Triumph Trident Adventurer

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Draggon Rider

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I've been looking at a 1999 Triumph Trident Adventure, I wanted to ask the collective if anyone had an oppinion on this bike. It's a really good price but the owner admits it needs TLC after sitting for a year.

So am I buying someone else's headack or is this a dependible bike?

A little back ground; when I was a baby my Dad owned a Trimph, everytime he started the bike I thought I had to be on it, the bike sat in my Grandmother's Gargage for years and when I was about 10 I would play on the bike. I loved that bike, what is left of it is in the woods behind my Dad's house. About 30 years ago he deside to tear it down and rebuild it, well you know the story, it got torn down but never rebuilt. My first three bikes have been Japanese, but I've always had a soft spot for the Triumph.

 
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Sounds like you need a Triumph?

Only one way to really satisfy that need -- get one. But, getting a good running one would make for a nicer experience, imo. Even if you may like to restore one, it's (often) hard to beat buying one that's already restored -- the seller/restorer seldom recoups all (or even near) the costs....

Triumph's new (Hinckley) twins capture a lot of the old Triumph nostalgia -- see "Thruxton"... :)

 
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How much TLC can it need if it's been sitting for a year in SoCal? :blink: (assuming the seller is local to you)

Drain/change the gas and oil, change the brake fluid, have a look at the plugs, maybe a battery and fork oil, but seriously, if it is in decent shape and you want a Triumph, and the price is right, go for it.

If I'm remembering correctly, all the late-90's Triumph triples used pretty much the same engine, except maybe the Thunderbird. The Trident was pretty basic, sort of a re-think of an 80's-vintage UJM, only somewhat more refined. They were a tad over-priced for me when I lived in SoCal in the late 90's but I did lust after one at the time. Oh well...

The new (Hinckley) Triumphs are not at all like the older (particularly the HORRID mid-70's) bikes, which had all sorts of problems related to metallurgy as well as the infamous electrical problems, leaks, etc. The 900 triples were pretty solid all around, and they have a different (and I think kinda cool) sound to them as well.

That being said, I've never owned one, so can't comment on their reliability, maintenance costs etc ... but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a late 90's Triumph (although maybe not the Trident - a Thunderbird perhaps) if I had the extra cash and space in the garage for a naked standard bike.

Griff

 
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A) Does the bike run at all?

B) Does the oil look OK, or like something out of the LaBrea tar pit?

If A, and the main problem seems to be a bit of trouble starting, or maybe hesitation with throttle application, you probably have some varnishing of the carbs from the old gas evaporating. I've have very good luck with running a tank or three with 2 - 3 oz of SeaFoam per gallon through the engine.

If B, the previous owner is a retard, and nothing he has told you can be believed! Run, don't walk away...

Seriously though, if the bike looks generally solid, is cosmetically worth spending some time on, and you can get it cheap it would be a lot of fun on the road.

I have a 91 Kawasaki 750 which my son found at a police auction in Seattle a few years ago, and we were able to get it for a song. New Battery, fork seals, tires and the SeaFoam gas treatment, and it has been a hell of a lot of fun, and generates a lot of comments from other riders.

Good Luck!

Don

 
I rode a '99 Adventurer for about 9 months. They're good for short to medium trips but nothing for more than a day.

Unique, old-school lookin', water-cooled, and a great, great engine sound. I loved the spoke wheels and design of the bike. I hated not having a windshield.

Look on EBay for good examples.

99adventurer.jpg


 
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