af . Prettige dag nog aan jou en familie .Roger.😍🤩😋
I used to drool over these bikes in Wileman's motors showroom, in Derby, 1975-79 The staff there were very tolerant of spotty apprentices dreaming of owning one.
BTW, the Amal company does not recommend 'pumping' the tickler. Procedure: Turn your petcocks on, press down on the tickler, once fuel leaves the tickler you can release the plunger and your ready to start your bike up! Theirs no need to "pump" the plunger, simply hold it down until fuel gets released.
It is something I and many others do and more just habit than anything, although sometimes I have held a tickler down and a float needle has stuck, and jabbing tends to help avoid this potential scenario.
Super Stuff Paul. I Love the Trident. Ive actually seen one an ex Police machine imported to Sri Lanka in the late 60s for Escort duties. This is one of Ten bikes imported back then. And my Bro in Texas has got a 69 Trident with the Styling Kit. 👍
Have to tickle those Amals. That’s what I loved about my Tiger Trail 750 - it only had one. Brilliant bike, loads of character, totally reliable and never leaked oil. Only used to eat tachometer cables but didn’t need one, just change on engine noise/revs.
Thanks, Herman - note the T shirt, also I used some of the credits at Hitchcocks which you very kindly arranged, to buy new tyres and tubes for this machine, and which are on their way - thanks very much again!
its a beauty paul, and a beast at the same time ! its made my day as well. i want to put that folding kickstart on my trident, but they`re like rocking horse manure to get and not cheap either, thanks for posting this bike again 👍
Excellent video, have you considered placing each of your bikes in to separate playlists? I love British iron and RE but your videos jump around all over the place, and I was actually looking for more on the Jubilee when I came across this 👍
That's made my day too Paul, it's always a good day when a laid up stead is pulled out of the stable and put back on the road, treat yourself to the new parts and enjoy, I never owned one but did ride one that belonged to a mate back in about 1986 , as payment for repairing/welding his leaking exhaust system IIRC. looking forward to the road test........
Now this is good news. I’d been hoping for this for as long as I knew that you had one of these bikes. My own opinion is, that the T150 is the best bike Triumph ever made, then or since. I’ve been looking out for one that I can afford for a number of years. I’m eager to see what you have in mind for it. Tell your wife that I’ll treat you both to a steak dinner when it’s riding again.
Lovely to see and hear it; what a beauty - and with ray gun silencers. My cousin had a bread bin model but with the gold side flashes and it made a great impression on a 16-year-old. Red or gold or the T160, I don't think they had bad styling on any of the Tridents. Not quite so keen on the slabby Rocket 3 style though.
Great video, thanks Paul. For some reason (can't say why), lthought if you havevan oil cooler on these that they won't wet sump, but now l am going to think aboutvthis logically to work out why they might 🤔😩
Marvelous bikes whether Rocket 3, Trident or "Rodent". Only two drawbacks - costly to buy and to run and they have zero tolerance for sloppy maintenance. Many years ago (well before Paul bought this one) I was pillion on a well sorted T160 coming from Bristol to York. A T150 accompanied us. The hole in the cases when it went bang allowed a view up the remains of all 3 barrels.
Hey Paul..... Made mine as well, about time the triple was exercised. Can't wait for the road test through those upswept rayguns. Which Hyde barrel is it? There's something about a triple 👍
I fitted a Hyde 850 kit about 25 years ago, the head also went for a short holiday to Norman Hyde. I also geared it up slightly, it is a very fast Trident.
That's the problem with bikes. They are so easy to store away with the intention of servicing or fixing when you have time and then being overlooked for years.
Have you ever put an oil pressure gauge on your trident ? Has the bottom end ever been apart , do you ever get concerned with the sludge traps in 45 year old bikes getting full ? Cheers
In short - no, yes and no. The oil light goes out and stays out even when ticking over hot. There are no sludge traps as such in Trident cranks, only plugged drillings from when the crank oilways were drilled in and they have proper, cartridge oil filters on the feed side. The engine was rebuilt in the late 80's with a reground crank, new big ends and main bearing shells, then the top end was rebuilt in the late 90's with the Hyde 850 kit and ported head. I put it away around 2002, until very recently.
Looks stock except for the exhaust. 73's are rare as that was the year the factory was on strike for an extended period. Can you get me the number for the front gaiters. I am in America and having trouble finding them as the american models were different.
Hi Roger, it is a 74 machine and those gaiters were fitted by me, years ago - I also fitted some to my Honda CB500T. They were just aftermarket items I bought at the time.
@@rogerrossman5124 It had a black and gold tank when I bought it, but it was very scruffy, so I swapped tanks with another Trident I had at the time, which had engine trouble and was going to be sold as a project.
Some do it my way, others do it yours. Less chance of the float needle sticking the way I do it, perhaps. Either way, it floods the carb for cold starting.
It doesn't need electronic ignition, it started on the 5th kick after more than two years and has always been fine with points, as have most of my other bikes. What would kicking it over every few months do? Nothing, that's what, it has been dry stored. I don't need or want electronic ignitions, they are more likely to leave you stranded than points ever would and they are certainly not trouble free, as I have found when working on other people's bikes with electronic ignitions fitted to them.
Hi Andrew, I don't buy bikes as investments myself, but many machines are a good investment, if bought at a good price. The T150V is the most common of all the Triples, all the other variants are much rarer. The T160 might be the best of both worlds, as a machine which can still be bought for not too much money, but increasing in value - as they all are to various degrees - and still give riding pleasure, without having to be locked away in a safe!
@@paulhenshaw4514 thanks Paul , appreciate your view , love the videos and roads , i live in llangorse so recognise the roads , have a couple of jap bikes but always fancied a Brit bike , I’m 58 now , time flies 👍🏻
