Motorcycle guys need opinions

cstmar01

A coworker of mine is big into bikes. He's a younger guy and has about 4 right now and wants to sell one. He is selling a triumph tt600 for 1600. Has around 16k miles and some cosmetic issues. I always wanted to buy a bike at some point but was thinking of buying newer and spending around 5k when I was going to buy.

He said he was listing for 2300 else where and I know has never dumped this bike. He doesn't know how many owners or much history on it. Would it be a decent starter bike? I've rode once awhile ago and loved it. Want to get my own ride and see how I like it.

D_M

Cstmar01,

I did a quick google on the tt600 and wiki produced:

"Unfortunately, the TT600 was marred by two major issues. Being the company's first fuel-injected 600cc sportbike, the initial 2000model had choppy throttle response and bad fuel mapping, leading to harsh on/off throttle transitions. These issues were fixed with the 2001 model, but some vehicles ended up losing 2-3 horsepower in the upper portion of the powerband.[2] "


You don't want a motorcycle with a choppy throttle response because it does not instill confidence. If you have not taken the Motorcycle safety foundation course, I urge you to do so. What types of bikes have you sat on? Go to a dealer and sit on a few different types of bikes.

boston1450

Without knowing more info on condition & what your looking for in a bike its a hard question. I googled the bike. Nice. But like above there may be some issues. Im sure others will chime in--is it 1600.00 with low miles. Not bad price. Lots to look at to be questioned. Sure there is others that will chime in. Good luck with your decision.

drumminman

Triumph has improved their quality tremendously the last 5-10 years, but, like the poster above found, that's not one of their better models. Still, for $1600. That's not a lot of money for a 600cc bike.

If I was you I'd go look at it and ride it. You'll know soon enough if it has issues. Beware of crash damage though, and if it has issues with handling, burning oil, antifreeze, etc., I'd walk away.

Geoff4rfc

drumminman wrote: »

If I was you I'd go look at it and ride it. You'll know soon enough if it has issues..

I agree with this.

Plus, get the blue book on it and compare condition. Watch it when it fires up. Does it smoke from the exhaust at all, especially when changing gears?

If you like the bike, you have confidence in it already, give it a try and see how it rides with you on it.

I've raced professionally since 1986 and have plenty of experience with street bikes, give me a shout if you have any more questions.

ViperZ

Personally I'd never start (and I didn't) on a 600cc super-sport. Too much power in those bikes for beginners. Yes, you can 'go easy' on them, but then you will never get to enjoy the bike, like I did when I enjoyed my first 500cc (GS500).

thsmith

D_M wrote: »

Cstmar01,

You don't want a motorcycle with a choppy throttle response because it does not instill confidence. If you have not taken the Motorcycle safety foundation course, I urge you to do so. What types of bikes have you sat on? Go to a dealer and sit on a few different types of bikes.

+1 on the MFSC, If you think you are experienced then take the advanced course and see what bad habits you learned.

exalted512

600cc sport bikes are not for beginners. Highway speed in first gear is no joke.

Those early model triumph's are plagued with problems and getting parts for them is hard and pricey. I would say $1600 is a fair price for it, if it's one of the newer ones...I don't think it's a great deal though.

Get a ninja 300. Those things are fun and are beginner friendly.
-Cody

ZLTFUL

I've owned a TT600, and frankly, I wouldn't give one to a friend let alone actually charge them for it.

Triumph has come a long way since then.

There are far better bikes out there for you to start with. A 600 supersport isn't a great place to start. But a 600 can be a fine starter bike. Yamaha YZF600 (not the R or the R6 but the YZF600), Yamaha FZ6, Honda 616, Suzuki SV650, Ducati Monster 600/620/696/750...all fine entry level sport bikes that have room to grow with you.

And if you end up coming down for an audio visit, we can talk motorcycles as well.

ZLTFUL

exalted512 wrote: »

Get a ninja 300. Those things are fun and are beginner friendly.
-Cody

Cody speaks wisdom well beyond his years!

