| Author | Message | ||
     Firemanjim |
I am on my 4th Triumph, a 595 Daytona, 2 955 Sprint St's and now a 1050 Tiger. All the bikes performed flawlessly. I had the fuel gauge sender go out on one Sprint . Put 50k on first Sprint about 36k on the second and have put about 16k on the 1050--since last May! Had it 2 weeks and went to N. Carolina to see JB2 and the boys.Fantastic bike ---and I can tune it through the stock ecm with free software. | ||
| Sifo |
and I can tune it through the stock ecm with free software. And there's a bunch of well developed maps freely available! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
They have chains, that's so stone age, one of the reasons for my buying a Buell was the belt. If there's one maintenance job I hate above all others, it's cleaning/lubing a final drive chain. Plus I hate the noise a chain makes, it just grates on my nerves. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
DuPont makes a terrific chain lube and also a cleaner. The lube stays put and doesn't attract dirt too bad. It's like an aerosol wax. Once it starts looking grimy, clean it with their cleaner. I've had my Bonnie for about a year, almost 6k miles and the chain looks new. There's also automatic oilers, but they use a thinner lube and tend to fling some. I wasn't to keen on a chain, but it's not a big deal. Lubing it gives me somethin to do when I'm bored and it's raining. | ||
| Sifo |
Good point Grumpy. I will say that today's O-ring chains are much better than the chains I had "back in the day", they are still chains. Nasty grit gathering, maintenance intensive, pieces of mechanical hardware built from hundreds of tiny pieces just waiting to give you grief. They are still a huge step ahead of what I used to think of as a chain. The chain does make it easy to change the final drive ratio, something that IMO helps the Sprint quite a bit. Also today's chain lubes stay on the chain much better. It still winds up on my wheel though. It stays on the wheel much better too.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
I like chains on my dirt bikes (and plain ones, not o-ring ones). They have no place on a grown up street bike though... | ||
| Danger_dave |
@ Grumps - HTFU. | ||
| Xl1200r |
My 2 cents on the chain - Shafts are heavy, and rob power. If you've got a 700lbs road pig with power to burn, like a C14 or a BMW K-bike, have at it. I'm not interested in either, so that leaves us with belts and chains. Chain take maintenance, adjustment, lubrication and regular replacement with the sprockets. BUT, if one breaks a million miles from home, chances are locating a replacement is easy peasy. Alternatively, you can pack a spare and it make no difference how you coil it up and it can be done on the side of the road. Belts, on all 4 bikes I've owned with them, have never given me any grief, but it's not like the odds of hitting the mega millions that one could break on you. And when it does, who knows how far away a replacement is, and changing it is not a roadside option (at least not on my S3T). I've never had a belt break, but it's always in the back of my mind. If a chain breaks, at least I know i've got options. Gunk on the wheel? No difference to me - my bike is habitually coated in whatever grime is oozing out of the leak-of-the-week, anyway. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
According to the owner of my Triumph dealer, with today's chains you'll need a new rear tire before the chain needs adjusted. XL, have you been to triumphrat.net? Very active and lots of good info. It's the BadWeb for triumph. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I'm pretty much a forum junkie, and after hearing you defectors mention that particular one a few times I make it my first (and generally only) stop when trying to get real-world info that a spec sheet or rag review can't provide. | ||
| Firemanjim |
Yup,maybe even 2 rear tires. And you can always look at the new 1200 Tiger--it is a shaftie! D Dave, gotta agree on that, a little chain lube once in awhile is not gonna kill you,Grumpy! | ||
| Firemanjim |
Oh, and I have never had to reset my TPS, had a plug foul, or had to drop my motor to do any maintenance--unlike a whole slew of XB's I have seen through my shop!!!!!!Triumph's fuel injection is sweet! | ||
| Xl1200r |
Jim, that brings up some good points re: scheduled maintenance. Yes, the Buell lacks valve adjustments, chain maintenance and throttle body balancing, but the trumpet lacks primary chain maintenance, static timing checks, TPS resets. Sort seems like a bit of a wash at this point in that regard. | ||
| Valiant_duke |
I too am looking at the GT, but with me moving in a couple of months and looking at buying a house, a brand new bike isnt in the super near future. If you fulfill your dreams, please post updates and reviews. Good luck with the soon to be new bike! | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Triumph's fuel injection is sweet!<< Just don't mention the TT600. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Hey DD, when was the last time you cleaned & adjusted a chain? Your Uly had a belt & all the other bikes you ride are somebody elses. You'll have to get back in the habit now with the klr. btw, I had a Scottoiler on my FJ1200, worked very well, & had a reserve tank too, it was fitted behind the number plate. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>last time you cleaned & adjusted a chain? << Last night. | ||
| Danger_dave |
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=41895815146 3270&set=a.323937967631956.97124.323936054298814&t ype=1&theater | ||
| Guell |
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| Xl1200r |
Well, dammit. I stopped by the local Triumph dealer, and that demo model they had IS silver... I guess it's been sitting pretty much all winter, so they didn't want me to take it out for a test ride but it will be ready for me on Saturday (should be a little warmer here as well). Sitting on it, it felt slightly more aggressive than my S3T, but I don't think enough to cause any issues ergonomically. I think it looks better in person than photos. It's bigger than I expected/remember, but it's proportioned very well and you don't really notice the wheelbase unless you've got it parked next to something smaller. The bags are very nice, feel very solid and mount super easy. I like the whole swinging thing Triumph does, but I don't know that I care all that much for the fact that they more or less just hang from the tops. Seems like they'd make a ton of noise and move a lot going down a bumpy road. The underseat storage is not as copious as the reviews would lead you believe (or maybe I'm just used to my S3 which isn't lacking too badly), but there is a fair amount there - enough to pack for a day ride, easily. The lockable storage in the fairing is nice, but the operation is a little clumsy. The only catch - they are out in left field on the price. I didn't do any dealing, but they're starting at only $700 off for a bike that's both a 2011 left over AND a demo model with 700 miles on it (and the the computer says it's done 97mph, so... not babied). I can buy the same bike, same year, same miles in AZ for $3500 less than this place is asking with no haggling in AZ, and I'm more than willing to fly there and ride it home. Hell, there's a few spots advertising new ones with 0 miles for $1500 less. Stay tuned... | ||
