[Pinche Chingadera]

I was flipping through some old cycle world magazines and was eyeballing a Triumph 900 Scrambler but it's alittle over my budget. Then I hit up good ol' craigslist and found a 73 Triumph Tiger in extremely good condish for 3500. The bike looks spotless besides the seatpan that has a little rust and a tiny scratch on the tank that isn't obvious. I was looking around on ebay and their priced right around that in the same condition. Anything to check for or known problems with these? I don't really plan on doing much if I buy it, Mostly just some clipons and new tires as the bike is super clean looking and not something to hack up like my CM400. Do they require more maint. or anything over a jap bike or parts a nightmare to find?

 

[Judeyramone]

Parts for old Triumphs are infinitely easier to find than old Honda parts. In fact, you could almost but every part brand new to build a new old Triumph... get your checkbook ready, though. British parts are very expensive.

If you plan to ride it regularly, plan for a lot of regular maintenance... or plan for a lot of maintenance even if you don't ride it regularly. If you stay on top of it, you should have no troubles.

 

[HackAsaw]

I've had a stable of brit bikes pretty much steady for over 20 years

Currently I have a 74T140V custom, a 79T140D cafe, a 71 TR6C custom, and a 74 T150V custom

and a few others

actually when they are screwed together right

as in non-lame-frail stock

as in strengthened all over and geared usefully tall

and a few other details the Brits overlooked

they can be quite reliable

In the last four years of merciless abuse..... my T140V has required one clutch cable and the carbs cleaned once due to it's sitting for about 8 months because it got crashed....... and the valves adjusted (ten minute job and painless) no more than once a year

and fluid changes

starts on the first or second kick every time

haven't even had to touch the magneto timing or it's points since it was initially locked down

I'd have to say it's been nearly as anvil reliable as my 51 HD flatty and damned near as reliable as any vintage Japanese or German bike I've owned

if you really want a custom bike then all you need to be worried about as far as parts are concerned

are engine/trans parts

not much else of that OIF bike is worth spending real money to repair or replace

frame isn't too bad but they put such a tiny steering head on it getting a set of triple trees on it to accomodate real fork tubes is pretty much limited to 7/8" stems

too bad because those stock 34mm forks with 6.5" of travel suck dog pooh and need lots of help

oh...... Triumph didn't nail their five speed cluster until 76..... that's what's in my 74 and I keep a spare on hand

the earlier ones won't take too much abuse but a four speed which will all but drop in it's place

is dirt cheap and you'll never break it as long as you get one from mid 69 or later

and I have tons of that stuff I'd almost pay you to haul off

 

[HackAsaw]

new engine trans parts are much cheaper than most all vintage Japanese

can you even buy a set of new standard bore cylinders for a CB350 or even CB750? XS650? H1 or H2? RDs?

new cylinder heads? new cranks?

complete engine gasket set with all seals and new lock tabs for a Triumph twin

less than a benji for a Brit twin at high retail

you can spend for adequate pistons at a benji and change including good rings

or you can spend 250 for hepolites with good rings

or you can spend 4-6 benjis for Arais or Venolia

pistons for my 51 Harley cost 40 bucks a set and 15 for cast iron rings

I like the total seal gapless at 60 bucks

bearings for the brits and such are the same or cheaper than Honda/Yama/Suz

but standard OEM parts for the brits are much more expensive than the same for the HD's

costs about the same to do a decent blueprint on a Triumph twin as a new 80" evo crate engine costs....... nearly double if you want lots of goodies and big bore plus stroking one can get into even more money

yet at the same time you can get readily get high zootium parts for the HD's that nobody will ever bother producing, certainly not in mass, for the Brit stuff or UJM stuff

lots of good aftermarket stuff for the brits but not nearly the demand or supply as the vintage HD has

you can pretty much spend as much money as you care to and get your parts fast with the HD stuff

I'd say there is likely more high quality after market for the vintage Triumphs than for nearly most all the vintage UJM stuff

and for sure there is for the vintage HD stuff

 

[Pinche Chingadera]

Are there any things that you do to it right away like as preventative maint items or things that are just better in the reliability spectrum like electrical items or whatnot? The only things he's done to upgrade it were oil filter, halogen head light, one piece instrument bracket, and a braided stainless steel brake line. Still has all the original parts, manual and spares also. If he bends over to three bills then it should be mine hopefully. What are some good sites for Triumph parts?

