I loved this bike! It was the first sport bike I ever sat on that seemed to fit…most are designed for 5’6″ guys who weigh 125 lbs. The Triumph was definitely not for them, shorter friends had a hard time even getting their feet to the ground. Moreover, it was top-heavy, especially with a full tank of gas, and it was very hefty for a sport bike, 500 lbs all-up.
I bought it in 1998, when it was three years old, with 3,000 miles on it. Rumor was it was a repossession…it had been over once, doing some minor damage to the exhaust on one side, and a couple of scratches. I think I paid $6000 for it. This was a bike which had cost more than $11,000 new, I think. I wonder if one of the aforementioned smaller guys owned it.
It had plenty of power and sounded great. The scuffed-up pipes bothered me and I put a set of carbon fiber slip-ons on it, which really increased the rumble.
I eventually sold it for $2600. It had 13,000 miles on at the time, and it needed fork seals and some other maintenence work. The guy who bought it had the one and only key stolen out of the ignition while he was on a road trip in eastern Washington, which stranded him completely.
Hi…well this is very interesting…and you are up very early it seems…or I am guessing more like up very late…
Yes, one day he will come to bed and find the only space left is the dog crates because I will have all the dogs and cats on the bed with me…
I wish I knew it was that easy! Those are comfy looking crates. ;)
I have just purchased the 900 as my first Bike since going back to Biking after 20 yrs, when I was a youth you either stayed with Biking and got your full license or you found out about girls, got a car,house & family, before you know it you can’t afford boys toys until you lose the mortgage, family grows up & you finally find you can enjoy your hard earned cash, then it’s I want a Bike, your wife thinks your mad & your friends think you are having a mid life crisis, I just don’t want to sit in traffic for hours on end and want to feel a little piece of freedom for a while at least, It’s a great looking Bike & has sound of it’s own, can’t wait for the spring to put it through it’s paces. Anyone else found that they are really alive again & not just a 9 to 5er thinking that they shouldn’t risk it incase they pull a muscle?
Sure, it’s a pretty heavy and even a bit top heavy, but the early T3/4s are very special motorcycles. These are the bikes that brought Triumph back from the dead, and in doing so established the brand with a record of quality, reliability and longevity that the previous marquee could only dream of.
Over built and under stressed, it’s hard to pick a favorite; the Speed Triple? The handsome and oh-so capable Trophy tourer? My pick is the Daytona; which seems to display a level of quality, finish and beauty that outmatches the others. As a sport bike it’s extremely capable; as a British bike and as a Triumph, it’s without peer-
ive been riding a98 1200 trophy for 6 years, but i allways wanted one of the early 900 daytonas, i bought one the other week, a 94 model with 13700 miles on the clock, i absoluteley love it to bits, it is such a fun bike, very solid what an exhaust note above 7000 revs, my recomendation is to get one before prices rise as they are sure to be a future classic.