Britbike forum Forums Thread Like Summary - T160V new to me

Hello all, I have recently acquired a 75 T160V to be a companion to my 74 Commando. It is in rather good original condition and done less than 1200 miles spending a long, long time in a garaged collection. It is UK/European spec, not a US import.

It has age related issues that I will be wanting to address as and when I can. At the moment that’s all up in the air as I did the deal for it 5 weeks ago after selling my ZZR1400 and Hayabusa, and then just over 2 weeks ago I had a heart attack and spent a week in CCU while they kept me alive. I got home 10 days ago, taking it all very, very carefully while I wait for my triple bypass surgery sometime soon. Then of course a few days ago the bike was delivered, much to my wife’s delight .

How do I display pictures on here?

Thanks for the assist Les

OK. I’m now premium member.

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Hi Flatspot----first of all welcome to the forum and to triple ownership.
Very sorry to hear of your health problems and hope that you get over them as quickly as possible.
A very nice original T160 (BTW as Les says the V at the end is not used for T160s---it is used on T150s as the earlier ones had 4 speeds whereas the later T150s had 5 speeds. All T160s had 5 speeds).
I am sure that when your health permits you will start fettling the Trident and we will try our best to answer any questions that you might have.
Happy Tripling!

In both contexts!

Sounds like a good list for a new-to-you old bike. Having the manual to study while recovering is wise. I'd check the date code on the tires as they tend to have finite lifetimes. Filters, gaskets, other consumables.

Have the various oil seals been replaced when it was recommissioned? If they are still the originals, they will be hardened and probably unable to do their job anymore. This means oil getting into the points, the clutch and an extra helping on your floor. The points and the floor are the lesser problems but the clutch can open up a can of worms. I apologize for having tactlessly mentioned such unpleasantness, but there is plenty of help available here to get you sorted out. BTW, great looking bike.

Nice bike!

I agree, need to be clear eyed, mine had 9000 km on the clock when i got it, also been in a museum for a looong time , but took a few months of work to get it running right. (Dried up , slightly leaking engine sprocket seal for example requires going into the clutch which then requires..... well........ a lot.....). With a bit of riding its possible that leaks form PRTs become visible, etc..

You will probably have wet sumping issues as well, they are unfortunately well known for that but they rarely leak over the floor. More likely to empty tank and run dry for the first 30 seconds shorting bearing life if not drained / refilled. I have one of these hand pump vacuum suction thingies (2litre capacity) and I suck out around a litre when parking her up for winter. I then dump that back in before starting up. Also super handy for oil changes.

But I concur that the best approach is to try to ride gently as much as possible to get a feel for what good and bad and what's leaking where etc.

First thing is the clear petrol hose, still soft and pliable?

Enjoy.

You have also a rear disc brake, so has to be prepared with at least a hose ( they have a tendency to delaminate with time ) and more effective brake pads for both of them. Both masters and calipers could get rusty and work poorly. Before starting any riding I'd dismantle them from a bike, take them apart and clean / recondition as needed. They are very simple in design. I also found out I much prefer to work with silicone DOT5 in those brakes then messy DOT3 or 4..For me the front end was ( and still is ) much to harsh during riding, so I'm trying to improve it's action during years of ownership, however yours is later and could be better for you. Be prepared that after some riding some leaks could develop, but as others said start riding firs and rectify problems which show up during next winter. You could have some problems with electric starting as well, but it has to be checked during riding as well.

There's an adjustable screw inside the brake lever. When the brake is off, the tip of the screw presses against the pin of the switch inside the master cylinder housing holding the switch contacts apart...


When the brake is operated the pin is released and the contacts close.

It is usual to remove just the two center pipes.

Not a big job unless rust has set in somewhere.

When you replace the plate ensure you have the deeper area in line with the oil pickup.