TriMotoRevival is about two things at once: the
revival of a rather dog-eared example of the machine that launched the revival of Triumph Motorcycles. She is
an early 1991 Triumph Trophy 1200.
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| Brought home for the first time, August 2010 |
I
acquired her in August 2010 and have gradually restored this
extraordinary machine to a condition she deserves, as an example of the machine that relaunched Triumph in the 1990s. My restoration is to a standard that will allow me to enjoy riding the bike in a manner that is true to the spirit of the designers, as I understand it to have been.
I have made some modifications on the way but nothing irreversible and primarily intended to improve the robustness of finish.
This blog has been to chart my progress and experiences on the
road. I also have a 1994 Triumph Daytona 900 and from time to time you'll see me write about some jobs on that bike here too. I've owned the Daytona since 1995, bought then when she was 18 months old with 10,000 miles on the clock, and we have since travelled about 60,000 miles together in conditions fair and foul. It was those experiences that made me appreciate the extraordinary solidity of T300 Triumphs and made me want to restore one of the first as a result.
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| September 2012, just after MOT |
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| September 2012, bodywork back on again |
If
you are reading this, I hope you find echoes of the pleasure I am
experiencing in breathing life and luster into a piece of recent British
motorcycling heritage.
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After an oil leak from the cam cover in March 2014, I stripped off the fairing lowers to fix it and then decided to leave them off for a while now the weather is improving. I 'borrowed' the forks from my Daytona 900 and fairing trim panels I made up for that bike years ago. Ruby's looking good at 45000 miles !
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| March 2014, after a wet winter and fixing oil leaks from forks and cam cover |
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7 comments:
Welcome to you Gray. Thanks very much. I think you deserve a medal for reading all of them ...
I'd be interested to know your engine number, if you are prepared to share it with me/this blog. Also, I'd be happy to post a picture of your machine and/or you here if you like.
best
LeT
Thanks - your VIN is seriously early. Mine is 000544. My understanding is that Hinckley was producing about 50 bikes per week in the first year so you are looking at a machine built around the end of the second month!
The engine number is less informative. It is stamped into the front right of the crankcase, behind and above the oil cooler.
I guess the historical aspect of Hinckley Triumphs is more accessible to us than for Japanese engineering work, splendid as that is. The David Clarke book looks good though I don't have a copy myself.
I think the T300s offer a unique and satisfying feel compared to other bikes of their generation. I'm not about to say that this feel is superior to all others. It is necessary to pilot these bikes - autopilot is not an option and I wouldn't want it to be. As you have no doubt deduced from my writings, it is the quality and solidity of the experience that I find so appealing, added to by a sense of reassurance given by the engineering integrity of these motorcycles. Altogether, they offer an unadorned versatility that is special to me, particularly for the initial versions.
My bike has 11 (yes, eleven) previous owners so I think lead a rather more unsettled life before passing into my hands. Sounds like yours has been treasured by someone. Most of the bikes I have seen have scratched fairing lowers. I imagine the top-heavy weight distribution catches people out at first. Or that those owners endowed with more compact dimensions struggle with paddling about in car parks.
Modifications are a personal thing. You could look at it as if you are a custodian of an historic machine but I think it is about how you feel. If you swap parts and keep the originals, you can always swap them back again. I was sure I wanted to find out what the original undiluted experience was like. I have made some modest modifications that I don't think have altered the spirit of the bike. I'll post on them specifically, to list them all in one place, though they have all been the subject of earlier posts.
I knew I didn't want to chop any of the original parts about and so I have stuck to making strictly reversible changes. The modularity of the range means it is possible to do a lot using factory parts. Also, I have two T300s and I have decided to restrict my more adventurous changes to the Daytona. It is nowhere near as rare as the 1991 Trophy 1200 and I have already tried quite a few different things with it.
If your garage is sufficiently accommodating, you could always get a second T300 for modding ...
Thanks - I'd like to try a flip screen. And the red might work well with my Lancaster Red.
I've just emailed you. It's great to here your bike is running well now. A trip to the National Motorcycle Museum is well worth while. They have a good book shop and cafe as well as lots of shiny bikes.
cheers
LeT
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