October 2025
Labour day, and the rain is on its way.
Rather evidently too, with dark clouds covering most of the sky, but the met service reckons it will hold off until about 4.30 if things go according to their guesswork.
Sounds like the perfect opportunity to go for 4 rides then. I shall keep them fairly brief, but they will all be in a good cause.
Namely - me.!
The format is my usual version of 'test' ride, with a widening circuit of local blocks, in case there is a need to return to base for adjustments, then venturing out to 80kph and 100kph stretches in order to check the higher speed behaviour of tuning, chassis and brake performance.
All bikes initially had their tyre pressures adjusted, as three have been slumbering for some months, during which some servicing work has been done, and one - the Tiger - has had a fair bit of tuning attention along with various maintenance items and suspension alterations since its purchase by a friend who lives offshore and purchased it as his intended NZ ride for the forseeable.
I have only managed to tame it in the last few days - hopefully - so regular short rides are the wisest way to bring any further gremlins to light without risking some breakdown at a greater distance from the spanner drawer. Actually, it has been the onboard diagnostics drawer mostly, as some irksome behaviour showed up on the collection ride back from the West Coast, and it got worse after I began tinkering with many things electronic in an effort to solve the mystery.
The solution has seemingly been found, thanks to a fair bit of trolling owners forums for instances of owners with similar symptoms, reading what they have done and what results were obtained. There was no shortage of similar symptoms, but a definite lack of cures, until one experienced chap described a procedure which sounded like a factory approved method, and so far it has cured all the problems in one go, although I do not trust the first glimmers of hope until a few cycles of use are accomplished trouble-free.
I dragged all the usual suspects out of their restricted spaces in the shed in the order that they had to leave it, which led to my 830 Trident being on the front row of the grid. I can't remember when it was last used, and I never start them unless they are going to be ridden, so the fuel can be a bit off and the batteries a bit low on enthusiasm. Fortunately it has a kickstart, so as long as the idiot lights come up there will usually be no problem.
It lit up on the first kick, but failed to keep running as is often the case when the chokes have been removed and the air temps are less than one would prefer. Another tickle and it was a happy unit, so off down the driveway we went.
Despite being only minutes since cold start this bike runs like a dream straight away, having spent the last 48 years getting it to its current state of civility. Everything works in symphony, so urban traffic is as much fun as highway hauling, and the bikini fairing manages to deflect a lot more air than you would expect when at speed. I stopped to top up the fuel after which the only section of open road came up, and we were up at 90mph briefly before sanity kicked back in. Brilliant.
It idled happily at the lights, snicked into neutral without a fuss, and generally gave me all the feel good it does every time out. It also sounds fabulous, and has a cool bark with each gearchange as the revs drop.
I was trying to remember when I last gave it new synthetic oil and some chain lube, but hey, warmer weather is coming, and I will give each bike a week of solo attention in order to get all such things up to scratch.
I don't think the other bikes will have such an impact after starting with this one.
Second bike up was 'Mr Green', the trusty 955 Sprint which carted us around the USA with ultimate reliability, and which has continued in the same vein ever since shipping it back here in 2014. It has not been run in ages, as at the last attempt the battery showed up dead and I had no rush to buy one until it was going to get some frequent use. For this ride I simply plucked the battery out of the Tiger, which had already been plucked out of a Trident as the Tiger battery had been suspect as well.
It fired up after the usual period of cranking, during which it checks its own vital signs while I resist the temptation to give it any throttle, such as I would with a T160 when using the electric start.
I prefer to ride away gently rather than sit around at idle while it warms up. I figure it does so quicker when doing some modest work. Damn, these things have instant urge when you choose to move out, and they feel tall when you're in the saddle. The wide tyres demand a different cornering technique, and virtually have to be told to do it, rather than the old 19" wheeled triples which seem to go around corners without needing any prompting.
I am constantly reminded when jumping from the T160 to the Sprint at how similar the clutch/gearchange/throttle actions are, including the throw of the gearlever and the pressure required by the clutch lever. The transition is seamless for me. Both have fairly low bars as well, so the riding stance is slightly leaned forward. However, the response to both braking and throttle input are considerably more pronounced, to the point that both acceleration and deceleration are able to catch you out if you don't get in the groove before dialling up any serious moves.
Despite the huge gap in the eras of technology involved in these first two bikes, I feel totally at home on both within a few blocks. While I have now owned the Sprint for 12 years, I think that the 10,000 miles of everyday riding around America has catapulted me into the same level of historical experience with both bikes. Interestingly I bought the T160 brand new in Queensland and used it there for the first few years, so they have both been my privately owned imports that have proved to be so much in harmony with my style of use that I doubt I will ever be without them unless they suffer some major mechanical meltdown from which there is no economic solution. I intend to do my best to avoid such a thing happening by continuing to look after them to my best ability.
This ride was as satisfying as the first, and fresh fuel got added to the Sprint as well in anticipation of more fun on the way. The bodywork makes high speed travel a breeze - or not - and it is a joy to operate, albeit somewhat costlier with expensive tyres that evaporate in quick time without trying too hard.
Excellent touring iron with scratchability.
Number three ride was my other totally stock T160, which was imported by a very good friend who owned it for 10 years during which time it sat in bits, and he never got the chance to ride it before his death, after which it came my way and I spent over 5 months and several thousands getting it to how it is today. I have not covered many miles on it yet, and while I am happy with its vital signs it is still a work in progress as various problems come to light and get dealt with. Happily though, it continues to improve in performance as I improve its overall condition. I guess it has been a case of 30-40 years of maintenance needing doing in short time. Latest problem was a hydraulic fluid hose which failed while the bike was sitting over winter, so this will be its first ride since fixing that.
