My Thoughts On Owning 2020 T120 For Two Weeks.

@StephenZ You need to get some more miles on the bike to free up the engine. And then get it remapped to how you want it.

 

Pulling away from a hard stop is just bike familiarity. The snatchy throttle and dead spot in 1st and 2nd gear in that low RPM range is an unfortunate quirk in these bikes, rain mode helps but who only wants some of the power all of the time?! There are options:

Free
1) you will have to ride your clutch a tad through that spot, it's not difficult and it's very minimal, but will take some time to get used to.

$
2) Booster Plug solves both issues. smooth rev range and no dead spot

$$$
3) Remap. Too expensive (IMO) to solve this issue, considering the above alternatives are either free or relatively cheap. However, if you start adding some performance modifications that would ultimately help justify a remap, it is very very worth it, speaking from experience.

 

What I am failing to understand about modern bikes is why are they so damned heavy?

Have always fancied a Harley and really like the Sportsters and the original Sturgis 1340 BUT ................. even the Sporster is damned heavy and watching a video on which is the best of the sportsters according to this one chap was the pre 94 evo as they changed things in late 93 and added a shit load of weight to them why????????????????

Truimphs were alway know as lean bikes it was in their build and in their styling just go and look at the pre 1985 bikes from Meriden and the 1960's and 70's bikes. The 1979 T140E weighed according to the factory figures 395lbs dry and 424lbs wet that's only 193kg and if you junked the silly extra long emmission control mufflers that weighed half a ton and fitted some 50's/60's patter resonator mufflers you reduced the weight by over 20lbs (10kg) and yes I did just that to mine lifted the carb needle one notch and went up +15 or was it 20 on the main jets did wonders for the fuel consumption on a tour of the west country (Devon & Cornwall) she returned over 70mpg that's on Imperial Gallons of course.

My T300 Trophy according to the handbook weighs 220kg dry that's 485lbs .............. ok it has an extra cylinder and of course the added weight of coolant and the associated gubbings and of course an electric starter and those are not exactly light. Mind you the Locheed hard chromed iron discs and steel calipers were not exactly light on th T140!

Plezier

 

Sorry but have to disagree about lighter bikes being poor in the curves some maybe require a different technique I think the Ducati Monster comes into this catergory the way it like to drop into turns I found unsettling. First thought it was just mee needing to get used to riding again but getting the T300 Trophy has shown it's not exactly the case as I find it far more natural perhaps it's just me and Triumphs?

Now the 79 T140E Bonnie that I bougt new in Sept 79 handled like a dream despite being outclassed in power by the Jap machines of the era it was only on the straights that we lost out but we soon caught them up and often passed them once there were a few curves in the 3 1/2 years I owned and rode her, before some asshoples stole her, onle once could we not catch another bike up when we hit traffic and some lights I realised why it was Guzzi Le Mans Mk11 were were chasing.

In fact more than once were put the "Shits" up Jap bike riders by undertaking them on curves due to the T140's superior handling and the T140 was not a heavy bike.

Plezier

 

@StepenZ, I think I understand what you mean (having sensed the same on a dealer demo) - how has this turned out? Did you get used to it, applied a fix or are you still annoyed? I'm asking as I am considering a T120 but what you describe is a potential deal braker.

 

About getting the ECU remapped. Here in Europe at least, I believe Euro 5 requires that the ECU is protected against any kind of remapping. I think some kind of encryption is used.

So, does anyone know for certain that even the latest ECUs can be remapped?