Trident Exhaust

The most significant upgrade has been a Trident exhaust, which uses the Triumph off-road tune. The sound is great - not so loud to be obnoxious, but certainly louder and deeper tone than the Triumph off-road exhaust (which I was previously using). Most agree the appearance is also better than the Triumph pipe, especially losing the faux tips on the back.

Fitting the 1 into 3 manifold was fairly easy - although removing the sealing collar used by the Triumph pipe took some effort (and ruined the collar, but fortunately it is not used with the Trident pipe). I went to great lengths to centre and level the three pipes relative to the frame before securing the vertical pipe clamp. While the manifold stubs all point in the same direction the middle of the three pipes is angled to point higher than the outside pipes, and getting them all to fit within the frame was a challenge, only possible in my case with the help of someone else. It was as though the pipe diameters were just too large to allow them all to sit side-by-side. I’ve read of others using ratchet cargo straps or similar to bring the pipes together before securing the frame bracket in place but that approach did not work for me. We ended up using a lot of heaving and pushing to get the four holes in the license plate support bracket to line up with the frame and the bolts back in - there’s no way I’m going to be taking it apart without very good reason.

I’ve noticed that only the two outer pipes seem to be used - very little exhaust gas passes through the middle pipe (evident when putting a hand over each pipe while the engine is running, and from the staining that appears at the pipe ends). On the www.triumphrat.net forum some have reported the same, while others see all three pipes having equal flow. This could relate to the fitting issues I had, but regardless it sounds great and the bike is performing well so I’m not worried.

Front Sprocket Change

No pictures of this one (yet), but changed out the stock 19T for an 18T and happy with the results. Performance from standing start is improved. Pickup on the freeway is better when too lazy to drop out of 6th, but most surprisingly fuel economy did not appear to suffer. Are there no downsides? Well I sometimes like to lope along - not least why I like the triple motor. On the freeways I do find the revs higher (guessing about 400 more than with the 19T when cruising), but given the engine has little vibration (especially compared to my prior bike - a 750cc Katana) it’s not a big deal. I kept the 19T and can always switch back in the unlikely event I go long distance on the bike.

The change was relatively easy, and done with the bike on its side stand. Just wound the eccentric on the back wheel round to make the chain very slack. Removed the plastic sprocket cover (5 screws), flattened the retaining washer tab and undid the sprocket retaining nut (very tight. I had the brake engaged while using a 6 foot long tube to get enough leverage to undo the nut). Getting the sprocket out between the frame and shaft end is a test of patience but it will come out - just need to find exactly the right angle. Installation is of course a reversal, requiring at least as much patience to get the new sprocket past the frame/shaft. You should use a fresh locking washer according to the manual. I’m cheap and considered the original sufficiently undamaged to serve once more - it’s holding for me, but do so at your own risk! Per the service manual, the sprocket nut should be tightened to 132Nm. The bolts retaining the sprocket cover to the crankcase should be tightened to 9Nm.

Exhaust Pipe Heat Shield

This Thermo Tec heat shield came from Speedzone24-7.com, and consists of a 1 foot long heat heat shielding wrap and three clamps. Fitting required removal of the stainless steel sheet metal cover (1 screw), location of the wrap and insertion/tightening of the clamps. There is supposed to be an air gap between the pipe and the heat shield wrap which takes some fiddling with the clamps to get right. The wrap needed a slit making for the sheet metal mounting screw and tab to pass through. I installed this very soon after getting the bike, and it certainly made a difference to the amount of heat I felt on the right foot/leg, even when wearing leathers.

Indicator Lenses

No functional benefit to these, just aesthetics. The lenses were purchased from Clear Alternatives (www.clearalternatives.com) and are supplied with orange bulbs to replace the stock (clear) bulbs. Fitting was easy - undo the screws to release the mirror, and then carefully remove the plastic lens.

Protective Film

This kit came from www.thetankslapper.com and is working well now that I’m using the adhesive 3M film on the tank sides. The full kit comes with two types of film - most is the easy to apply non-adhesive kind. You can apply and reapply it as many times as you want without it going bad. However for me it did not last very long - the corners peeled over time and because I’d rather be riding than fixing I didn’t rectify it soon enough to avoid losing the strips covering the rear of the bike and the sides of the tank. The rear pieces were not so important to me (not much abrasion going on there anyway) but the tank was quickly showing signs of where my leathers have been gripping it. I bought the 3M tank kit from the same site and while it is harder to apply without getting bubbles or creases it does appear to be lasting better.

Seat Reshape

This mod took the longest. I tried a Corbin but found it just too hard to break in. As a visitor to this site you’ll know I’m an avid cyclist so not adverse to sitting on seats less comfy than a sofa, but the hardness of the Corbin caused me to bounce around on the top of the bike with every road imperfection. I returned to the stock saddle and after a comical episode with a local upholstery shop (asked them to take 1/2” off and went back to find he’d GLUED an extra 1/2” of foam on top of the original) I’ve been resculpting the seat to fit my personal preference. With no prior experience in working with such materials it took a while to find the best equipment - I like the orbital sander with 60 grit paper for flatter parts of the profile (sides). For the curves I’ve had best results using the wife’s callous remover! Guess at this point she’s not expecting to get it back. So far I have modified the rear so I don’t keep bouncing forward into the tank, the sides are brought in and the front lowered such that I can put the ball of at least one foot firmly on the floor rather than tiptoes, and the back profiled out a little so I feel more like I’m sitting in the bike rather than perched atop. Just a little more rounding of the corners near the front, and I think it’s done.

Genmar Risers

No pictures as I’ve taken them off. I go back and forth on whether these are a good addition. I think they help avoid getting back ache on longer rides, but I’ve found exercise also keeps the aches away. Would probably put them on for a touring ride but that’s not happening anytime soon. Before remounting I need to get a longer brake cable. The clutch is fine but there was no play on the brake cable with the genmars mounted, so if the forks extend it must be straining some part of the brake system.

Hugger

One of the first changes I made was to fit a skidmarx hugger. After a couple of years I decided to remove it. The road grime still seemed to get flung on the suspension components I had hoped the hugger would protect, and it inevitably inhibits tire inspection when the bike is on the side stand.