1998 Triumph Sprint Project.

[Saul]

Thought I would document the rolling resto of my T300 885 Triumph Triple.   Actually a 1997 model year bike but was registered in 1998.     The bike has covered 50k miles and is a little cosmetically challenged.   As far as I can tell it has been used but cared for.   I have nothing documented but a receipt for a new rear shock.   £602 for a Maxton what ever that is.   
From the MoTs I can tell the tyres are less than 1k miles old Michelin Radials, again I don’t know anything about them.      It has new chain and sprockets, 3 new discs and pads.   The fluids including oil look spotless so I think is has had a major service recently in mileage terms.    None of this is small money but obviously money I don’t have to spend.  
I have no clue when the valves were last checked but they should have been done 4 times now in terms of mileage.   So that is on the to do list. I will say the bike starts instantly ticks over well and is as mechanically quiet as these things get.      
 

The day it arrived after a wash  

 

To get to know the bike today I T cutted the dull paint, polished and waxed it   
 

Also painted the bar end weights and petrol cap   
 

Also removed the mankey rack that was on it.

 

There are many jobs to come before it is the way I want it but I will chip away at them as I get the time    It has MoT until March 26 so I will insure and tax it then tomorrow and go for the first ride   
 

After that the next job it to paint the pipes and silencers   
 

 

[Saul]

I checked the rear light and it already has two LED bulbs in it.  I have two H4 LED bulbs on the shelf to go in the bike left over from another vehicle that has since moved on.

Forgot to mention it has a set of Hel braided brake lines fitted as well, they don't look to have much age either.  

I fitted a chargings cable on the bike so that I can keep the battery easily charged up to avoid and Starter Sprag clutch woes that can affect this motor if the charging system and battery are neglected.  Also noted if I did have to change the Sprag I have the motor without the access panel so it's a motor out of the frame job to do it.   Total ball ache but doable.  

I have paint and parts on the way but I fully intend to ride the bike in the mean time as well.    I won't commute on it, the CBF is still the go to for that but I can see me putting miles on this Triumph.  I have hankered after one of these original T300 Hinckley's for along time and now they are worth very little is the time for me.  

[Pedro]

Needs a clear screen with a black rubber edge on it.

Looks nice, love what you did with the fuel cap.

[Saul]

3 minutes ago, Pedro said:

Needs a clear screen with a black rubber edge on it.

Looks nice, love what you did with the fuel cap.

Yeah I am thinking of replacing the screen, the one on there has seen some action.  I am going to ride the bike for a few miles to see if I would prefer a bigger one or not.    

[Nute]

Tank cap looks good ... & so does the rest of the bike!

[Saul]

Been out trying to do a bit to the Sprint but have had to come in to warm up.   
I check the bikes charging and it is steady at 14.2 volts.   One off today’s list.  
When I thaw out I going to replace both front indicators one has water in and I broke the other through being clumsy.   They are just universal generic units so cheap enough to replace.  Also have LED headlight bulbs to replace the standards so they are going in.   I also have some heated grips to fit.  

Fuel cap looks okay, loads of other parts that need paint but it’s just too cold to spray anything today.   Don't think the Mrs will approve of me doing it in the house.  

 

Also have to look at the CBF as the headlight relay seems to have shat the bed

 

[Pedro]

10 hours ago, Saul said:

Been out trying to do a bit to the Sprint but have had to come in to warm up.   
I check the bikes charging and it is steady at 14.2 volts.   One off today’s list.  
When I thaw out I going to replace both front indicators one has water in and I broke the other through being clumsy.   They are just universal generic units so cheap enough to replace.  Also have LED headlight bulbs to replace the standards so they are going in.   I also have some heated grips to fit.  

Fuel cap looks okay, loads of other parts that need paint but it’s just too cold to spray anything today.   Don't think the Mrs will approve of me doing it in the house.  

 

Also have to look at the CBF as the headlight relay seems to have shat the bed

 

I really wish I was like you!

[Buckster]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

I really wish I was like you!

Bald? You are.

[YamaHead]

Nice work so far @Saul....pretty sweet bike for the money you paid. When you get the pipes & silencers done it'll look a treat....

[Saul]

Quenching some bolts to suit the murdered out theme of the Sprint and maybe protect them from rusting again.  

[Saul]

Weather was shit all weekend so not much chance of riding plus I had. Covid so needed something to do in a solitary fashion.  
So much time spent on the Sprint.  
 

Before

Used this stuff on recommendation 

 

After wire brush quenching or painting. 

