1970 Triumph Trophy

This is the third "vintage" motorcycle I've purchased on Ebay and all I have to say is "BUYER BEWARE". The first one I bought was a 1967 BSA Lightning and despite the seller saying it was in "excellent running condition", it is now almost a year later and ONLY now is it in "good" running condition - after I've invested another nearly $2,000 in the bike. As to the Triumph Trophy: I've purchased two of them. I have wanted a 1970 Trophy 500 for a very long time, since it was my daily transportation in college and I kick myself everytime I think about why i sold it in the first place. One of the Trophy's I purchased, I knew was going to be a "project bike" but I didn't realize it is a TOTAL BASKET CASE!! (A small case of misrepresentation on the part of the seller, who claimed it to be in "good condition".) Since purchasing it I've had to strip it down to the frame. In a nutshell, I paid way too much for what it will take to get it pristine. But it will be fun rebuilding it. As to the second 1970 Triumph Trophy (which, by the way, i paid TOP DOLLAR for!), the seller once again represented it to be an excellent bike. Nothing could be further from the truth. I got it home from the shippper, turned on the petcock and gas started POURING out of the carb. Turns out it was a bad needle valve which I replaced. No sooner had I done that when I finally got it started and that's all it would do. As soon as i put a load on the engine, it backfired and stalled. I checked the points and they were soaked in oil. I got all of that wiped clean and left it overnight. I went back the next day and the bike was completely DEAD. No lights, no spark, no nuttin'. And that's where it sits today. So, in summary, the first bike took a year and $2K to get running. The second bike is YEARS and who knows how much money away from running, and the third bike is, well, in motorcycle purgatory. I can do mechanical stuff but when it gets to electrical, I have to find an expert. And it is NOT EASY finding someone who can work on 40 year old Triumphs in a small city. So a word of caution: If you are buying a vintage bike on Ebay: (1) be prepared to spend some bucks to get it right, and (b) if possible get someone you trust (yourself preferably) to check it thoroughly, start it, run it and ride it if possible. I see bikes on Ebay getting top dollar. From now on the only way I'll pay top dollar is if I see it with my own eyes. BE CAREFUL!! Oh, and you might wait to give feedback until a couple of weeks after you get the bike. That way, you REALLY know what you bought and how much truth or untruth the seller was telling you.

This is the third "vintage" motorcycle I've purchased on Ebay and all I have to say is "BUYER BEWARE". The first one I bought was a 1967 BSA Lightning and despite the seller saying it was in "excellent running condition", it is now almost a year later and ONLY now is it in "good" running condition - after I've invested another nearly $2,000 in the bike. As to the Triumph Trophy: I've purchased two of them. I have wanted a 1970 Trophy 500 for a very long time, since it was my daily transportation in college and I kick myself everytime I think about why i sold it in the first place. One of the Trophy's I purchased, I knew was going to be a "project bike" but I didn't realize it is a TOTAL BASKET CASE!! (A small case of misrepresentation on the part of the seller, who claimed it to be in "good condition".) Since purchasing it I've had to strip it down to the frame. In a nutshell, I paid way too much for what it will take to get it pristine. But it will be fun rebuilding it. As to the second 1970 Triumph Trophy (which, by the way, i paid TOP DOLLAR for!), the seller once again represented it to be an excellent bike. Nothing could be further from the truth. I got it home from the shippper, turned on the petcock and gas started POURING out of the carb. Turns out it was a bad needle valve which I replaced. No sooner had I done that when I finally got it started and that's all it would do. As soon as i put a load on the engine, it backfired and stalled. I checked the points and they were soaked in oil. I got all of that wiped clean and left it overnight. I went back the next day and the bike was completely DEAD. No lights, no spark, no nuttin'. And that's where it sits today. So, in summary, the first bike took a year and $2K to get running. The second bike is YEARS and who knows how much money away from running, and the third bike is, well, in motorcycle purgatory. I can do mechanical stuff but when it gets to electrical, I have to find an expert. And it is NOT EASY finding someone who can work on 40 year old Triumphs in a small city. So a word of caution: If you are buying a vintage bike on Ebay: (1) be prepared to spend some bucks to get it right, and (b) if possible get someone you trust (yourself preferably) to check it thoroughly, start it, run it and ride it if possible. I see bikes on Ebay getting top dollar. From now on the only way I'll pay top dollar is if I see it with my own eyes. BE CAREFUL!! Oh, and you might wait to give feedback until a couple of weeks after you get the bike. That way, you REALLY know what you bought and how much truth or untruth the seller was telling you.