Triumph Tiger Steamer

the steamer is still my favorite tiger. I had a 1998. It was nice, top heavy but awesome looking.

It's finally cooled down and I've started cleaning and tinkering. I started late today but I was able to remove most of the plastics. I'm going to repaint them. I installed some heated grips. I forgot to take pictures of that...but the hardest part was getting the new grips to slide on.


This is my workshop. At this point in my life I'm just thankful its covered.


My assistant posed for a pic.



They're spinning! I hit them with some penetrating oil and then jammed a flat screwdriver under the head of the bolt. After a few attempts I was able to get them free. Hooray.


Looks like the PO installed a drain. Or maybe he had a stuck fairing bolt too. I'm not sure if I should be thankful and leave it or break out the JB weld....



Bummer! Does it matter though? I've had bikes in the past that didn't have a bolt for the top of the tank.

Any thoughts about the Tiger in the link? I was going to sell a more dirt oriented bike to get an adventure one but I may buy this and keep the other bike. Best of both worlds! Keep in mind this is Canadian $$$'s.
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1042166459

I think I like the color. You should buy it and come ride the TAT with me in the spring.

I love my Steamer. Ever since I first saw a picture of one, it became my dream bike. Although I loved the rugged, capable look of the bike, it was the triple engine that was the real selling point. My other Triumph has the same engine, and it is about as perfect an engine for a bike as you will ever find.
Now, having said all of that, this bike does require an owner that can handle his/her own maintenance duties, or an owner with access to a good mechanic. This is not because the bike is not reliable, but because certain design decisions made by Triumph make some standard procedures more labor intensive. This can mean hefty labor costs for some things if you can't do them yourself. Also, there are virtually no accessories available, so racks, etc., are nearly impossible to find. I waited over three months for a new center stand after ordering it, and was happy that it was still available!
The last word of caution regards carbureted bikes and ethanol. These bikes require you to keep the fuel system scrupulously clean, and they will punish you if you do not. Carb rebuilds are not uncommon, and fuel tank issues can be a headache (ask me how I know).
I would encourage any potential buyer to search the web and read up on common issues and characteristics of these before purchasing. For an owner who has the tools and knowledge to do his/her own work, and who really rides often, these bikes are an unbelievable bargain, and they will repay you with years of stalwart service. For someone who rides every other weekend, and/or cannot work on them, there are much better choices out there.
Hope this helps. By the way, that price for a stock bike with no extras would be a good one here in the northeast, in US dollars.

Thanks Ssevy,

I am pretty good with a wrench and too cheap to pay anyone to do something I can do myself, which has gotten me in trouble in the past. I've looked at some of the more challenging maintenance procedures (valve adjustment, airbox replacement, etc) and while they don't look like fun, I'm not too concerned. Also, in Canada we generally only run 5% ethanol mixes so I don't think that should be a problem. I've almost talked myself into buying this thing.

Well I removed the carbs and airbox this morning. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting after all the horror stories I've read. Mustang's write up on tigertriple was helpful...I didn't even have to curse at it. Maybe that's why I'm stuck now. The two silver looking bolts in the picture are stuck. I have two on each side of the airbox and I can't get them out. They just spin and spin. I'm going to take a break for a bit and cool off before I break it. I'm open to suggestions if someone has any ideas. I think I'm probably going to drive a nail through the side into the threads....or maybe I'll grab some vice grips and rip them out.

the little brass inserts have come uncunted from the air box , and they spin forever ,

you know what the best way to fix is ?
go to your triumph dealer and order / buy a new air filter . It comes with a brand spankin new air box .

I've always liked these bikes, especially the first generation. I wanted one when they were new, but could never afford one.

Now that I could purchase one, I have heard that parts are difficult to get for them. Have you found this to be the case?

Accessories are rare, but so far I have been able to get any necessary parts from Triumph. These had few if any changes from 95 - 98 here stateside, although each year's import numbers were small compared to other brands.

Parts are available. In the last six months I've bought valve shims, head gasket, and miscellaneous bolts. Remember, engine parts are common to several different models in those years.

The springs are not known as a problem on these. Put some 15W oil in there. Actually I use a mix of 15W & 10W to make 13.66W in my 955 and it rides lovely.

I don't think you can. I didn't bother when mine went west. I just stumped up the cash for a new one. £95 over here (£102 now http://www.worldoftriumph.com/trium....php?block_01=&block_02=304231&block_03=23773 ) for the 955 which is the same AFAIK.

What happens with these is that you put the wheel back in and the drive tangs for the speedo don't go into their repective slots in the drive and they eventually grind a groove right round the drive core and then it doesn't drive the speedo any more.

Yeah, when I pulled the wheel to look at the speedo I saw that the metal speedo drive ring tabs were broken/worn. I bought a new one and I'm waiting for it to arrive. The rest of the drive actually looked to be in good shape.

13.66 seems quite specific. Mind if I ask about your reasoning?

Two reasons:-
1) I tried 15W and felt it was too stiff. The std. 10W was too light.
2) It's easy to mix. 1 Litre of 15W + 1/2 Litre of 10W = 13.66W Just make sure you use "Racing suspension fluid" of the same brand. Otherwise they might not mix too well. Also, be aware that not all 15W or 10W or 5W are the same viscocity. Depends on the brand. I was recommended Putoline by Maxton suspension.
The other thing I did was fill to 105mm air gap which helps reduce the dive under braking.
Disclaimer:- I'm not absolutely sure if your Steamer forks are the same as my 955i. Yours might react differently to these modifications.

Close enough for the oil change .
up to 2004 the forks were pretty damn near identical to steamer fork tubes .

That's what I thought. I think over the models they stiffened the springs bit by bit and changed the oil level.

Hey guys,

New to my Steamer (weird nick name), and new to the forum. I recently bought this bike and have fixed some of the normal problems for this bike.
New coils and plug wires
New o-ring to fix leaky petcock
Currently sourcing new thermester (malfunctioning fuel level sensor)
Bad connection at the oil pressure sender

But the most annoying so far is the worn out, sloppy shift linkage. Only the front joint that fits on the splined shifter shaft is available from Triumph. The main shifter lever with the attached ball joint is not available. The ball joints and pivot are seriously worn.

Does anyone here have a fix for this?

Cheers,
Ross

Blacktiger, thanks for the input. After I finish repainting my fairings I'll track down some oil. BC98, If you get that shift linkage tightened, shoot me a message. Mine's somewhat loose too, but I haven't worried about it.

My tiger decals were scratched and bubbling so I decided to start fresh. Here's a pic of of my tank sanded and primed. Ready to paint on the next sunny day.

Good to know.
There's not as many around here, as some other places.
I did test ride one when they were brand new, I had a buddy that worked at a dealership at the time. I really liked it. Nice & torquey, comfy, easily capable of going two-up.

But, I'll have to wait a bit before the used bikes really start to show up.

I'll poke my head in here every now & them if I need more info.
Thanks guys.