What To Look For On Purchase

Ol' Grouch · Jan 20, 2025 at 8:10 PM

I've got a gentleman looking to trade his 1996 Trophy 900 for my H-D sportster. I'm tired of people breaking into (well, trying, two have gotten caught already) my garage to steal parts or the bike itself so I'm thinking of trading bikes with him. He wants to trade a '96 Trophy 900 but I have zero experience with British bikes.

I'm something of a "loose woman" when it comes to bikes. I've ridden numerous bikes over the years. Everything from a 1955 H-D model F to my last bike was an H-D Ultra Classic. Between them, I've had 3 Kawasaki Concours ZG11000 bikes and this looks similar to those. I've had Goldwings from 1100 to 1800 cc versions. I had a KZ1000E that actively tried to kill me once. I've ridden "Thumpers" and even rode a Honda CBX (and made the mistake of grabbing a handful of throttle at low speed. Here's a tip, DON'T.) However, except for a former coworker who had a Triumph with the 2000 cc engine (I think) I've just never had occasion to deal with them.

Here's my quandary, what do I look for in specifics on the '96 Trophy triple? I know from the picture it will need a front tire. There is almost no trade and the edges are cupped indicative of running low pressure. I expect the rear tire may have a chicken strip. Yes, I know about high speed rubber for Sport Tourings. What should I look for mechanically?

Any trouble spots to look for in the engine or transmission that Triumphs are prone to? How difficult is it to spoon new rubber on these puppies? What's a good tire combination for these? On the Connies I rode, Metzler had a good pair to run until they were discontinued.

I did visit the UofY (Youtube) and watched some videos on maintenance so it looks pretty straight forward. The mechanic was British but he was able to make a decent video without being too esoteric.

Any other suggestions on what to look for are welcome.

Adie P · Jan 21, 2025 at 12:57 PM

Ol' Grouch said: ↑

I've got a gentleman looking to trade his 1996 Trophy 900 for my H-D sportster. I'm tired of people breaking into (well, trying, two have gotten caught already) my garage to steal parts or the bike itself so I'm thinking of trading bikes with him. He wants to trade a '96 Trophy 900 but I have zero experience with British bikes.

I'm something of a "loose woman" when it comes to bikes. I've ridden numerous bikes over the years. Everything from a 1955 H-D model F to my last bike was an H-D Ultra Classic. Between them, I've had 3 Kawasaki Concours ZG11000 bikes and this looks similar to those. I've had Goldwings from 1100 to 1800 cc versions. I had a KZ1000E that actively tried to kill me once. I've ridden "Thumpers" and even rode a Honda CBX (and made the mistake of grabbing a handful of throttle at low speed. Here's a tip, DON'T.) However, except for a former coworker who had a Triumph with the 2000 cc engine (I think) I've just never had occasion to deal with them.

Here's my quandary, what do I look for in specifics on the '96 Trophy triple? I know from the picture it will need a front tire. There is almost no trade and the edges are cupped indicative of running low pressure. I expect the rear tire may have a chicken strip. Yes, I know about high speed rubber for Sport Tourings. What should I look for mechanically?

Any trouble spots to look for in the engine or transmission that Triumphs are prone to? How difficult is it to spoon new rubber on these puppies? What's a good tire combination for these? On the Connies I rode, Metzler had a good pair to run until they were discontinued.

I did visit the UofY (Youtube) and watched some videos on maintenance so it looks pretty straight forward. The mechanic was British but he was able to make a decent video without being too esoteric.

Any other suggestions on what to look for are welcome.
Click to expand...

Hi OG! You don't mention two very important points about the Trophy - first, the mileage; and, second, the service history. Neither will, per se, change any 'generic' advice about what to look for but might have a BIG influence on the overall 'value' of your trade.

By 1996, the T300 series engine was getting towards the end of it's production run prior to the introduction of the interim then fuel injected range of motors so, by this time, had been very well developed, tried and tested.

The T300 series range of motorcycles was, fundamentally, what gave the new Triumph brand an established foothold in the market and that was largely down to the range gaining a solid reputation for reliability over outright performance; strength over outright power; and torque over rev. happy response. The range was, contemperaneously, frequently described as 'bullet proof' though it did have its early problems with starter sprag clutch failures being the best known. The sprag itself was, I think, modified and strengthened in later models (and a "hatch" built in to the crankcase top to allow better/easier access for repair/replacement) but it remained absolutely critical that the battery on these models is of the best quality and kept in top condition - at least for peace of mind!

