“Bought this bike privately back in the late summer(not really a very sunny summer I know).The bike was a comparative bargain at £1500.00 with a year's mOT and small service.The triumph is 18 year's old now but she scrubs up well and is still a bit of a looker with those beautiful early model curves(she's a 1997 early model t595 with Hinkley Factory updated later painted frame.ECU updates etc).This particular bike has a blue-flame high rise pipe on,it sure makes a lovely bark!It is BS stamped and so-called road legal but it must be close!Heavenly overtures at speed from the 955 cc triple,(people still get confused when you tell them there is no such thing as a 'baby Daytona') be assured the t595 designation shares the similar displacement to the later more powerful 955I models with a Water-cooled Triple four-stroke design slotted into a sexy Ducati style tubular frame).One thing is for sure THIS bike is plenty fast enough for me thank-you very much!
I have put a couple of personal touches on her in the form of different screen(iridium blue double-bubble) and grips(again with blue anodised metal end bit)for a bit more of a modern look,along with a French made Baglux tank protector I bought on Flea Bay for a bargain price...The brakes are really good with bags of feel) at least compared to my previous bike a H2Zxr750 Kawasaki),suspension is slighty plusher but this is no sporty bike I know.It does however make a fast,comfy alrternative to touring bikes and has that triple character built in to make a distinctive change to the usual Japanese fare.
The only issues I have had with it was a sticky clutch cable which I have lubed and adjusted for now but will replace soon along with some new brake pads front and back as they are getting a little low by the look of it.The riding position suits me(I'm 5'8'') and I can just about get most if not all of my feet on the ground if it's flat).Others have commented how 'sporty ' it feels but I guess they haven't been crippled by the Jap four Zxr over the famous Mountain Mile at the TT back in 2007 like I have!The seat has been recovered by the previous owner who did a good job and it looks professional!
The torque of this engine is quite good compared with a traditional in-line four and on the whole triumph made a very good effort to produce a 'modern' bike when it was launched.I intend to tour on her next year,weather and work permitting and I believe my bike,in the modern 955i blue,is very distinctive and it's a pity Triumph chose RED,Black,Yellow and silver but not Blue at launch.It really is a pretty colour when the Sun catches it right!On the whole I'm really impressed with my triumph,a real bargain these days and who knows it may be a collectors item one day...the first Hinkley triple that went out on a limb!British built with the best of Japanese suspension,brakes and a Lotus inspired valve train,it ticks all the boxes for Me at least!A British Winner from new I believe,at least on the road!Such a shame the later bikes went a bit more Japanese in looks and design and lost something on the way,despite being undoubltly better machines in performance and handling..The t595's are getting a bit of a cult following these days,if you are offered one that's a runner with history etc....,rip ther arm off!.”
“like it for scratching about. second one I've owned ,did 2 1/2 thousand miles in a week round trip to Scotland from Portsmouth, bum got used to it eventually !”