| Sifo |
BTW, the suspension on the Sprint is not of the quality on our Buells. It's an area that they try to hit a price point. I found the front of the ST to be way soft. It's an easy enough fix to get aftermarket springs for my weight and went up a grade in oil weight to increase damping. Preload is cranked fairly high on the rear. This set up works quite well for me on the street. It's not like I twiddle the adjusters on my XB all the time either. I set and forget. The knobs just make it easier to set. The Triumph suspension IMO is "good enough" for it's intended purpose. If you really feel the need, aftermarket valves are available too. | ||
| Xl1200r |
The new Speed Triple is a real looker... perhaps one of those with a set of soft bags? Nahh.... | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Left this party early (when we sold the Thruxton to get a second Uly) but I think we are ready to return. The sprint is very yummy. We've missed having a triumph in the garage.  | ||
| Sifo |
The new Speed Triple is a real looker... perhaps one of those with a set of soft bags? If you can afford the ticket!  That one is a true hooligan bike. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :^) | ||
| Xl1200r |
Well, I rode it today. The bad? It's comfortable enough, but I think I'll look for bar risers if I got one. Also, you can easily tell it's heavier and longer than my S3T - considerably slower to change direction, but I don't think annoyingly so. I also think it could use a little more oomph - my Buell feels faster to me - but I admit I didn't get a chance to rev it past maybe 6,000 rpm or so, so perhaps it gets better when you romp it. The good? It has got to have the most compliant and comfortable suspension of any bike I've ever ridden. The engine is smooooooth, yet still has character. There's way less drivetrain slop than my S3 or my 1125CR had. Starting up is simple, no fuss and doesn't vibrate my helmet off the seat. Gear changes are quick, precise. Brakes feel a little numb to me, but could be because the rotor on my S3 is warped so I get a lot of feedback through the lever. All in all, I loved it. The riding position, I think, it actually a bit better for what I want to be doing on a bike. Getting back on Buell felt like sitting on Sportster! Stay tuned... | ||
| Sifo |
I also think it could use a little more oomph - my Buell feels faster to me - but I admit I didn't get a chance to rev it past maybe 6,000 rpm or so, so perhaps it gets better when you romp it. I would say the power is a bit deceptive. The Buell has a more brutal power delivery. It gives a nice kick that's lots of fun, but runs out of excitement on the quick side. The ST is more refined in it's delivery but will keep on building power at a nice steady rate. There's lot's of power right up to redline at 9,500 RPM. The other thing is the gearing. Like I mentioned, I dropped a tooth on the front sprocket and the gearing is still slightly tall. Depending on how much superslabbing you plan to do, you might consider dropping two teeth on the front. Right now mine has the front wheel just starting to lift in 1st gear as it runs up around 7,500-8,000 RPM all on it's own. Considering the weight of the bike and the long wheel base, that's pretty good in my book. Still it's a mild tune for today's liter bikes. IMO that's a good thing for a sport touring bike. It's got gobs of torque across a huge RPM range and no surprise peaks in the power band. Just don't expect it to run with today's liter bike sports bikes. I know it will outrun my XB12 though, especially at higher speeds. Yes the suspension is super compliant. I found the front to dive too much under braking though, so upgraded the springs and oil as I described earlier. It's an easy change if you find the need. As far as riser bars go there's spacers available that will raise them up 1.25 inches I think. I have no idea if that may interfere with the fairing or not. You may also need to get longer throttle cables and longer brake line. Those may have to be custom pieces, I'm not sure. I would give the standard setup a chance before spending money though. I've adjusted well to the older lower bars better than I thought I would. I still can't ride a Daytona for any length of time though. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I thought the gearing was pretty good. Despite the taller 6th gear the GT has over the ST, I was able to roll along in 6th at 50mph, around 2700rpm, and the engine gave me no complaints. I don't think it's a slow bike by any beans, but I just feel like the Buell doesn't everything a bit faster, although also with a bit more drama which only good some of the time. | ||
| Firemanjim |
Remember to NOT ride it like a Buell with a redline at 6500 RPM, it makes power to past 10,000! Had bar risers on both my Sprints and loved them.Super easy install. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I mulled it over for a week and decided I want it. I made an asinine low-ball offer on the demo my local dealer had - they about had a stroke, told me I "wasn't their buyer" and thanked me, haha. Strike two was the bike Bbob had sold yesterday. Good news though - found one in Ohio for quite a discount and took that one. The pick-up process should be interesting. My friend, whom has his own plane, will probably fly me out there. From there I'll likely ride a half day to stay with family in Pittsburgh and then be home the next night, or my pilot might make it a two-day trip as well and we'll find a place on the way to meet and get a motel or something. I'm excited, and at the same time it's heart wrenching to think of the S3T leaving my possession. I'm not trading it in, but I do have it listed for sale as I can't justify owning two sport-touring bikes. I do want another Buell, likely another Tuber, but I can't butcher an S3T to build the bike I have in my imagination - that's what X1s are for! | ||
| Badlionsfan |
What dealer in Ohio? |