If the bike has had a good maintenance regime, with regular oil & filter changes and the valve clearances done to schedule then, engine wise, you have little to worry about - with one caveat being that they 'prefer' higher octane fuel. What might be more of a concern is that it can be hard to find OEM replacement parts (exhausts; silencers; plastics and panels, etc.) but the good news is that there's reasonable 'aftermarket' provision for some stuff and good trade in used parts ..... at least over here.

Tyres are fairly simple - go for any decent touring or sport touring tyre - in my limited experience they don't like 'sports profile' tyres, probably as the bikes are heavy - and top heavy - so too easy a 'tip-in' can feel a bit alarming.

They are DEFINITELY worth owning (IMHO) and can be really rewarding. They handle well enough for their size and weight - albeit a bit top heavy so can be a challenge to manhandle and manoeuvre, especially if, like me, you're short of leg length. They have always been said to have "character" and, while that can't be easily defined, it's certainly something that was commonly acknowledged in most descriptions and tests of the early models.

Good luck with your decision and, hopefully, purchase.

Ol' Grouch · Jan 21, 2025 at 3:53 PM

Adie P said: ↑

Hi OG! You don't mention two very important points about the Trophy - first, the mileage; and, second, the service history. Neither will, per se, change any 'generic' advice about what to look for but might have a BIG influence on the overall 'value' of your trade.

By 1996, the T300 series engine was getting towards the end of it's production run prior to the introduction of the interim then fuel injected range of motors so, by this time, had been very well developed, tried and tested.

The T300 series range of motorcycles was, fundamentally, what gave the new Triumph brand an established foothold in the market and that was largely down to the range gaining a solid reputation for reliability over outright performance; strength over outright power; and torque over rev. happy response. The range was, contemperaneously, frequently described as 'bullet proof' though it did have its early problems with starter sprag clutch failures being the best known. The sprag itself was, I think, modified and strengthened in later models (and a "hatch" built in to the crankcase top to allow better/easier access for repair/replacement) but it remained absolutely critical that the battery on these models is of the best quality and kept in top condition - at least for peace of mind!

If the bike has had a good maintenance regime, with regular oil & filter changes and the valve clearances done to schedule then, engine wise, you have little to worry about - with one caveat being that they 'prefer' higher octane fuel. What might be more of a concern is that it can be hard to find OEM replacement parts (exhausts; silencers; plastics and panels, etc.) but the good news is that there's reasonable 'aftermarket' provision for some stuff and good trade in used parts ..... at least over here.

Tyres are fairly simple - go for any decent touring or sport touring tyre - in my limited experience they don't like 'sports profile' tyres, probably as the bikes are heavy - and top heavy - so too easy a 'tip-in' can feel a bit alarming.

They are DEFINITELY worth owning (IMHO) and can be really rewarding. They handle well enough for their size and weight - albeit a bit top heavy so can be a challenge to manhandle and manoeuvre, especially if, like me, you're short of leg length. They have always been said to have "character" and, while that can't be easily defined, it's certainly something that was commonly acknowledged in most descriptions and tests of the early models.

Good luck with your decision and, hopefully, purchase.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I talked to the owner last night. To say the bike has had an interesting life would be an understatement. He is willing to add a bunch of stuff to the deal so I won't get hurt.

The bike has 46,000 miles. Some parts that are made of unobtainium have been replaced with parts that might not be stock but work. The owner is a retired military helicopter mechanic. The bike runs good according to him but the fairing has a spot where it's been down. I might do some modifications like I did on the C-10 Concours I used to ride. (GTE1000 in Europe) The absolutely FIRST thing after title transfer will be maintenance. I'll change the oil, coolant and such so that I know for ure when it was done last. Then I'll address the tires as they have 6000 miles on them and I know how long "spirited" riding makes them last.

Once I get it to my specifications for riding, then I'll look at what to do with the fuel tank. It has an "issue" you usually won't find in Great Britain or most of Europe. The owner got the bike from a fellow who was well watered when he left a bar and when it wouldn't start, he shot it. The hole in one side has been patched and there is a dent on the other side. I may or may not fish the bullet out of the tank. It still rattles around in there and I don't want to restrict the fuel pickup. I'm heading up to lay my eye balls on it once the ice and snow clear a bit. Right now it's a bit chilly. The digital thermometer show 1 degree F. He's about 100 miles north of me.