Honda-SOHC

I believe that the only red models were the BSA Rocket Three, offered in "Flamboyant Red". The Triumph and BSA were very similar, although the BSA engine's cylinders were sloped forward slightly and it used a duplex down tube frame. The Trident engine was taller, and would not fit in the duplex frame and so Triumph used their own.

I was also told that all triples were, in fact produced in the BSA factory.

Rocket Three versions are, apparently slightly more expensive to buy, however the non availability of many parts, especially trim is, apparently, a problem.

For anyone who might still be interested, I thought that I would provide an update on living with the Trident, after just over two years of ownership and some 5,200 miles.

Firstly, over two winters, the finish has remained excellent, paint is still deep and shines well and both chrome and aluminium have stood up well to the weather (the bike is garaged and cleaned very regularly, however it is ridden several times each week unless there is wet salt on the roads or conditions are really awful).

In terms of routine maintenance oil and filter changes, cleaning of gauze strainers etc. has taken place twice each year, with a gearbox oil change once a year. The drive chain has been adjusted twice in 5,000 miles, the primary drive chain has not needed adjustment so far. Valve clearances have been checked annually, however little adjustment has been needed. The clutch, brakes etc. have not needed any attention, although as I fitted new tyres a short while ago, I took the opportunity to fit new brake shoes front and rear. With electronic ignition fitted, timing has remained undisturbed and providing that Champion plugs are fitted, starting and running have remained very reliable.

Failures over the period have been as follows: Both handlebar switches have lost one or more functions, with a need to dismantle them (new parts no longer available) and attend to the copper tracks or ball bearing/spring pressures of contacts.

Choke cables (there are four in total) have broken (a real issue, as the chokes are held open by cable, so a broken cable makes the bike virtually unrideable) and, as a complete assembly was not available when first needed, I replaced separate cables, only later to have the plastic junction box break. Luckily, by that time, a complete assembly could be obtained.

More seriously, when riding home from a local bike meet one evening, there was a loud bang, followed by complete loss of drive. Looking behind, I could see that the complete drive chain was lay in the road! This, however I think is entirely due to a previous owner cutting down the standard 108 link chain to 106 links to suit this bike's U.S. specification and, rather than using a soft link to join the chain, refitting the original endplate and trying to flatten the pin on a normal hardlink. The spit - link was intact after this happened, and the chain was otherwise sound.

Whilst obtaining a new chain was straightforward, the chain guard (steel) had suffered damage. Luckily a new chain was available, however the rear fixing bracket was some 1/12" further back and of a different style. Subsequent investigations revealed that no fewer than four different chain guards were made in the day, now reduced to one reproduction, so cutting and refitting the bracket was necessary.

Finally, last week the headlight bulb blew its dipped beam. I removed it to test and found that it was dated 1999, so decided that age and vibration must have taken its toll. I ordered a couple of new bulbs (now Lucas "Vintage", so not available off the shelf) meantime, whilst riding around until the new bulbs arrived, main beam and the front pilot light bulbs blew as well. I checked the charge rate and found it was peaking at 17.8 volts, so suspected that the zener diode had failed. This time, whilst checking suppliers for a solid state rectifier/regulator conversion, I came across someone locally selling the item. The supplier asked to test the zener diode to be sure it was at fault (it was) and so I have now fitted the modern alternative. (Zener diodes are no longer available!)

So, at the end of my two + years and 5,200 miles, comparison with my previous Honda's Benelli Sei, BMW's etc. has led me to conclude that:

The Triumph is better finished than all but the BMW's  and built with excellent quality materials. It is the only "old" bike that I have owned that needs little or no extra care over winter.

In terms of reliability it has not been as good as the others, except for the Benelli, which it has surpassed in this respect.

Maintenance wise the Triumph has need less attention than all except the BMW, as the drive chain etc. has not required regular adjustment.

Finally, where riding pleasure is concerned (subjective of course) the Triumph is surpassed only by the Benelli. It sounds terrific, handles superbly and is very light to maneuver when stationery.

I hope that this might be of interest!

Ted, I hope that the care package works out for you both - I had to arrange something similar for my mother earlier this year following a stroke and fall, although we had no free period from the NHS to tide us over, it was just pay from day one.

I would recommend that you carefully read the terms and conditions of any of organisation that you employ directly, for instance the first one that I arranged to care for mother charged one week at full rate and the second week at 50% of full rate for any cancellation of service through such events as hospital stays etc; whereas the second organisation charged only one day at full rate to suspend their services. With costs of around £1000 per week, the unused visits really add up!

The greatest problem that I had, however, was finding an organisation that would actually provide the package of four visits per day, few were interested in that level of commitment. In the end, the hospital discharge team put me in touch with a company in Crawley who, without charge, trawled through all of the available providers covering this area (central Norfolk) and then left it to me to choose between them (there were only three).

Unfortunately, it didn't work out for mother because she kept falling, and she is now in a local care home. Interestingly enough, the cost of that in one of their largest rooms (it is REALLY large) is less than the cost of four home visits per day from care providers. Aditionally, ANY overnight stay would have cost an additional £350.00 per seven - hour shift for home care.

Anyway, I do hope that it all works out for you both and although perhaps not too well yourself, you can find a way through it all.

I have always used 4:10/18 TT100 tyres on the rear of the various CB750's that I've owned, and indeed on the 500/4's (three of them) too. My Benelli Sei also worked well on the same.

For me, the handling seems ruined by modern low - profile tyres, and they change the angle of lean when the bike is on the side stand too. As a matter of interest, when I was buying these bikes new in the 1970's, our Honda main dealer always recommended a change to TT100's in 4:10 sizes front (19") and rear (18") for both the CB750 & 500 Fours.

I used the Superbike Factory around five years ago to sell my Versys 1000 and they were really excellent, paid the same price as the dealer suggested for a trade - in, no problems on collection (in fact, the collection driver said it was the cleanest bike he had been asked to bring in and would ask his friend if he wanted it). However, when my daughter wanted to sell her Honda NC 700 a year or so ago, they offered a very low price, some £700.00 less than a local trader offered, and were using the same follow - up methods as the other buying site mentioned above - i.e. in touch every few days to offer a price a little higher, only valid for that day etc.

In summary, terrific a few years ago, far less impressed last time around!

I'm looking into insulating our conservatory or replacing the double - glazed roof with lightweight tiles.

I've been advised by quite a number of people not to simply have insulated panels fitted inside the roof, as the condensation has nowhere to go and is likely to cause serious issues in future.

The quotes for a lightweight tiled roof and plaster board ceiling are coming in at between twenty and thirty thousand pounds, the higher being around the same cost as the building itself, so we will likely end up doing neither, as we plan to move to Japan full - time when our duties here end.  (A year or two ago the quotes were £16 - 27000, so once again costs have soared!)

I lifted the cylinder head on a 400/4 belonging to a friend a few months ago for this same problem. A genuine gasket was bought from DS, together with the two short rubber tubes that seal the oil galleries on either side of the head. I understand that the 350 & 400/4's use these short rubber tubes instead of "O" rings, although as always, I might be wrong?

It has, incidentally stopped the leak!