Intro. Kind of…

[SuperBala]

Hello gang!
I’ve been scouring through this forum the last few weeks and I have to say… you make this community amazing! Thank you for sharing so much knowledge!
In the spirit of sharing, I’m hoping you can help me a bit more: I think I got the bug and might be taking the Trophy home.
Now, I’m coming from 6+ years and about 30k miles on a HD 48 and then HD Nightster. And now I need something with more comfort and wind protection as taking more motorways rather than commuting into London from Surrey (15min on “motorway” and 30min traffic thereafter. Been going more like 500 miles/week on the Nightster and it has not been good for me or the bike tbh! Trip to Manchester and back in the rain was great fun albeit BRUTAL!
So in looking for a replacement, I have come across this superb bike (or so it seems) that is the Trophy. What are your thoughts on my change over? What should I be aware of? How’s the bike for mixed use, even if biased towards motorway?
I’m considering an SE model with heated seats and full luggage setup. Believe it or not, the Nightster seems to be almost the same sort of weight according to the internet, with only 15kg or so lighter than the Trophy (301kg wet for the HD vs 315kg for the Trophy).
I want to be able to take the Mrs and perhaps the kids along for the occasional trip so there’s that too. I’m also 5ft10in tall btw.
Thank you in advance and I really look forward to your thoughts.

[digital]

  to the forum.

The trophy fulfills everything one could wish for when traveling or going to buy bread. Another thing is what you want to add to the bike. But I assure you that you will need very little.

It is a shame that this bike was discontinued, because there are few bikes that reach the level that the Trophy has. "There is no bike that reaches the Trophy to the tip of the shoe", as they say!

[HACKLE]

SupaBala  One things for sure your good lady will enjoy her position behind you, mine certainly does. 

[Coconut]

Hi SuperBala and to the Forum !

The first I would recommend you do, if you haven't already,
is to try and find one for sale at a Dealer, where you can
go and see it, sit on it, and "try it for size".

They are quite a tall bike and wide at the saddle, and it is important to be able to "flat foot"
or at least have enough leg length to be able to confidently stop and support
the weight of the bike - which is quite "top heavy" - so you don't drop it !

The seats are ( or at least were ) available in Standard and Low heights,
and each seat can also be adjusted in height between one of two positions.

Here are the respective heights, but there's nothing like actually sitting one to get the feel of it :

Standard Seat : Low = 800mm / 31.5" High = 820mm / 32.3" ( *Part No. T2305020 )
Standard Heated Seat : Low = 805mm / 31.7" High = 825mm / 32.5" ( *Part No. A9708259 )
Low Rider Seat : Low = 775mm / 30.5" / High = 795mm / 31.3"  ( Part No. T2304486 )

*Part numbers may have changed - and may not be available from Triumph.

See Topic here :

Once you've found one to sit on, and if it's suitable - see if you can get a Test Ride.

As already mentioned they are a heavy bike, and not the easiest to push around the garage
so take extra care - push from the left side, and have the Side Stand down so you can always
pull the bike over towards to you and rest it on the stand.

Once you get riding, and above a few miles an hour they are surprisingly light and amazing to handle.
As most Members will agree - the Test Ride usually sells the bike without the need for a Sales associate !

Try searching the "lings" Group - who often have a Trophy or two available for Sale at one of their Branches,
and also deal in Harley's - so a Part Exchange might be a consideration with them.

So, Assuming the Trophy "fits" and you've made the decision to buy one,
have a read through this Topic which is compiled from problems that Members have reported :

What to look for when Buying a Pre-Owned ( Used ) Trophy SE

Don't be put off by the list - it has been compiled over several years, and should not be interpreted
as problems that are likely to be found, just things to be aware of and look for,
prior to committing to a purchase.

Although buying from a dedicated Triumph Dealer will usually cost more,
all "Approved used Triumph motorcycles" should carry a 1 year unlimited mileage warranty,
and 1 year Roadside breakdown assistance, so check that this applies.

Finally of course if you have any questions, just fire away here
and one of our Members will soon have the answer for you ! 

Cheers 

[PhilInAthens]

 

[SuperBala]

Wow thank you very much everyone for the warm welcome    I have been following this forum for a little while and I appreciate the knowledge and camaraderie I had seen before and now I’m thrilled to be at the receiving end of it. I hope to be able to add to it accordingly as well. 