 

[MarkB]

good source of parts (but you need a parts manual to get the part numbers): www.britishonly.com
for performance parts, look up britech: http://www.triumphday.com/britech/
since you're in Neenah, take a drive down to milwaukee...MCC is located in S.Milwaukee, he can get you anything you need. another good source is Competition Cycle, they're on 124th just south of Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee. Competition can do machine work and all that good stuff. I know its a bit of a haul down from Neenah, but it might be worth it.

 

[Judeyramone]

quote:and I have tons of that stuff I'd almost pay you to haul off

Really now? Anything I must have for my "72 Bonnie? You like to post photos... indulge me.

Already asked about a head, but I'm not into that bike right now, and you asked a difficult question about casting numbers... like what is it? I'm not in that much of a hurry for it, yet. It's my "first" bike, and my wife won't let me sell it.

It's a project that's kinda waiting until my mortgage is paid off, and my truck, and no more babysitter everyday for 3 kids.

 

[HackAsaw]

Of course.......

split the cases and remove the sludge trap and press a machined slug in it's place that allows for full and continuous oil flow

at the very least clean it but the idea of putting it back in isn't a great one

most everyone does but the benefits of not reinstalling it are two fold

1) you never have to worry about the sludge trap packing solid and all the sudden "BANG" when the rods are no longer getting full pressure lube...... of course you already have an external oil filter and it needs to be a good spin on job

2) it stiffens the crankshaft and reduces engine vibration when done right

of course if you KNOW the engine has only a few miles on it and is virtually unabused along with being very well maintained

and you are only going to putz about on it religiously........ like ride it to Sunday school/mass/ritualistic virgin sacrifices every Easter and CHristmas

don't worry about it

but if you want it to be a reliable road or track warrior and real transportation

ya gotta

I also like to ditch the stock wiring and prefer a tympanium over the stock rectifier and zener diode

HOWEVER........ those two key parts, and the alternator, of the charging system are quite robust and reliable

to demonstrate that I put those two along with a 180 watt Lucas single phase alternator on my postive ground Harley flathead

and to date those 30+ year old items have never glitched even for a second

but I did use Mil Spec tinned aviation wire and good connectors

the brit bullet connectors are garbage


the other short comings and rather long list of frail factory executions could very well be listed

but they did do a lot of stuff the same stupid way as they persisted in doing merely because that is how they did it in 1936

and of course they kept on right until they went out of business


I doubt I have much of anything 72 Bonnie specific although I probably have a set of 72 cylinders for a long rod 750

a couple of wickedly prepped race heads

maybe a Morgo set of cylinders

various Arais and Venolia pistons

couple pairs of Carillo rods

some various rare Alloy Tech items

cams

stroker cranks

and other odds and ends

nothing really for a restoration


did you know that 72 had both highboy and lowboy frames?

also 72 was the year of both 650cc 650's and the last of those were actually 750cc 650s'....

do you know the difference?


something I am looking for is a "Home Market" Gas tank for a OIF Triumph or BSA

 

[Judeyramone]

I believe my bike started construction before the strike, and was completed after it was settled, due to parts on it from different yrs. I'm not really interested in hard core built heads... yet. It's a street bike. Not currently running, due to budget.

I was not aware of the hi-boy, low-boy frames in '72. I was under the impression '72 was all hi-boy frames, something they rectified in '73. I never had any issues with how it handled, although I've heard a lot of folks did.

Mine does have the original Bob Leppan dealership stickers still in place. "Triumph Detroit - World's largest Triumph Dealership"

 

[Judeyramone]

quote: good source of parts (but you need a parts manual to get the part numbers): www.britishonly.com

Parts manuals can be bought from these guys for mere pennies. Something I'd suggest - cheap in the long run.

 

[HackAsaw]

the Brit parts business is a tough one.....

guess a body could pay retail for things but I really can't see any reason why I would even if I didn't have many dealer accounts

unless you need a local guy/shop

it would be as crazy to pay retail for Brit parts as it would to do the same for HD parts

lots of below retail bits on ebay every day

 

[Pinche Chingadera]

I'm still waiting to hear back from the guy. The wife said she'd go down and fill out the paper work for the personal loan being the hours I work and the banks hours. If everything goes good then maybe I'll just pick it up and head to Rockerbox. Since I'll be in that neck of the woods anyways instead of making two seperate trips.