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View Full Version : Looking for Comments on Triumph Trophy


hschisler
Jul 31st, 2008, 11:55 pm
I'm looking for a good new or used bike for a daily commuter and lighter "fun bike". Today I looked at a '96 Triumph Trophy 1200. The bike is a 1200 cc, 4 cyl, carbureted, chain driven bike with OEM hard side cases, new tires, and 23k miles on it. The owner (second owner) is asking $3,200.

The bike has different ergos than my LT, and many of the features we take for granted on the LT are missing, of course. Still, it's a nice-looking bike and the owner claims it has been flawless for the 2 years and 4k miles he has had it. (yes, I know that claim could be baseless, but you gotta trust somebody at some point). The owner is happy to send me on a test ride.

The original owner had a low-speed crash on gravel, so the present owner repainted and repaired it. He repainted it himself, and it shows; the paint job is... well, it covers everything but you can see the paint has a kind of texturing that shows it wasn't a professional paint job. He put some after-market (non-Triumph) turn signals on, front and rear. They work but don't look "right", and yep - they could be changed out. Still, for $3200, I'm wondering what you all think of this?

I have read all of the threads that include "triumph" and "trophy"; there are some serious negative comments about the Trophy, as well as some positive comments.

What do you think? Comments, please.

waycoa
Aug 1st, 2008, 12:00 am
Got a ten foot pole?

AlaskaFish
Aug 1st, 2008, 10:24 am
Howard if you're interested in a Triumph check out the Tigers. From '94 to '99 they were a totally different Bike than the current one with the exception of the engine, a 3 cylinder water cooled one. The early versions were carbs and the newer ones have Fuel Injection as well as being bored out to around 1000cc from the original 900 (885)cc.

I recently purchased a '95 Tiger and am really enjoying not only the lighter weight, but the fact that I can take it off road for a stretch should I desire!

I attached a file pic of a '98 Tiger.

John

Jim
Aug 1st, 2008, 9:51 pm
+1 on the Tiger. I am seriously considering one of the 1050's. But, I also have a deposit down on a F800 GS.:D

DavidTaylor
Aug 1st, 2008, 10:03 pm
Stay away from it. Those bike weren't overly popular with the 1200 and I think they had some issues. Plus it's been bounced off the ground. If the guy doesn't care enought to do a decent job fixing the bodywork, how do you think he treated the rest of it?

You're better off looking at the Tigers if you're hot for a Triumph, or a Sprint ST or RS. FJR1300s aren't bad bikes, and an older Ducati ST2 could be fun.

hschisler
Aug 3rd, 2008, 12:16 am
Thanks, guys, for the comments. I'm seeing a bit of a trend here... :rolleyes:

To clarify, it's not that I'm interested in a Triumph. This bike just happened to come to my attention; it was a very nice-looking bike... until the close inspection and detailed conversation with the owner. The $3200 price tag caught my attention, also. Kelley Blue Book prices it at $3920, but the owner's lower price makes sense given the bike's condition and mediocre repaint job.

I took an '08 Tiger on a demo ride during my local BMW/Triumph/Ducati dealer's open house a couple of months ago. Nice bike, but more money than I want to spend on a daily commuter & fun bike.

I looked at an '04 R1150RT today at BMW MC of Louisville (KY). The owner, 80 years old!, had it there on consigment. 6600 miles on it, and priced at $9000.

I'll pass on the Triumph Trophy. Thanks for the help.