Looking At 955i, Any Advice?

Good choice Martin and I hope the bike is a cracker.

Things I would look for being a 1998 T595 owner (955i predecessor).

• Fuel smells - The tank O-ring seals are known to go.
• Corrosion on the engine casings - Giving you an idea of whether the bike has been stored outside.
• Overheating in traffic (difficult to check on a test ride)

I am sure others will have more tips for you.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Some suffered fractured headstocks, especially on earlier models, check the area very close for signs of hairline cracks, if in doubt walk away, there are plenty of nice ones out there. the other common faults found you seem to have those covered. Good luck with your purchase.

 

mgordonvegas8
Yes decent bike. Tell us some more about it like miles and service for a better answer. I do know you really need to get the major services done. Welcome to the family.
Joe.

 

I have the Speed Triple 955i, similar bike I understand (although am far from being an expert); and one "irritation" on mine is the little plastic tags on the seat and side fairings, that hold the screw fixing for the plastic (carbon fibre?) body inserts to fix to... A couple have snapped off...so those inserts aren't totally secure. If I can't fix the tag, or something (!?) it's gonna have to be a new fairing. These parts are getting scarce it seems...

I don't know all the proper part names...I hope the above makes sense!

 

These bits, in green is what I'm trying to describe

 

As a PO of a 98 T595 and 2002 T955i and 2002 Speed T955i, the later bikes are the better bet although I loved my T5. Spun a rod bearing through running low on oil and fitted a later 955i engine which seemed somewhat smoother and was slightly more powerful that the original 128bhp
They do tend to burn/use a little oil when cold so keep an eye on oil level, the 955 lump is full of character and doesn’t really need to be revved hard as it has plenty of torque, a much younger Exuptoy wouldn’t listen to that advise though hence the rod bearing failure.
Tail lights are mostly all damaged where the mounting lugs snap, my subframe had a crack from being dropped I assume, but is bolt on/off so was no issue.
Engine paint flakes off if used in all weathers, Triumph branded 1/4 turn Dzus fasteners can corrode and aren’t cheap, fuel tanks can be prone to swelling due ethanol content of the petrol and if the tank is removed for a long time they can be problematic lining up the fixing holes, quick release fuel connectors can leak if seals are perished which can stain the paint on the frame, good news is there are updated ones you can purchase online, Handle bars can be swapped left to right to make the angle of the dangle more comfortable. Tune ECU software is superb for updating the fuel maps and is cheap/free.
Early gear lever is bushed on the foot peg and can wear, the later gear lever that fits direct to the shaft is a better option.
Forks are basically Honda Fireblade items, rear shock linkage will no doubt be seized from lack of grease during services but are easily rebuilt if not so easily removed (use a stack of Spanners and the chain adjuster bolt to pull out the pin),



rear eccentric chain adjuster can be seized and if memory serves you can get the back end jacked up by turning the eccentric adjuster past the centre point (don’t quote me as that may have been on the modular Daytonas), get yourself a 46mm socket for the single side wheel nut and at 146Nm it’s fkn tight.
Double side swingarm from 2001-2002 handles better but looks crap, 2006 (last year) is the best you can get and don’t look bad but it’ll always be more sports tourer than sports bike.
Charging system on my Speedy was poor quality and needed new crimps on the stator and an updated (R1/Fazer Reg/rec
Sound like a lot of trouble? A poorly maintained one can be but that engine more than makes up for it.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten loads.

I must be a glutton for punishment as a mate has had a Tornado Red one since new in 98 with just 2500 miles on it and I think it’s shortly gonna be in my garage.

 

My T3 is blue as well and it really is the best colour!

 

I'd add to check the service history to see that the valve shims have been adjusted. They should have been looked at at about 25k miles if memory serves me right. I've done mine 3 times in my bike's life (it's a '99 SSSA version) - the first time they needed quite a few changing but the second and third time they hadn't moved at all.
Ditto the comment on the plastic fuel tank - the ethenol is quite a problem, I've been running mine on super unleaded for many years an now we're going E10 in the UK that becomes even more important.

 

https://www.thetriumphforum.com/threads/full-list-of-hinckley-triumph-paint-codes.1768/