[Saul]

Pretty new clocks came today

 

[Catteeclan]

You're not going to clock it, I'm telling six

[Saul]

Made some progress today.    Got the silencers back on and fitted a new rear brake switch.    Got a fair bit of cleaning done and started stripping the from fairing.   I have a new screen to fit, plus I want to paint the mirrors and replace the Kawasaki mirror that is fitted with a Triumph one.  Also fitted LED bulbs to the Headlights,  I have ordered some LED side light bulbs as I didn’t have the right ones.    

[Saul]

Had a few more hours playing Sprints today either side of a two hour Zoom meeting with a Psychologist for one of the brood.  TBH tinkering with the Sprint is doing a good job of keeping me happy.   
I started off tidying up the bodywork and painting the mirrors, also swapped the Kawasaki mirror for a Triumph one.    You would probably never notice that the mirror was Kawasaki but I knew so it had to go

 

While that was drying I stripped the dash and decided to paint that as well    Looking a bit tired to me so need freshening up. 

Then moved on to replace the rear brake light switch and wire it in as I couldn’t find a Triumph replacement.     Also replaced the cheapie chonky  indicators  with some more but this time with smoked lenses.    I thought about getting some original Triumph indicators but they were £80 and butt ugly. I actually quit like the look of the smoked out ones.    Took a surprisingly long time but I had to de-bodge the wiring and get busy with the dielectric grease.   

 

Also got the old faded beat up clocks off and got some nicer replacements, don’t care about the mileage change, no intention of selling and if I was ever to do so it would go with both sets.  

Had this come in the post, don’t know if I will use it but I am seriously tempted.   I saw one with a black plate the other day and I thought it looked cool but don’t know if I want to risk getting stopped which is pretty unlikely given where I live.   

Tomorrow should get it all back together.   I have to sort the tickover out then I can do some getting to know it rides.   

[YamaHead]

Nice work @Saul....lookin' better all the time.

[Saul]

Got the Sprint all back together today and clean with everything working so it’s time to ride.    I’m happy with it cosmetically now,  still loads to do but that will come in time.  
The thing I am most pleased with is the passenger grab handles.   Makes it so much easier to put the bike on the main stand.    
I reckon I have spent around £200 so it now has cost me £710,  whether that is a bargain or not is yet to be seen but I am going to get a 1000 miles on it first before I plan to do anything else.   That maybe famous last words but we shall see, depends if it breaks or not.    I believe the bike has been serviced in the last 1000 miles as the oil, coolant and brake/cutch fluid is clean.   It starting well and sounding sweet, charging well also.    Tyres are good but I am suspicious of the forks seals.  Hint of misting about them but I will monitor them.  I have new ones on the shelf for when they are needed.  

put to bed for the night.  

[boboneleg]

That's looking pretty smart now @Saul  

[Saul]

It’s a 10 footer mate, but presentable.    I bought it to ride although I have enjoyed getting it the way I like.    Problem is I have got the T300 bug now and have been fantasising about a Daytona 1200.  

[Pedro]

It's looking very nice now, great transformation!

I can't unsee that it looks like it's pretending to be a Harley once you cover it:

 

[Saul]

Went out for my first proper ride on the Sprint today.    I had been out before but only did 6 miles.      Anyway turned out to be eventful.     The bike started and ran well up to Damerells motorcycles which is 20 miles from me.   No particular reason for going there just a destination and a chance to look at some shiny things.    I was quite chuffed with the run up but the bike didn’t tick over when I pulled up to Dameralls.   I tried turning the tickover knob clockwise but it just turned like it wasn’t attached to anything.   Not ideal, it had worked before.    I headed off after mooching around Dameralls and the bike started fine with a hint of choke.    Apparently T300’s are quite cold blooded, it didn’t move far off the bottom of the temperature gauge unless I was in slow traffic.    As I used the acceleration lane to join the A30 out of Dameralls I felt a hint of clutch slip.   But rode normally up to and maybe a little more than the national speed limit without issue until I left the A30 10miles later.      Then I noticed clutch slip again just a hint but it was there.    A few miles on the bike cut out, I switched to reserve and it fired right up again.   So two things the fuel tap appears to be working fine but the fuel light doesn’t.   It will come on when you turn on the ignition but that appears to be the only time.     I went a topped up and the bike took 15 litres.  
Leaving the fuel station clutch started to slip again worse than before in the lower gears now as well.   The following 5 miles home it genuinely felt like touch and go if I would make it.     So I can see a carb strip
In my future and a new clutch.   Not to worried about doing the clutch as I had planned to take the covers off to paint them at the next service.    Think I have some research to do on the carbs but I have watched a couple of vids and it doesn’t look to onerous.   I have cleaned and balanced carbs in the past.  We shall see.  Still really like the bike just got to get it reliable.