I decided to return to British bikes for reasons that I still fail to fully comprehend, I must have still been suffering from concussion. Anyway, once the insurance had been settled I found I had the necessary cash to buy a very pretty Triumph Tiger of 1969/70 vintage. In my humble opinion the best years for Triumph designs. It came from a dealer but as I bought it before prices for even mediocre bikes hit the roof, £550 didn't seem like too bad a deal.
I never intended to use it for everyday transport and for the majority of the seven years my name was in the log-book it was garaged. This is even more vital for a Brit bike than a Jap if it is to retain its value. For the mere six months the Tiger lived out on the London streets its appearance changed from immaculate to a rat. On the Tiger there really is an awful lot of chrome and alloy to keep polished up, but then that's all part of the fun, I guess.
I soon realised that I had chanced upon that rarest of beasts, a Triumph that actually does what it's supposed to, 105mph at 7500rpm in top, 80mpg on a long run, minimal leaks and bearable vibration apart from a rough spot at 4500-5000rpm. If that sounds too good to be true there were naff points as well, most of which showed up with a pillion on board. The seat just didn't have room for two averagely built people at the same time. The front brake ranged from passable in the dry to horrific two-up in the wet, whilst the rear shocks were inadequate however much they were adjusted.
Deviations from standard were fairly minor. Allen bolts everywhere made life a whole lot easier at service time, especially when adjusting the tappets. Trying to make an accurate adjustment using the old bolts was a nightmare. The stock headlamp wasn't brilliant, but can be swapped for a QH unit, but a high output alternator needs to be fitted. Rubber mounting everything in sight stops some of the more destructive vibes trashing components. I still lost bits now and again, including a fork nut on the motorway, which must rate as one of life's more depressing experiences. Not only did it take a chunk of paint off the tank but I was then faced with the prospect of being sprayed in oil for the next hour and interesting handling when the brakes were applied. Repairs were effected with a piece of rope and an elastic band found on the hard shoulder, and on we went.
During the time I owned the Tiger every bearing on the bike was replaced, most due to normal wear but the mains were due to my own stupidity. Ignoring clonking noises from the engine is an expensive hobby. Whenever I needed parts I never had to wait longer than the time it took to find the cash, which is probably the only advantage of living in London. Despite the fact that I can tell one end of a screwdriver from the other, bits on sale at autojumbles were best avoided as the engine was available for donkey years in various forms and capacities and they all look very similar when dismantled. Dropping the thing was also a relatively painless exercise, whilst an excursion into the side of a car cost £10 to fix. That included a brake lever and cable, twist grip and footrests.
A few general points to watch that are specific to Triumphs of that era. The QD rear wheel is a terrific idea when you get a flat but becomes expensive when the rear sprocket wears as it also serves as the brake drum. Because of the modest power output this shouldn't happen too often, certainly I never bothered to change mine. Chains were good for 11-14000 miles depending on abuse. The automatic chain oiler is a nice touch but it tends to get hyper active with predictable results. A tip for anyone whose QD hub has started to wear on its splines, a circular Hoover belt drive in place of the standard dust cover takes up the slack and acts something like a cush drive. Hi tech stuff, eh?
The centre stand wears against its mounting points and tends to flap about as the retaining spring can't control it. At best it's a pain as you can't use the stand to get a wheel off the ground, at worst it stuffs up the angle of cornering lean with nasty consequences. Best to throw it away and invest in a pair of axle stands.
Another amusing problem concerns the fork sleeve nut. This tends to unscrew itself, making the bike handle as if the head race bearings are shot. It unscrews because the bearings don't require very much pressure to tighten them down and the vibration does the rest. I tried various sealants but nothing completely cured the problem. Just check it out before you tear the forks apart looking for a problem.
An example of typical Triumph cost cutting. The forks were common to most of the Triumph range at the time but different sizes of front brakes were used. This meant that the brake plates on the smaller bikes only made contact with a very small area of the retaining lug. The end result being excess wear that lets the front brake judder badly at low speeds. Short of machine shop work the best option is to fit the bigger brake from the Bonneville. Shoes on the stock Tigers last for around 10000 miles on the front and 15000 miles on the rear.
The tyres didn't wear too quickly and there was enough chassis rigidity and suspension stiffness to allow the fitting of cheapo brands. Front was good for 11000, rear 9000 miles. The only item that regularly gave me a hard time was the primary chain tensioner. It's not only Honda who have problems keeping chains tight. Jerky transmission and excess primary noise are sure signs that it's fun time again. Incidentally, it's possible, if you're very patient, to fit a new primary chain without removing alternator or clutch.
What else? Change all oil at 1500 miles religiously, keep an eye on the head steady brackets (you soon find out if they're loose when you push the handling), keep the swing arm bushes greased, check for loose nuts and bolts at least once a week and keep the electrical system waterproofed and properly connected, unless you actually enjoy running into things at night.
I couldn't really recommend that anyone should run one for day to day transport unless you're stupid or rich enough to be immune from financial reality. However, if you can keep one as a second bike, they're a joy in the twisty stuff.
H Richards