CB750 & Triumph Trident

[flatfour]

I was very happy running my 750 K2 over 10 years or more, and then someone asked if I would sell it. Initially I decided not to, however whilst away on extended holiday in Japan I thought that  as I'd owned it for some years and enjoyed it, if it helped someone else onto a classic I would let it go.

Quite a few weeks later and back home again I contacted the prospective buyer and agreed that I would sell if asked. During that time I had expressed interest in a bike for sale on the Forum, explaining that I would only progress things if the 750 was sold. As perhaps often happens, the deal went cold shortly afterward and I decided to let things stay as they were, letting the seller on the Forum know this.

A few more weeks went by and I was talking to an acquaintance who sells quite a few classics and had a 1972 Trident for sale with 12,004 miles on it, and only 184 miles since 2009 when it was re - imported into the UK. He had also received an enquiry for a Honda 750 that a buyer wanted to add to his collection of bikes for regular use. We did a straight swap - Honda for Triumph.

The Trident was duly delivered a few days later.

It's been a very interesting time since then, with lots of issues to sort out on the Trident, all relating to running problems. It does not help that I knew absolutely nothing about British bikes when the Trident came to me, however I feel that I do now!

Finally the bike is performing as I think it is intended to, and it really is a pleasure to ride. If anyone is interested in the issues and solutions that arose, I'll happily write more, however as this is a Honda Forum I won't clog it up otherwise.

[Sesman]

Oh, oh…a Trident. Hope it’s a purple T160V. Not my call, but why not start a Trident thread and see how it goes…?

[SteveD CB500K0]

Go for it.

Those of us of a certain age love to read about Tridents.


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[Laverdaroo]

Tim Multiman on here has one and know that he’d dearly love to hear about everything, he’s not started his yet but it’s all there just not run for a few years. He’s hoping to sort it as a long term project but any help you could fire his way would be awesome


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[paul G]

Go for it people don't have to read it.
I would love to do one

[Spitfire]

The Trident and Rocket 3 have a special place in my memories though I have never owned one of them, I can remember seeing a Rocket 3 in the lake district while I was on an Endevour training course at Windamere in 1968 at the time I had a 250 AJS so I was most impressed.
During the early 1970's when I used to go to various Rallys a friend had a Rocket 3 and I loved the looks of it, later I had a friend who built a special using a Trident engine, he shoe horned it into a Royal Enfield 250 GT Continental, sadly after spending a long time building it and not long riding it some reprobate stole it and it was never seen again.
So in short let us hear of your trials with a Trident.

Cheers

Dennis

[Orcade-Ian]

Count me in for a read too!
I had lots of BSAs and a few Triumphs but when oil got scarce and very expensive, I had to buy a Honda 
There are at least 3 Trident/Rocket 3s up here in Orkney - two in a big collection along with 3 CBXs and a Benelli Sei, I'm sure they would be up for a read too! 

Ian

Forgot - there's also a lovely Craig Vetter X75 Hurricane

[Nurse Julie]

Yes please Colin. I have very fond memories of all the Tridents I have owned.

[AshimotoK0]

Always interested in other bike stories. I follow the guy on Youtube who has a collection of the final BSA/Triumph offerings inc a BSA Fury DOHC 350cc twin,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSfSl6NukaI

Posted this before but here is John Wyatt (RIP) extolling the virtues of the CB750 vs BSA Rocket 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7U-uNMg4x8

[paul G]

Yes please Colin. I have very fond memories of all the Tridents I have owned.

Bet you wished you had kept them £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

[Johnwebley]

Yes please

Loved the original red Rocket 3,
Chrome square tank,Rayguns,and drum front brake


I was there when John Cooper bested the MV 3,



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[flatfour]

Well, I've just spent quite some time writing things up, only to find when I tried to post it all that I was logged out on a time basis, so it's all lost!

I'll try again soon.

[paul G]

Type it up in word and cut and paste.

[Nurse Julie]

Yes please Colin. I have very fond memories of all the Tridents I have owned.

Bet you wished you had kept them £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

Yes, that's very true Paul but at the time, I had no choice but to move them on.

[flatfour]

OK, a fresh start. This time I'll break it into sections and post each time, so hopefully it won't be lost.

1972 Triumph Trident & 1972 CB750 K2, both U.S. specification.

Background (Part 1)

In the late 1970's I was helped enormously to develop my riding by a much older friend who had a BSA Rocket 3 Mk11. He was a very hard rider and a one - time Travelling Marshall at the I.O.M. Even in those times he was far from young and decided to buy a bike with electric start, as the Rocket was proving to be difficult for him. I owned a CB750 K2 then and we agreed to swap bikes for a month, so that he could decide whether the Honda suited him. It did and he bought a new 750 from Vale Onslow (JOA 24N I believe?) I was quite terrified by the BSA and didn't dare stop it away from home, in case I couldn't persuade it into life again. It did though, perform well and I decided that I would buy one of the then new T160 Tridents, as it had an electric start. This did not, in fact happen and I continued with Japanese, Italian and German offerings until a short while ago. This change was triggered by the situation below!

In summer of this year, I was approached by someone that I knew quite well and asked whether I would sell the CB750. Initially I thought no, however during my extended holiday in Japan I began to feel that if it started someone new with a classic, perhaps I should. When I returned home, I contacted the interested person and offered the bike, as well as expressing interest in a bike advertised on the Forum, explaining that I would only proceed if the Honda sold, as I didn't need more bikes than I already had.

As often happens, the Honda sale fell through and, having let the owner of the bike in which I was interested know, I settled back to the Honda. Coincidentally, a few weeks later, I went to visit an acquaintance who runs a classic bike sales operation and found that he had a purple and white Trident for sale. He was also looking for a CB750 for a customer who wanted to add one to his collection, for regular use.

A straight swap between the two bikes was agreed and shortly afterward the Trident turned up at the door. I asked the seller to start it for me in case I couldn't and he did so with ease and left it idling in the drive as he left. I went to kit up and took it for a ride locally, somewhat marred by the fact that after a mile or so, as I approached a junction and tried to slow down, I found that closing the throttle resulted in it picking up speed. This was caused by the choke applying itself, so back home and, after tightening the BIG screw in the middle of the choke lever, I set off again. (Note: the choke works in the reverse sense to any that I have ever encountered before, in that when the cable are loose the choke is full on, tight cables mean that it is off. It is also very heavy to operate).

On this, my second attempt I found that the bike surged violently between 2 - 3000 rpm, went very well with larger throttle openings but didn't idle at all. I decided to return home for a thinking session (never easy at my age) and put the bike into the garage, using the main stand for stability. This proved to be much more difficult than I had expected as the bike is smaller and lighter than the CB750, so I rolled it back off the stand and tried again. This time, as it rose up onto the stand, I felt my back go with a tearing feeling that went from the middle out to both sides. Luckily I managed to finish putting the bike onto its stand before I collapsed onto the floor, making more noise than a grown (overgrown) man ever should, according to my wife and daughter.

Recovery took two weeks, a visit to the doctor, physiotherapy and use of a "Tens" machine. During this time, to the amusement of the household, I had to be helped into and out of the chair, bed and to carry out all sorts of undignified other activities.