Triumph Sprint RS
Owning the Triumph almost didn't happen. I bought the bike, traded in the Yamaha TDM850 and before delivery took place Motorhuis Safe went into bankruptcy. It would be a long story to tell, but the endresult is that I got the bike with a few months delay in March 2002. It is a 2000-model so it is 10 BHP down on the 2002 and later bikes. Triples have always appealed to me ( I've even owned a BMW K75) and with the reliability of the new Triumphs I finally took the plunge and bought a british bike. So far I played it safe with one BMW and the rest all japanese bikes.
The combination of good handling and brakes, a torqey and pretty fast engine with a great sound has made it do well in many roadtests. The 955i 3-cylinder fuel injection engine delivers 110 BHP and plenty of torque. There are many faster bikes about, but of the sporty tourbikes there are few that can be ridden as quick with as little effort and still in reasonable comfort. The Triumph as I bought it was completely standard with the optional centre stand for easier maintanance. As you can see it is a tight fit in the shed, but it works.
The RS is a sporty bike but still has just enough room to accommodate my long arms and legs. As it travels motorways with as much ease as the back roads it is very well suited for long journeys. The biggest trip so far was to Scotland, to prove I really was there just check this pic in Edinburgh. If there is anything to moan about in the travel and ergonomics department it is the lack of passenger grips and the absence of hooks to fasten the luggage. I bought the original Triumph tankbag, it looks good but it does hamper your movement on the bike when riding it with a bit of ambition.
The biggest problem I've had with the bike so far was the clutch. It is so heavy to operate that I'd get vary painfull cramps in the left hand after a while. Brabant Motors in Grave have got a great mod for that though. Very simple and just as effective. It adds a bit of leverage to the clutch on the engine block. As shown in the pic on the left. The bikes performance, brakes and handling are plenty good enough for me, so there was no need to invest in any other mods. However I stumbled upon a pristine second hand Triumph carbon race can and I couldn't let that opportunity pass by. The bike sounds gorgeous now albeit a tad on the loud side as you can check by this soundbite plus it is 2 kgs lighter. No other changes planned though (at the moment) I just need to get the right fuelmapping installed at the dealer at the next service.
Some useful sites are the Riders Association of Triumph and The unofficial Sprint RS website. As far as I know there is no active dutch Triumph community. Modern Triumphs that is. If anyone knows differently, please let me know!!