by The Seeker
My 1996 Trophy 1200
- D&D Exhaust
- XL Clearview Windscreen
- Corbin saddle
- Luggage Rack
- Gen Mar risers
- Pictured w/o matching hard panniers & top box
I've owned my 1996 1200 4 cylinder Trophy (Triumph also made a 900 3 cylinder model) since new and now have 55,000 on her.
This is the ultimate stealth bike!....
It's a hidden jewell in it's class (Sport-Touring) and has the guts of a thoroughbred in a beautiful looking package.
While it'll tour in the ranks of any BMW with ease, it's definitely got the "sport" side of Sport-Touring in it's heart.
This is not a bike for the faint of heart! It's 4 cylinder produces over 100 HP and has the torque to climb trees or pull 'em out by the roots.
Here's a stat from Cycle World:
Model 1/4 mile 40->60* 60->80* Top
Trophy 1200
[email protected] 2.8 sec 3.0 sec 135
Honda ST 1100
[email protected] 4.7 sec 5.1 sec 129
BMW R1100RT
[email protected] 4.5 sec 5.2 sec 125
With the standard hard panniers removed, it's a good looking sport bike with precise and predicatble enough handling that you ought to be able to keep pace with whomever you're riding with.
For touring, it's smooth and a joy to ride.....you almost hate to arrive at your destination. The locking/removable panniers are large enough for full face helmets plus some and you can also add a huge matching top box that doubles as a passenger seat back rest.
It has nice analogue guages, including a clock and gas guage. Earlier models included two helmet hooks that locked under the seat (discontinued around 2000) and 4 retractable bungee hooks under the seat for securing gear. Later models had adjustable rear shocks with under-seat access ot the adjuster. Early models had a dipstick for oil checks while the later models (when the engine/frame changed from gray to black) had a site-glass for that purpose.
Things owners add to make it perfect:
A larger windscreen for touring that cuts the helmet buffeting with the shorter and stock size.
Auxillary headlamps, heated grips, throttle lock cruise control, oil pressure, temp & amp guages, tank bag w/ map pocket, softer/larger diameter grips, handlebar risers, gel seat, automatic chain oiler system.
Annoyances:
Most owners upgrade/stiffen the fork springs in a number of different ways because they are mushy in the stock form. Mostly, the problem is too much front end dive under braking.
There's plenty of torque, so many owners change the sproket sizes to reduce revs at highway speeds to make it more comfortable and save fuel (1200 aren't too good on petrol!).
Airbox removal to change/clean the air filter is a nightmare that only mascochists could have designed! Seriously...this can take you a whole day to accomplish and don't be in mixed company at the time.
The stock seat has been nicknamed "The Widowmaker" or "Nutcracker". The way it's formed causes the rider to slide towards the tank continuously. The taller you are, it seems the worse this effect is. The optional gel seat helps. Many owners buy a Corbin or Sargeant.
The bike had some factory bulletins: One concerning a bad ground that caused various problems electrically. The fix was just to relocate it to a better spot. The other was about a bolt wearing prematurely for the generator.
The seatheight is pretty tall and especially hard for women owners. This is also a very heavy bike and that weight is centered rather high. So the bike feels top-heavy to push around and it makes very low speed handling something left up to experienced riders. Most owners dump them at 0 MPH one time or another...LOL!