My wife got a 300 Ninja for her first bike and even though I have been riding since 11 (38 now), I still giggle like a schoolgirl when I flog that little fella.

exalted512

you basically just repeated everything i just said :P
-Cody

jeremymarcinko

Guys, its $1600 bucks. If it is even just ok condition its well worth the money. Lets face you can't hardly buy any working bike for that little money. Choppy throttle response, most FI sportbikes are at least a little choppy on/off power. Its not that hard to adjust the curve with a Power Commander. I am sure many of our first bikes were less than ideal. I think cheap is what you want in a first bike.

tonyb

Nice starter bike......get a used Honda, one of the more trouble free brands out there. Depends on if your looking for a crotch rocket or a comfy street rider too. For a first bike I would stay away from the classics and buy something more dependable and care free.

exalted512

jeremymarcinko wrote: »

Guys, its $1600 bucks. If it is even just ok condition its well worth the money.

Except that its really not...Those things are plagued with more problems than just mapping. I do agree you want something cheap for a first bike, but I do not agree that it should be a 600cc crotch rocket capable of 140+ mph.

Especially ones that are known to have problems and hard to get parts for.

I got a 2009 ninja 650 that had been laid over by the previous owner. They got it fixed under their insurance. It had 4600 miles. I paid $2600 for it, almost flawless. This was in February of last year.
-Cody

D_M

jeremymarcinko wrote: »

Guys, its $1600 bucks. If it is even just ok condition its well worth the money. Lets face you can't hardly buy any working bike for that little money. Choppy throttle response, most FI sportbikes are at least a little choppy on/off power. Its not that hard to adjust the curve with a Power Commander. I am sure many of our first bikes were less than ideal. I think cheap is what you want in a first bike.

Jeremymarcinko,

$1600 bike could turn out to be a little bit more. If Cstmar01 is mechanically inclined, then it's a great deal. If he has to use the dealership, it might not be such a great deal.

Geoff4rfc

There's nothing wrong with a 600, here's me on one at Seattle


It's the liter bikes (1000cc) you got to watch out for.............


When done right though, it should look like this............


And this.................


But of course, I always liked this one, as I'm on a 750 with four liters and one 750 behind me :cool:

D_M

tonyb wrote: »

Nice starter bike......get a used Honda, one of the more trouble free brands out there. Depends on if your looking for a crotch rocket or a comfy street rider too. For a first bike I would stay away from the classics and buy something more dependable and care free.

The one thing big Red does exceptionally well, is motorcycles. I'm with tony. A Honda 599 Hornet would be a good choice.

exalted512

I wrecked going around 130 on my 600
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zvN1sHgrwk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zvN1sHgrwk

-Cody

Geoff4rfc

Cody, that is not a pretty sight. You are skilled though, a guys gotta know how to ride, AND how to crash...correctly.

In '06 I crashed the liter bike @ around 120mph once and 130 once. In '07 I crashed the 600 @ 120 as well. I slid and tumbled so far, it was Wed when I fell, but Thursday when I stopped :cheesygrin:

D_M

Cstmar01,

If the tt600 is on the top of your list, check out my link below. It is a link to the schedule maintenance for the tt600. You could call a motorcycle shop near you and get quotes for the items that are listed. You could also volunteer to pay for an inspection before you buy the bike. Tell your coworker that you just want to get an expert opinion because he does not know the history of the bike.


http://www.triumph.co.uk/media/SpeedFour_TT600.pdf

D_M

Guys!!!!! He is a new rider, don't scare him off with your tales of heroism.

Geoff4rfc

exalted512 wrote: »

600cc sport bikes are not for beginners. Highway speed in first gear is no joke.
-Cody

This right here is probably the most important thing said.

What kind of experience does the OP have? For riding on the street, there are many things to consider, 1st and foremost is safety

1) get the "right" bike, for a first time rider, under 600cc

2) MC safety foundation course(s)

3) practice practice practice

4) on the street, ALWAYS expect the unexpected

A successful street rider always anticipates unseen "happenings" over every sq inch of the road being traveled. At the end of a lengthy ride, you should be mentally exhausted.

exalted512

Geoff4rfc wrote: »

Cody, that is not a pretty sight. You are skilled though, a guys gotta know how to ride, AND how to crash...correctly.

