Trading Ninjette for Triumph - help!

[liberpolly]

I have an opportunity to trade my 2010 Ninjette for 2002 Triumph TT600. Looks like almost the same size and weight, much better suspension, 3 times the engine... Talk me out of it! Why shouldn't I do it?

[Sirref]

the 250 is more fun than the old TT600 Triumph

just because it's faster doesn't mean it's more fun

[liberpolly]

More fun in which way?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Sirref]

it's more fun to rail on a 250 than cruise on a 600

because if you're railing on a 600cc+ sport bike on public roads you've got some issues
you can launch a 250 every single time, can't do that on a 600. It's also easier to ride and more comfortable, easier to flick around.

[alex.s]

don't do it!

[Jono]

Nooooooo! I only approve of you getting a Triumph Daytona 675 or Street Triple. Maybe even a Speed Triple, but definitely NOT a lame ass TT600.

[Alex]

TT600 had issues when new. It doesn't magically get better 13 years later.

[jkv45]

That wasn't a very popular or well-liked Triumph. Find some original tests and read them carefully before you seriously consider it.

As far as a fun riding experience, I don't think you'd be that thrilled. It may also need significant maintenance and things like tires at this point as well.

If it's absolutely perfect, and you could keep it a long time, it may end up being collectible - but you'd have to be real patient.

[sharky nrk]

Originally Posted by Alex

TT600 had issues when new. It doesn't magically get better 13 years later.

enough said

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by Alex

TT600 had issues when new. It doesn't magically get better 13 years later.

I went through all the reviews I could find - it seems like the issues were all fixed by 2002. The initial issues with FI, and the resulting bad rep, are the reason why I can get it so cheap today. I think.

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by jkv45

As far as a fun riding experience, I don't think you'd be that thrilled.

Tell me more?

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by liberpolly

Tell me more?

I don't know that much more about it specifically, but it's dated technology that wasn't well-received when it was new.

Big, heavy, down on power. That pretty much sums up my opinion of it.

Smaller and lighter are what I'm always looking for, not so much more power. Balance + agility = fun IMO.

[spooph]

Do you have the option to test ride it before trading it?
Why does the current owner want to trade it?
Would there be the option of trading it back/trial period?

If you want more power this isn't a bad option. If you want to track it, definitely not. If you want to tour on it, this might be a great option... It will be better for 2-up as it's physically a bigger bike and has a little more room for 2 people.

However, if it were me, I wouldn't do it. I love my 250 too much...

[KawiKid860]

I prefer a bigger bike over a smaller one if it's my only bike so that's preference. But I say don't get it because it's not Japanese... the TT600 was Triumphs first effort at make a 600SS and it was nowhere near as good as the Japanese offerings at the time, or even from several years before. I'd only pick up an older Triumph 4 cyl if the price was stupidly low, then I'd probably flip it and buy a Japanese 600 with the cash haha. Also from the reviews I've seen the TT600 wasn't all that bad, but the fueling was something awful and it consistently came in dead last in all the comparos. There's a reason someone wants to ditch their TT600 for a 250 lol. Now were it an older triumph with the 955cc triple that'd be a little different story....

[liberpolly]

I already have an older Triumph with 885 triple

According to the specs - it's only 17 lbs heavier than Ninja 300, so it is not heavier in any significant way. The owner bought it for his wife, who ended up not riding it much. I will test-ride it before the trade, of course, but I should be fairly certain I actually want to do it before I meet with the owner. Definitely do not want anything heavy, twitchy, or with spastic throttle. I love my Ninjette, but it's hard to resist a bike as nimble, but with better suspension and engine - basically, an equivalent of getting a Ninja 300 and upgrading it in any possible way - inverted forks, dual rate springs, tunable suspension with adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping front and back, twin disk brakes, rearsets, any engine upgrade you can imagine...

[KawiKid860]

No 600+ will be as nimble as a 250/300, however that doesn't mean they can't be nimble.
The difference between my 919 and Ninja 500 in nimbleness is actually pretty small, sometimes the 9 even feels more nimble even being 40 lbs heavier and with much wider tires, but that's due to the very wide bars on the 9. You won't get the same effect on a bike with clip ons. The trade off of course is a ton of gained stability over the smaller bikes.

Well you seem to like older Triumphs and if you end up liking the TT600 and you aren't totally into small bikes like most people here then I say go for it. I think there's better bikes out there and probably some noob scared of his Jap 600 wanting to trade for a 250 too

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by liberpolly

I already have an older Triumph with 885 triple

According to the specs - it's only 17 lbs heavier than Ninja 300, so it is not heavier in any significant way. The owner bought it for his wife, who ended up not riding it much. I will test-ride it before the trade, of course, but I should be fairly certain I actually want to do it before I meet with the owner. Definitely do not want anything heavy, twitchy, or with spastic throttle. I love my Ninjette, but it's hard to resist a bike as nimble, but with better suspension and engine - basically, an equivalent of getting a Ninja 300 and upgrading it in any possible way - inverted forks, dual rate springs, tunable suspension with adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping front and back, twin disk brakes, rearsets, any engine upgrade you can imagine...

Maybe on paper, but I don't think so in the real world.

The Ninja 300 is overweight for what it is.

I've done my best to talk you out of it, but if you think it's a good choice for you then go for it!

[Alex]

Bikes are weird. What we think we'd like on paper, often doesn't match what we experience in reality. Some bikes somehow feel like much more than the sum of their parts, performing and pleasing in a way that isn't easy to understand or translate. Every generation of ninjette has managed to do this, for thousands and thousands of motorcyclists. Other bikes, even given the "right" components, and meeting the right specifications, somehow just never satisfy as one would expect. How and why this happens isn't easy to explain (or engineer), or every bike would fit into the former category. Steering feel, seating position, throttle response, center of gravity, etc., all are things that sometimes just turn a rider off, even if it's hard to describe exactly what may be wrong compared to one's vision of their perfect bike. The bike you're looking at wasn't loved, by the reviewers, on the sales floor, and there aren't enough owners around to try and figure out exactly why. You might have an unnatural attachment to Triumphs (there are worse vices), but even staying within that marque, it's pretty much certain you can find a bike that is more likely to be pleasing for the long term.

[Singh2jz]

Trading your ninjette means no more ninjette.ninja for you!

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by jkv45

The Ninja 300 is overweight for what it is.

Blasphemy!

Ok, ok, I'll think about it a little more...

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by jkv45

The Ninja 300 is overweight for what it is.

meh, it feels light as hell 100% of the time to me and that's what really matters