I have owned my 2003 Triumph Trophy T312 1200cc since March 2006. I bought it with 9000 miles on the clock, all documents, full service record and in totally immaculate condition for only £3000. This was my first "big" bike after having a series of 600cc machines. My initial fear of it being too big, bulky and heavy were reasonably unfounded as I seemed to adapt reasonably well and quickly to riding it. Having said that, I am 6ft tall and am pretty well built so I felt that I was strong enough to cope. Anyone who is significantly smaller may struggle with it. The build quality of the bike is excellent.
Regarding features, everything seems to be very well put together, all plastics fit and meet perfectly and the paintwork is impressive. All user controls are very well positioned and easy to use too. The riding position is excellent. Well suited to long journeys, however there are 2 gripes I have. Firstly, the screen looks as though it would keep you safe in a tornado but in the real world I find that I suffer from quite bad wind buffeting on my helmet when I am at 70+mph. There are aftermarket screens available which add a little extra height to the screen and alleviate this problem very significantly. I also find that there isnt much protection from the elements for hands, and with this in mind I fitted aftermarket heated grips which make a big difference. Secondly, I find that the seat is a little bit narrow. This is most noticeable on longer trips and can cause a little discomfort when getting off the bike. Again there is a solution to this problem, usually rectified by the fitting of a Corbin gel seat. But please remember, just because I note these areas which I feel could be improved it does not mean that everyone will have these concerns. Bikes arevery much an item of personal choice and there is no such thing as the perfect bike for everyone. If there was then there would only be one bike manufactured in the world, and how exciting would that be??? The panniers are an excellent addition to the bike. Large (but not waterproof!!!), easy to install and remove, and spacious.
Handling of the bike is excellent at all speeds. I find it quite remarkable that such a large bike can be so well balanced at speed, but be careful with manoeuvres at speeds of less than 10mph as the weight of the bike may cause concern for anyone not used to it.
Looks wise, I actually like the bike a lot. The appearance was one of the factors that encouraged me to look at the Trophy in the first place. The twin headlamps give a menacing appearance and the factory fitted panniers certainly give the impression that this is a machine that is purpose built for distance touring....which it is.
Fuel consumption is OK. I find that whilst the tank looks like it holds a lot, in reality it doesnt. With reasonable speed and no hard accelerating I find that I need to refill after approximately 170-180 miles.
But overall i love the Trophy. I had a European trip in June 2007 to the south of Germany and whilst the weather was atrocious the bike coped admirably without any problems. And I guess that was a very important test for the Trophy.....put it in extreme circumstances and it still produced the goods. A great high speed tourer with lots of torque and power when needed but equally capable at much lower speeds.
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