It mostly starts on the first kick, as it did today, and idles pretty happily from the get-go. The beauty of having all stock parts fitted, so all the tuning performs as it was intended. This one has the US small tank, but it still had pleny fuel so no need for that stop. The standard riding position is very user-friendly, although I ditched the US bars for home market style which along with the tank were the only major differences between the two markets. I remember each time I ride it how it felt when I first took mine for a test ride from the shop in Gladstone Q. The Dude said "we don't do test rides". I gave him $500. He gave me the key...
The T160 would have felt to me when I first rode it as the most vice-free motorcycle I had ever ridden. Handling neutral, brakes adequate, and on standard gearing the 750 is no slouch. It thrives on revs and there is a significant surge above 6000rpm courtesy of fairly wild cam profiles, so it caters for riders at both ends of the spectrum. While not considered as quick as the T150 which preceeded it, it is more refined and easier to work on as far as routine stuff goes. There are performance increases to be had by altering the inlet cam timing which was retarded from optimum settings in order to meet increasing US emission standards of the day. It is also possible to remove the hefty electric starter assembly to lighten things a bit, but the fact that they were hefty is why most of them are still working today, and on both of mine despite a 10% increase in engine capacity on the big one.
Todays ride was great for all the reasons I enjoyed mine so much from new, but also because it has steadily improved since I first got it running. It has new tyres and brakes, because all the old ones were stuffed, and the TT100 GP on the front has to be one of the best 19" front tyres you can get, supremely confident cornering from the first roundabout after I fitted it. That was still awesome today, and it has the right gearing for every occasion, despite feeling a bit undergeared compared to the 830 having raised gearing and more torque on hand to pull it. The 750 feels the more spirited of the two, rushing through the gears which are delightful to change, only missing a bit more of a noticeable exhaust note to mark the occasion by.
The open road bit immediately showed how effective the small fairing is on the other, and I am sorely tempted to have a copy made to go on this one, but that did not stop 90mph coming up fairly quickly once again, it was just a struggle holding on in some blustery winds up amongst the hills. The standard bars feel much more in control than the 'Legend' bars on the 830, which was set up more for sport/touring than throwing it around town, even though the handgrips don't seem to be placed much differently.
Each on its own merits I guess, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have an example of both.
Number four - the mighty Tiger 955i.
I guess you could call it the Tall Tiger at first glance up close, it is rather an imposing beast. While the seat height is only 1.5" taller than the Sprint, it is more demanding to toss a leg over, especially when fully dressed. Having said that, I first met this one in an unlit shed after dark in West Coast rain. My mate had bought it and I was here to collect it and ride it back to the motor camp the seller had just driven me here from. It seemed a bit reluctant to start but it eventually did, and I climbed aboard, a tad apprehensive, mostly because I was not sure I could find my way back to the camp, but from the moment I moved off down his driveway I felt totally at home and in control. All the switchgear was identical to the Sprint, the seat was comfortable, and the engine and gearbox felt immediately familiar. No doubt at all that the two 955's were from the same stable.
The next day we loaded everything up and headed down the coast road, astounded by the bike's ability to soak up every road defect with hardly a bump being felt by the passengers. Once underway the bike does not feel any taller than the Sprint really, it just feels harder to mount it. The main impression was that of a totally controllable machine, somewhat more tractable than the Sprint, perhaps lower geared and in a slightly lower state of tune, but it puts the miles away with consumate ease and in the most comfortable way I have ever had the pleasure to experience.
This one had some issues and I have been sorting them one at a time, and now it seems we may have hit paydirt, so this ride is quite a critical one as far as what the final outcome might prove to be.
After liberating the family battery from the Sprint and whacking it in this I started it up, and pleasingly it obliged in a very normal fashion. That bodes well. It didn't need any fuel or other considerations, so off we went in much the same direction as the earlier rides. It does everything it does very well, and that motor is to love. The Tiger setup seems to be more adept at slow riding and cornering, the wider bars help make it so, but it will still get down and boogey if you want it to. I have lowered it from stock, and it now sits about 1.75" lower at both ends, which makes manhandling it and getting on and off it somewhat easier. The handling does not seem to be effected although perhaps a little quicker in the steering which is not a disadvantage.
Whether in traffic or on the highway it does the business, and I can see why they command a loyal following. The clocks and the controls are all well positioned and logical, and it doesn't take long to feel at home. Despite the small-ish looking screen it does a great job and I felt well enough protected that my lack of leathers was not an issue. I tend to test ride in overalls as bikes in progress are often not entirely street legal, otherwise they would not be in progress, so I wear my 'mechanic' persona.
But there were no downsides to this ride or any of them, and these are four of the sweetest triples you could hope to have the pleasure of being acquainted with. The Tiger performed flawlessly throughout, and that is a first time in its stay here so far.
The fact that I got to ride them all back-to-back was a real bonus, and the most surprising thing is how well they all please me, despite the major differences in style and execution. I must admit that my heart lies with the 70's machines, as that is where I came from, but while I am somewhat overawed by the complexity that fuel injection and electronic engine management involve, I have to say that the reliability has been above reproach.
I am also not unfamiliar with faultfinding electronic control systems, but each application is a new learning experience. If I have beaten the Tiger I will be one rung further up the ladder, and with luck the steps will be in manageable sizes.
A brilliant day and a 100% pass rate. Nothing beats it.
The rain arrived 30 minutes after I got the bikes back in the shed.
Sometimes ya win...