Thank you @Coconut for the great insights! I have been trying to find one near me but they all seem to be quite far from me atm. I did sit in one at a Superbike Factory showroom (no intention on buying from them) and the height felt fine on standard seat height. Quite a bit different from the Nightster of course but anything would be as the seating position and height are just very different from any other “normal” bike. The size of the Trophy can be intimidating but it felt just right rather than how I felt near a Goldwing or K1600. It felt just quite a bit less “old man cruising route 66-esque” (no offence) and more like ready for taking on the Alps sort of thing. I do wish I could take one on a test ride and that’s the main reason I haven’t pulled the trigger on one yet. It would be interesting to try stop-and-go for assessing the height/weight relationship as on the HD I can flat foot it with both feet and even stand up bumpy quite a margin so it was never a consideration.

I had a look at the issue list and I very much appreciate how informative it is! You’ve done a great job there so thank you again. I had read about some of those and my mechanic did warn me of some as well but I didn’t know of the brake and gear levers snapping or the engine rattle at startup. Will add it to my list of potential issues to look out for.

About moving around the garage, I always have to reverse in anyways as there is a step by the garage door that can make it tricky to push any bike without momentum and “bump it up” so this way I always have the alternative to ride out if I’m not feeling quite strong enough kkkk. I usually avoid turning the engine on in there because of the fumes and the smell on other crap stored above.

Ideally I am looking to get one from a main dealer but they all seem to be offering 3 months warranty only. I did see that for other bikes they had a 1y statement though so will always try and push it. In any case, I would likely get a third-party extended warranty. Do you guys think it is worthy it? I do have a very good mechanic who is not extortionate but I do worry about parts prices. The HD is a nightmare on that btw! just spent a fortune on drive belt and pulleys so a shaft drive sounds a dream! Otherwise, what are maintenance costs like overall? Also love the 10k service interval but I would venture a guess that I would be looking at yearly maintenance rather than mileage.

One other consideration would be meetings. Do you guys do anything regularly in the UK? I don’t really have anyone else around who rides so it would be a welcome change of scenery.

 

[Coconut]

I had a look at the Triumph Approved web site,
and the Trophy no longer appears in the list to be ablke to search for any,
so I guess there must be an age limit to be an "Approved Used" Triumph !

Lings at Ipswich have got a Blue Trophy SE on a '14 plate -
31,700 miles, £6,295 with 3 months warranty.
They might let it out for a Test Ride !

Looks nice in the Photo's ( they always do ! ) but it doesn't have Heated seats,
which are now very hard to find, and therefore may not have Heated Grips either.
( Heated Grips ARE still available ! )

Warranties are like Insurance - worth having and hope you never need to use them !

There have been a few meetings / gatherings over the years, but nothing regular.

There were plans for a meet up at the Triumph Factory but that got scuppered by Covid.
( Which reminds me - I paid a £20 deposit for that ! )

Servicing costs always include ( IMHO ) far too much for Labour,
but some of that can be minimised - for example if you were able to
remove the Fairings yourself, then deliver and collect the bike on a van
or on a trailer, and / or do some of the work yourself - Oil changes are
easy enough,  Air Filter & Spark Plugs not so much as the Fairings
and Fuel Tank have to removed to get at them.

There's plenty of information within the Forum about servicing,
and After Market diagnostics tools such as "DealerTool" and "TigerTool".

Mine will be due the major 20,000 mile service either later this year or possibly next year,
which includes the Camshaft Timing check & adjust, and the Valve clearance check and adjust,
taking at least a full 2 days, and will cost in the region of £1600.00 + ! 

Cheers and Happy Hunting ! 

[SuperBala]

Originally Posted by HACKLE

SupaBala  One things for sure your good lady will enjoy her position behind you, mine certainly does. 

That’s great to know. She has been in the back no more than a couple of times in the HD and I don’t even blame her with the barely “barely there” 2up seat and the sissy bar that is more for preventing the pillion from falling backwards than about comfort 😂. Then once I had a Suzuki 1250 for a couple of weeks and she actually agreed to go for a ride AND enjoyed it! So this is a bit for her too (and so I don’t have to feel guilty for wanting to hit the road more often kkkk)