I’m new to the forum and seek wisdom from the collective. I am in the mood for a project and have located two Triumph Barn Finds (literally) that tempt me. They were both purchased new, ridden sparingly and then parked in said barn long ago. The barn does not leak but has a dirt floor. The first bike is a 1999 Daytona 955i. It has 2900 miles, is black and covered with dust. The clutch lever feels fine but when I squeezed the front brake the lever did not spring back and is now loose in its pivot. I peeked in the oil filler hole and the engine internals looks bright and clean. I was able to shift the gears a bit after rocking the bike back and forth. The factory tires are of course dry-rotted and the chain is rusty. I tried to roll it out into the sun but the front wheel is locked (maybe from trying the brakes?). The dirt makes it hard to assess the body work but it looks unscuffed and the owner says he never dropped the bike. It is all original. The license tag expired in 2000 and I am told the bike has been sitting in that same spot in the barn since then. The second bike is a 2006 Triumph Scrambler 900. It has 2500 miles and has been sleeping under a tarp. It therefore looks much cleaner and the bodywork is free of scuffs. The tires are original and flat. The clutch and brake levers feel normal. It has a carburetor, and the choke lever moves freely. Of course I did not try to start them. The tanks both have fuel in them that smells like varnish. No visible rust inside. I am aware that to bring them back to life I would need to fog the cylinders, turn the engine by hand, purge the fuel system, drain and refill all fluids, replace the tires, etc. The owner is an acquaintance whom I have known for many years and trust. I bought a low-mileage sleeping 2008 BMW RT from him out of this same barn a couple of years ago, evicted the mice from under the seat and had great fun getting it running and back on the road. After riding it for a few hundred miles I sold it for a nice profit. So I have the option of buying one or both of these Triumphs. I have never owned or worked on Triumphs, but have lots of experience with BMWs. Are these particular bikes worth the trouble of restoring to rideable condition? Are the parts I am likely to need readily available and are Triumphs as easy to work on as BMWs? How much are these bikes worth as they sit? I welcome any thought or comments.
Howdy J buy them both and enjoy the journey, just make sure you start a thread tracking your progress
Buy both, but only if the price paid reflects the work and expenditure needed to resurrect them. Once brought back to life, will they just be two oldish (But not old enough to have value in their age) bikes with not much monetary value? Of course, you will get the pleasure of working (And spending money) on them to get the result you want and you can’t put a price on that, or can you? Enjoy the opportunity Ken..
Hi welcome to the forum, giving you a price is difficult, i would find out what they would be worth when in good running condition and maybe pay half that?
Thank you for the warm welcome and comments so far! Being relatively unfamiliar with the Triumph brand, I do not have a good feel for the inherent value of these particular Triumphs. Their low mileage is appealing but are either of these models "special" or unique in any respect, or are they just older versions of bikes that were later replaced by more desirable models?
Greetings and welcome to the forum, JWeston. Your finds sound intriguing. I'm with the guys who have suggested you buy both, work on them, and post your progress. Of course, it's not my money being used to buy them but I would get the pleasure of watching your builds in action on the forum. @Kenbro made some great points about "value" which is not always monetary. The value for you may be in the build process itself more than what the bikes are worth when they are complete. Remember, something is "worth" what someone is willing to pay for it, not what we think we should get for it! Hope you enjoy the forum, JWeston. We look forward to learning of your decision about the Daytona and the Scrambler. I'm hoping you buy them so that you can save them from oblivion and uselessness and will give them a good home or pass them along to someone who will.
while a cautious man is considering a decision the opportunity presented often passes WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR Good Luck
Welcome, Bienvenue. You can buy them, nothing really specific on Triumph. A lot of japanese parts (brakes, suspension, etc). Wet clutch like japanese bikes is the main differences compared to BMW.
OK, the consensus seems to be that I should go for it, if the price is right and I enjoy the challenge of getting neglected bikes back on the road, which I certainly do. Even though the 955i will likely need more new parts and attention than the Scrambler, the 955i is more the kind of bike I love to ride (handles well, fast and smooth - or at least this is what I am told), so I am going I am going to try to work out a deal for that one first, and make him a lowish offer if he wants to unload both at once. The truth is that they have both been sitting unused for so long that he certainly won't miss them, and in fact may be glad to free up the garage space. Also, his wife was with us when I went out to look at them for the first time and it's abundantly clear that she wants them gone. So it's win-win-win even if he doesn't get much cash for the pair. At least that's the way I see it. Getting started on these in my garage is fun even to think about, thank you for the comments! Stay tuned....