Just bought my first Triumph and hoping for good weather this weekend. No doubt going to be asking lots of questions, and looking forward to being part of the Triumph community.
It's a brave move buying a T300 as a first entry into the brotherhood of Triumphing, and especially brave to make it a Gen. 1 Speedie - I applaud you. Why brave? Well, to start, spares and parts availabilty is VERY limited - so much of the bike's hardware is now obsolete as far as Triumph is concerned and the aftermarket stuff is something of a curate's egg in terms of quality so it can be a real gamble getting parts. There is a fair bit of information on here about the few decent suppliers of parts but you might need some patience to trawl through to find it. Just shout if you can't. Secondly - you're probably already aware that the T300s are well known for being tall, (top) heavy and, should we say, not exactly "cutting edge" in terms of acuity of handling? Their overall weight and spine frame don't lend themselves to very quick changes of direction and slow speed manouevring is always fraught with some danger .... most especially on the Speed with its narrow clip-on bars and somewhat resticted lock. It pays to always park with a mind to how you will exit from the spot in which you parked! Third, the T300s, and particularly the Speed, have a well-earned reputation for grenading the sprag starter clutch if they're not treated with respect. ALWAYS have a very good, well charged battery; decent fuel and good electrics on the bike. If the starter's slow to engage and turn over, check that everything is in order before risking a slow-turning starter. Fourth and final (for now) point - the fact that it's a carb'd bike means a LOT more thought needs to be given to things like winter storage; medium to long term lay-up and the like. Avoid the use of ethanol as much as you can (some counties actually have non-ethanol fuel available) and try to NEVER over-winter the bike with fuel in the carbs or the tank unless you can guarantee it doesn't have ethanol in it. Use a fuel stabiliser and/or drain the tank and carbs for an extended lay-up. I wouldn't let ANY of that put you off long term ownership of an original Speed - the rewards will be the spine tingling sound of the intake growl as you wind it on; the pleasure of meeting and overcoming the challenge of manhandling the brute at speed; and the enjoyment of the often touted "character" of a truly iconic, factory made Cafe Racer. Enjoy.
Hi and welcome. An iconic bike there, i agree with all the things said before but had a great 10 years on a Sprint T300 and now have a T509 Mk2 Speed Triple which I love. I sold the Sprint coz of the weight, too heavy to manoeuvre around. I had to have the sprag clutch done which is an engine out and strip job so my advice is never let the starter struggle, make sure your battery is A1 and high cca power. Speedies are great, have fun.
Many thanks for the warm welcome and the really helpful advice. I live just west of Lincoln. Hopefully I can provide the care and attention required and get the same enjoyment you have all had. For me, there is always something special about first gen 90s bikes, albeit with risks attached. I am not put off though, as I’m currently restoring a 95 916, which is also a handful to ride and not easy to source original parts
I have another question. I see early triples with either a grab rail or single seat and cowl. Is there a way of finding out which option is on the original spec
Couldn't say for certain but I have a feeling that the T300 Speed Triple came with the seat cowl as standard and no grab rail. Certainly, all the iconic images from contemperaneous factory brochures (least all those my aged memory can recall!) show the Speed with the cowl (now either unobtainium or at unobtainable prices!) fitted .... remember this one? Probably one of THE best brochure images ever IMHO. I don't know if Hinckley can provde factory build specs - unlikely as , I think, much of the documentation was destroyed by the 2002 big factory fire? P.s. you are fairly close to Clive WOOD (Swineshead) - Speed Triple guru; ex racer and all round nice guy. EDIT : - I should have added that Sprint Mfg. do a very good repro. seat cowl and pad :- https://www.triumphparts.co.uk/?s=seat+cowl&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1 Otherwise you might get lucky and find one on ebay but, if it's an auction, you won't be alone in the bidding queue!
My Speedie arrived yesterday. I’m really pleased, looks fantastic and completely original. I have a question……there are brackets screwed to the bottoms of the engine casings on each side. I can’t work out what they are for, as bikes of this age didn’t have belly pans. Unfortunately the brake lever was broken in transit, so need to find a used part, and I need a grab handle. Any help sourcing is greatly appreciated. Otherwise, pretty much perfect.
The brackets can be seen on the photos. I forgot to say…..I have the original exhausts. I assume I can swop back without any problems?
Hi Gordon. That looks nice - welcome to the 'Speedie Club!' I've PM'd you as I've only just noticed that you left a message on my profile page - my apologies for the delay. The brackets look like they're from a belly pan, rather than leftovers from a Daytona to Speed conversion, though I can't be certain of that. The broken brake lever is not uncommon on transported bikes - I had one broken on my orange Speed. I think I got a replacement from Sprint https://www.triumphparts.co.uk/?s=brake+lever+speed+triple&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1 Yep, put the original cans back on - might not sound so loud but will (IMHO) look and sound better. Unless the carbs were 'adjusted' for the freer flowing cans that are on it now, then it should be a straight swap - try it and see how it runs? You've now officially enrolled into the "just searching for some parts for the bike" club! It 's not easy and it's getting harder all the time.
Triumph have confirmed that my bike is a 1996 model Speed Triple manufactured in January 1996. Also confirmed that is the correct engine number for the bike. I will remove the brackets. My brake lever has a circle in the middle of the 4 way adjuster - haven't seen a match like it yet. I will buy the replacement you suggest so that the bike is safe and useable, but keep looking. I have had a reply from Clive Wood, which is great, and I will pop in and see him this week. I'll keep in touch and send through some pics when I have put the original cans back on and have the grab handle. It does look a 100% original bike. Gordon Many thanks again
That's all good news. You're right about the marking in the adjuster ring on the levers - the repro's don't have them and the originals are no longer available new so it's repro or don't ride - at least until you can 'drop on' a good used one. I couldn't find a repro with the stamping, either so don't discard the original. The adjuster is "crimped" on and would be very difficult to swap over but might be worth a try if you have the facilities. The only thing that's likely to be non-original on there is the indicators - the original stalks break for a pastime and repros are the only possible alternative. If your indicator lenses have no CEV stamping on them, then they will be repro's - we'll both be on the same hunt for originals! If you get round to Clive WOOD's place ask if he'll show you his bikes - a real treat. He is such a nice, talented and helpful person and his wiife is a real treasure - very much worth the visit and THE go-to place for any work needed on a T300!
"I’ll check the indicators. What does the EV marking look like?" Sorry Gordon - I wasn't very clear about that, was I? The original indicators were made by CEV so the orange lens part of the indicator will have the manufacturer's markings embossed on the surface - the outer of which is the letters "CEV" in an oval surround. Pretty much all of the repro's I've come across don't (for obvious reasons) have the CEV marking. It's a nitpicker's point and there's SFA that can be done about it if you haven't got the originals - other than wait to find some from a breaker. There are a number of manufacturers of repro indicators and most of them are 'passable' - I think the ones from SPRINT Mfg. are as good as any as Trevor is very particular about his suppliers, I suspect.
Happy to nitpick. When you look for ages to find an original classic bike, and then someone's damages a perfect lever, it’s really annoying. I checked and the indicators are original. So I just need to find a lever and the bike will be pretty much perfect.