In '06 I crashed the liter bike @ around 120mph once and 130 once. In '07 I crashed the 600 @ 120 as well. I slid and tumbled so far, it was Wed when I fell, but Thursday when I stopped :cheesygrin:

I tumbled about 75-90 yards in that crash. Pavement, grass, pavement on the mini course, and grass again...haha

And every motorcyclist needs a healthy fear of crashing. Just enough to make sure you gear up. In that crash, I got some heat burn on my elbow. Suit didn't rip in that spot, just the heat from sliding on pavement


When I crashed my street bike going about 25 in sneakers and a helmet when I first started riding, my ankles, palm, and knee were all scraped up.
-Cody

Geoff4rfc

D_M wrote: »

Guys!!!!! He is a new rider, don't scare him off with your tales of heroism.

Lol, heroism? I'm a licensed professional, there's a difference between street and track, give it a moment and the truth will set you free.

A new rider needs to be scared of what can happen. Total respect for machine and elements are a must. No one is talking about going trip digis on the street.

Syndil

exalted512 wrote: »

600cc sport bikes are not for beginners. Highway speed in first gear is no joke.
-Cody

Eh, I hear this a lot, but don't fully agree with it. I started on the same bike I have today, a Ninja 600R. I have ridden a 250 and a 500 since, and while they are indeed fun to fling around because they are so light, I would be scared to ride one on a highway for the same reason. I get blown around enough on the 600.

Anyway, the bikes only go as fast as you tell them to. Just don't wring the throttle out and a 600 is capable of being just as slow as any other bike. I think a 600 is the ideal place to start, myself. A 250 (or 300 now I guess) is going to leave you thirsting for more bike in a hurry. That's why you see so many of them for sale in like-new condition with low miles. People buy them because they are supposedly great beginner bikes, but they tire of them very quickly.

Geoff4rfc

exalted512 wrote: »

I tumbled about 75-90 yards in that crash. Pavement, grass, pavement on the mini course, and grass again...haha

And every motorcyclist needs a healthy fear of crashing. Just enough to make sure you gear up. In that crash, I got some heat burn on my elbow. Suit didn't rip in that spot, just the heat from sliding on pavement


When I crashed my street bike going about 25 in sneakers and a helmet when I first started riding, my ankles, palm, and knee were all scraped up.
-Cody

Very nice. Even in the Texas heat, a smart rider suits up. Lol, ground hamburger is for the grill, not your backside

Geoff4rfc

Syndil wrote: »

Anyway, the bikes only go as fast as you tell them to. Just don't wring the throttle out and a 600 is capable of being just as slow as any other bike..

Exactly, the issue with dare I say most beginners, is they lack the responsibility to handle the power of a 600. If a guy can go into this with total respect, knowing the full measure of consequence, yeah, he could start on a 600 or even larger.

Geoff4rfc

The liter bike, in all it's *ahem* glory, I mean, sponsor stickers

Syndil

Geoff4rfc wrote: »

Exactly, the issue with dare I say most beginners, is they lack the responsibility to handle the power of a 600. If a guy can go into this with total respect, knowing the full measure of consequence, yeah, he could start on a 600 or even larger.

See to me that just doesn't sound like it should even be an issue for a mature adult. But maybe the key word there is "mature."

jeremymarcinko

Its all in perspective, I see as all motorcycles are fast-ish. However the ones with the race designation over the mentioned 599 hornet would have much improved suspension, brakes, and stability at speed, and possibly stickier tires and higher pegs and side stands. IMO this makes them safer in many situations. The available power can be controlled with a some discipline. I will agree the 1000cc sport are much more robust than the 600cc bikes, and can get you into trouble with a brief lapse in judgment.

I had a 03 Triumph Speed Triple a few years ago, and my neighbor has three triumphs a tiger,thuxton, and a daytona. Their quality is good a little quirky in design but certainly dependable. And we've never had trouble getting parts. I will admit there was a time though late 90's when their dealer network was slim and all parts had to be shipped but they have improved in that regard.

Geoff4rfc

Syndil wrote: »

See to me that just doesn't sound like it should even be an issue for a mature adult. But maybe the key word there is "mature."

Lol, I agree 100%, it shouldn't be an issue. But a lot to times, a guy hops on, gets a hand full of power, and "maturity" flies out the window, or off the bars :cheesygrin: