Test riding a trophy on Fri... what should I pay attention to?

[jid]

So I’ve been riding a 2016 T120 for the last couple of years.  Mostly 30-60 miles at a time and mostly around town.  Decided earlier in the week to do a 160 mile ride.   Loved the ride but the bike is NOT setup for being 65+mph for a while.  Even with a full windshield.   

I’ve considered a mile muncher for a while.  The Trophy has been at the top of the list and I’m finally going to go ride one.  A local dealer has one with under 1k on a 2015 for under 10k.   

What should I be looking for in the ride?   Any tips on things to be sure to check out?previous bikes have been triumph rocket (loved it and miss it... almost bought one but looking at trophy instead), Multistrada 1200 (slightly too tall and didn’t love the seating position), triumph America (least favorite of all), and Ducati monster (too sport-bike-like).   I have high hopes for the trophy and may be driving it home.  Just gotta not fall in love too hard.  I’m 6’0” and 185lbs.-ish. 

Would love your thoughts.  Or do I just pony up for a new one at 13k-ish?  I’m not afraid of used.  At all.

Thanks y’all!

Joseph - in AZ

[Verdun95]

I'd say a 2015 with a thousand miles on  the clock (guaranteed?) for less than $10k sounds like a good deal to me! Just test ride it and it might well be that you'll fall in love with it

[Coconut]

Hi Jid,

First off I am SURE you will LOVE the Test Ride -
be prepared to pay the deposit when you get back !

There are a few things to be aware of :

"Some" U.S. Dealers don't have the best reputation when it comes to knowledge
and Servicing of the Trophy, while others do - so if the Dealer is new to you
see what research you can do on them !

There were a few teething probems on early Trophies which have hopefully been sorted out
on this 2015 Trophy, but ask about the following :

Does it fall within the VIN Range for Cylinder Head modification ( "upgrade" )
which was carried out on request for the US market - if owners reported
excessive top end noise, and if so has it had that work done ?
( VIN Numbers 602960 and onwards had the modified Cylinder Head fitted ).

A recurring issue for US /Canada export SE models equipped with XM Radio
was a bug in the Software Version that could prevent the audio module from shutting down
when the Ignition was switched off, draining ( and ruining ! ) the Main Motorcycle Battery.

The Faulty software version was 1.04A - The latest version is 1.04E
and despite the information being widely circulated by Triumph
it seems that there are MANY Trophies that have not had the software update.

It's easy to check for this :
The radio should be OFF when the Ignition is turned ON ( but don't start the engine ).
If the Radio is ON, turn it OFF ( Volume all the way down to Minimum, "MUTE" and then "OFF" ),
then turn the Ignition OFF and back ON again.
Press and hold the "P" button until the "DIAGNOSTICS" menu is displayed.
Scroll to the S/W VERSION item, and press the handlebar Select ( "i" ) button.

Other things to check for are the obvious - all Services carried out
( 500 miles, then every 10,000 miles or every year whichever is first ).

Check the wiring around the Headstock area which can become overly tight
when the handlebars are turned fully to the right putting strain on the wiring connectors,
and in some cases have pulled wires out of the base of the Ignition switch
resulting in a costly repair.

Check for obvious signs of corrosion, particularly on the radiator
( not easy to inspect behind the fairing ), Final Drive casing,
and Lower suspension components.

Check whether Heated Grips really ARE fitted if it is advertised as having these,
noting that ALL Trophies have the switch as standard, but the actual Heated Grips
( which look identical ) are an optional accessory, so with the engine running
switch them on ( Handlebar left switch cube ) and see if the "Icon" appears
on the Instrument Panel display - and see if they get hot !

If the Trophy has a Top Box ( Trunk ) - Great ! -
I not, check to see if the Spare Lock Barrel that all new Trophies were supplied with is included,
if you intend to buy a Trunk and don't want to end up with a different key for it !

Check that all 3 Handbooks ( Owners, Audio, and Service ) are present
( They may be located in a storage space on the underside of the Pilllion seat ! )

Check the condition of the tires - the original stock versions were prone to cupping"
of the front one, while the rear can go from looking good ( but getting a bit low on tread )
to the cord being exposed in the centre section in a very short space of time !

Finally, You probably already know, but Triumph have recently ceased production of the Trophy,
so there are some very good deals to be had, and while Triumph have stated that they
will continue to support any discontinued model for at least 10 ( or was it 12 ? ) years,
this should be taken into account.

If you've any other specific questions, try the "SEARCH" Button up on the top Menu Bar,
and if you can't find what you need just come back and ask 

Cheers 

[nervouswreck]

  jid good advice from coconut as usual but make sure you do what he says before the test ride.  If you don't you'll forget and plunck your money down.  The dreaded test ride has caused many people to get a funny look on their face and reach for the wallet.

[trophied]

If you're not accessing the forum from a mobile phone now you can do so while you're at the dealer so you have Coconut's suggestions to keep from forgetting anything.  I think you will find very few faults with the 2015 Trophy.  Enjoy the ride for as long as they'll let you have it!

[jid]

 Great feedback so far. I’ve asked them to get me the Vin number before hand so I can check on the work. The bike has less than 1000 miles on it. so it likely set for a while.  I don’t know how long this dealership has had it.   It is not a triumph dealership so who knows. What I do know is that they won’t know much about the bike. So all the research is up to me !

Either way, I am excited.   

[Coconut]

Something else I forgot to mention, is that you can check to see if there are any
"Diagnostic Trouble Codes" ( "DTC's" ) stored -

Very easy to do - Just hold in the "i" Button and the "Scroll UP" Buttons
at the same time, and hold them in while you swich the Ignition to "ON".

The Instrument Panel will display the Diagnostics screen
and allow you to scroll through any DTC's that are stored.

You want to see "P0000" which means there are NO DTC's stored 

( Turn the Ignition off once you've checked ).

If you refer to this Topic : Servicing Data, Reference Info. & DTC ( Fault ) Codes -
Sroll down to Reply #9, "Diagnostic Trouble Codes ( DTC's ) / Fault Codes"
where you will find - at the foot of that Post, a downloadable Word Document
listing all of the DTC's, their meanings and other information,
which you could print out and take with you,
to refer to - if you find any stored DTC's 

Cheers 

[Bespoke]

Excellent advice so far, so I'll just add a couple of points:

- Try and ascertain how much, if any, of the original factory warranty is remaining (it was 2 years from date of delivery, unlimited miles).

- My new '15 Trophy was delivered with the wonky audio software version (1.04A) already mentioned by Coconut. In less than a week of inactivity it had drained my battery to the point where the bike wouldn't start. So definitely something to check.