Belgian Trappist Abbey beers. Usually 10% - 13% Here are a few of my favourites. I was thinking about becoming a Belgiam monk to get pissed in one of their abbeys. I have the hairstyle.
I liked the Hyperstrada, but wanted the Tuono and selling the Hyper released some funds. I can't keep them all and the Triumph is a Sports Tourer a lot cheaper than the Hyperstrada. The Hyper was cool for touring and taking the luggage off for weekend hoonery. But I have the Tuono for weekend hoonery and the Triumph for touring.
Are those panniers the ones that move from side to side when mounted? Had a chap with us one year in Spain with said panniers. Lethal in cross-winds apparently.
Not that I can see. They hook on at the top and when locked, hook in at the bottom too. If you pull at them, they move a few mm, but nothing excessive.
Perhaps we do have something in common after all,as i'm particularly partial to a Belgium beer or two.
Sweet! The ones I’m talking about had about 15mm of sideways play built in to the mountings. In cross winds the panniers set up an oscillation in the bike. It was horrible.
Lovely condition - that’s a lot of bike for £2.5k! That’s one of the reasons i decided to keep mine - not really worth much now and perfect for normal road use so why change? Is that the first of the steel tank models? I took mine to Clive Wood in Swineshead for it’s 24k service - he has the best reputation in the business for an independent Triumph specialist. He was fully prepared for a real horror story as most of the Sprint’s get a hard life but in the end mine was the best he had seen. He echoed the below as the most important maintenance needed to avoid expensive and difficult repairs. When on the centre stand - check the play in the rear suspension linkage by lifting the rear wheel - there should be 1mm of movement - more and the linkage bushing is worn and no movement means it’s seized. ‘Aside from the tank, your focus should be on the bike’s rear end. The eccentric adjuster on the single sided swingarm seizes up if not stripped and re-greased regularly (ideally every four years) and that opens a can of worms that often results in a new swingarm being required. Always inspect the adjuster’s ring for signs of heavy-handed work that hints it is seized solid. And while you are there check the suspension linkages aren’t also seized as they should be cleaned, re-greased and rebuilt every 12,000 miles as part of the service schedule, not that many owners bother.’ Otherwise the only things to watch out for are: Overloading the charging system with aftermarket accessories. The silver trims on the side fairing have little plastic tabs that snap off at the drop of a hat - small self tappers are your friend here as the trims are expensive to replace and will only do the same again! The mirrors vibrate badly - try not to use the folding mechanism too much or it makes the vibrations worse - jamming some rubber shims in the joint can help. The lights dazzle people and you get flashed a lot under acceleration - but replace the stock orange bulbs with some nice bright white ones anyway as they aren’t great! The rear shock is a bit shit unless it’s heavily loaded - tends to skip on bumpy corners and doesn’t inspire confidence. I forgot - check the clutch cable - If you aren’t sure just replace it or take a spare with you on your tour! These are just small niggles on an overall great bike. The engine is a peach and pulls smoothly everywhere. And has a very satisfying tendency to pop and bang a little when closing the throttle coming up to a junction or roundabout - enjoy!
My advice - buy the Triumph original thats on Ebay - you will wait a VERY long time to find another that’s colour matched to your bike and in the long run will find it far more useful than the side panniers. The side panniers came free with all bikes after 2008 - the topbox was always an option so is far more rare. The fact that there’s one for sale right now that is the exact one for your bike is fate - don’t ignore it! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/264648399012
Great advice, thanks. I'm not sure if it has a metal tank, I think so. I'll give it a tap next time I'm in the garage. Why were they changed to metal? The bike only has a partial service history but was done 1,000 miles ago when the previous owner bought it. The dealer told me he px'd this on a Moto Guzzi as he was 60 years old, had just passed his test and it was too fast for him. Getting the ABS model was a bonus and I wasn't even aware of it until after I bought it. I always carry a spare clutch cable for anything I tour on (that has a cable). Good advice on the rear hub. Even though it's been serviced, it'll be piece of mind and I'll take a look. I was aware of the issues with the side trims. Mine have been painted white as it looks like they have succumbed in the past, but they fit the bike quite well. There is a lot of rubbish out there and I've seen them from £1,500 with 90,000 miles on to £4k for later models. I think £2.5k from my local dealer in the condition it's in represents a good buy.
