From: "Peter Kroeker" <peter.kroeker@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: <ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [ST] carbon silencer, tires and other maintenance issues
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 21:05:50 -0400
Was that the one for sale in Windsor?
Pete
----- Original Message ----- From: "joe smith" <ottawa1966@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <st@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 8:23 PM
Subject: [ST] carbon silencer, tires and other maintenance issues
Hi,
I bought a 2002 blue ST a month ago. I paid a bit of a premium for it
because I love the blue colour, only had 6500 KMs on it, and was showroom
condition according to the seller. Finding a good Triumph ST up here is
difficult because not too many are sold in Canada. Being 5 hours away
from the seller I bought the bike based on pics and video he sent me. He
also agreed to bring it to me on the back of a truck if I paid his gas.
I had to send him a $500 deposit that I'd lose if I didn't accept the
delivery. When he got it safetied the Bridgestone Battle Axe tires needed
replacing. He suggested I get the new BT014's because even though I'd be
touring he thought it better to have slightly softer tires, so I trusted
his judgement and he had a set put on (at my cost). I phoned the nearest
Triumph dealer 3 hours away to see if I was paying way too much. They
thought if the bike was in as good condition as the seller said I wasn't
paying that much of a premium. They were surprised that the seller
recommended the soft Bridgestones. They said I won't get much wear out of
them and that the Bridgestones were all wrong for the Sprint. My
question is should I have gone for a harder, touring tire to get more
mileage, or was the advice for softer compound to get better grip wise?
In the end it is a matter of personal taste?
The dealer I talked to also suggested I make sure that the Triumph carbon
silencer was put on by a dealer and the engine tuned. I specifically
asked the seller and he said for sure that was done, but he had no
maintenance records.
Anyway, he delivered the bike on a rainy Sunday and of course it looked
at first glance to be as clean as he said. After I took delivery I
noticed some minor scratches and the plastic edge of one of the front
indicator light lenses seemed to have minor damage, so the bike wasn't in
what I would count as showroom condition. Granted I'm the type that can
walk through a new car lot and notice imperfections in paint jobs, so I
wasn't taht upset that the bike was not scratch free as the seller said,
but I was a bit miffed.
I rode it for a while and fell in love with the bike. I decided to take
it to the dealer for an oil change since it was a nice sunny day and
excuse to go for a ride. The seller told me the oil had been changed at
the beginning of the season, but the dealer was shocked how dirty the oil
came out. Plus, they had a terrible time getting the non-triumph
aftermatket oil filter off the bike. Luckily they checked their records
and saw that the original owner never brought the bike in for any of the
recalls. At this point I'm wondering if the seller was more interested
in washing and waxing his bike rather than having the mechanics looked
after. I couldn't believe he'd never had the recall work done. I doubted
if he did in fact have the pipe installed right. He told me he took it to
a dealer in London, Ontario. I phoned them and they had no record of
doing work on the bike. My question is if the idiot (seller) did buy the
pipe and just slap in on himself is there anyway I could tell just from
normal riding, or is there a chance the engine has had some damage done
to it if the tuning for the silencer was never properly done? I'm
bringing the bike down to Kingston later this week to have the works
done. They ordered the parts for the recall work. I also want the fluids
replaced, valve job, coolant flushed, hoses checked, etc. The seller gave
me the factory pipe. I've been wondering if I should have them put it
back on the bike because I've been told that even with ear plugs driving
a bike with loud pipes will cause long term damage. I noticed the carbon
pipe says it is not for street use. This is the first bike I've had
without the factory installed piple so I don't have anything to compare
it with. I haven't heard an ST with the factory pipe to compare. How
would those who have ridden with after-market exhausts compare the
Triumph carbon silencer in noise level. Do you think I'd be best to have
the factory pipe put back on? I love the sound of the carbon silencer,
but I don't want to go deaf in the long run?
I love the bike and hope the dealer doesn't find any surprises when he
does the major maintenance later this week. I don't think that I'd buy a
bike again without seeing it in person. Even the best pictures can't
reveal minor defects. Plus, I'd want to see maintenance records. I'm
making sure to keep any copies of work I do in case I sell it in future.
Thanks,
Jim
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