Triumph TT600 reviews

My first bike so I don't have much to base it on. I have ridden a CBRF4I, and from what I experience, this bike is very similar. It's comfortable, quick, and handles like a rollercoaster. I've yet to slip in the turns with my pilots and I've seemed to burn the rubber off them a little faster than intended. I'm selling the bike soon to get a new Daytona 600. I'm definitely sticking to Triumph, actually with the jap bikes. When it comes to looks and personality, these bikes come on top. Oh, did I mention the curves? Wow... I'm not one to do tricks on a motorcycle, but the first week I had the bike I accidently did a few. Wheelies seem to be a little too easy if you crack the throttle in 1st and 2nd. If you're looking for a stunt bike, fix your sprocket and this middleweight machine will more than suit your needs. Done typing, I'm going riding. Show less

Let's start with STYLING. Unlike the majority of the latest Japanese bikes, it does not look like a stealth fighter. However, form follows function, and neither the TT600 nor the "stylish" Jap bikes can fly, so who cares? The TT600 has only a few decals to begin with; I removed the large TTs on mine to give it an even cleaner look. Anyone who thinks the TT is "dated" should take a look at an original Ducati 916. Believe me, the 916 looks great and always will; the TT looks better. In fact, park a TT600 somewhere, particularly the yellow one, and you'll soon find a bird (British for girl) sitting on it. It's a chick magnet. Yes, the finish is too soft. My Honda magnetic tankbag actually leaves small fabric marks in the paint after a day of riding. They wax out, but it's annoying. Engine performance is marginal at first, but it improves with mileage. Also, the addition of a Remus oval titanium race can makes an obvious improvement; the Triumph race can is good, too, but it's heavier. The K&N filter helps a bit, too. After break-in service at 1015 miles, my TT600 gave 102 rear-wheel hp on a Dynajet. I have heard that a Power Commander will yield even more. Handling is superb. Fiddling with the stock preload settings was required because I weigh 220 pounds (but I'm cutting back on the beer). Another line or two of preload got me dragging a knee on the stock B010 Bridgestones. The TT600 will stick with an Aprilia Mille in any curve, and is able to pull a little distance on it in really tight curves: i.e., 1st or 2nd gear stuff. I was especially impressed by a these particular qualities. First, the TT does not mind changing lines in a curve. Second, trail braking is cool right down to about 40 degrees of lean angle. Third, you can brake in a turn without the bike standing up. Of course, you need a little more countersteer, but not a whole lot - it's almost mental. Easier, in fact, than the aforementioned Aprilia. Fourth, the bike is so responsive that you have to relearn turning if you're currently riding a liter-class bike or other heavier two-wheeler. I got off an Aprilia and onto the TT, and immediately started oversteering at the same speeds. Go figure that one. Recommendation: tape over the digital speedometer. Otherwise the speeds you can hold in the corners will scare the crap out of you! Reliability and maintainability - the bike is simple and easy to work on. The tech manual is great; buy (or steal) one. The lack of unnecessary body and trim panels contributes to easy access. I've got a 2000 F4, and the TT600 is way easier to work on. don't mention my BMW K1200RS. Examples - time to change the air filter: 10 minutes (includes one cup of coffee). Oil and filter change: 25 minutes. Install a fender eliminator: 2 hours (includes one coffee and two beers). Overall quality: except for the slightly soft finish, I found no flaws on the bike. Everything was done perfectly, the assembly was flawless, every piece fit exactly, and the little bike ran without problem from the first mile on the odometer. Price: Should be the same as or cheaper than the Big Four to give new owners an incentive. Triumph needs to contribute a little more to US political campaigns and get the duty reduced just like the Japs have done with theirs. Only downside: It's not Japanese, so the majority of the US motorcycle press automatically slights it just like they did with Ducati twenty years ago or Aprilia four years ago. End. Show less

I HAVE A BLACK/YELLOW 2000 MODEL. I BOUGHT IT WITH 2800 KILOMETRES ON THE CLOCK.I HAVE HAD NO TROUBLE WITH IT AT ALL EXCEPT FOR A FAULTY OIL PRESSURE LIGHT.AT 13000 K'S THE TAPPETS/VALVES NEED LOOKING AT. WITH 16 VALVES AND SHIMS ITS TOO ADVANCED FOR ME SO I WILL GE IT DONE. THE BRAKES SAVED US FROM COMING OFF AT 140KM/H WHEN A KANGAROO BOUNCED JUST AHEAD. I COULD FEEL ITS FUR. I FIND IT COMFORTABLE ON LONG TRIPS EXCEPT FOR THE PEAKY MOTOR AND GEARING.IT HAS POOR THROTTLE RESPONSE UNDER 3000 RPM AND IS ONLY REASONABLY POWERFUL UNDER 7000. HANDLING BRAKES AND FINISH ARE EXCELLENT. THE INJECTION SYSTEM AT SLOW CORNERS OR ROUNDABOUTS INHIBITS RESPONSE.IT WILL FLY THROUGH TRAFFIC. THE LIGHTS ARE PATHETIC AT NIGHT ABOVE 70KM/H.DANGEROUS.A SPOTLIGHT WOULD HELP. I CONSISTENTLY GET NEARLY 60 MPG OR 20 KILOMETRES PER LITRE AND RUN IT OMN HIGH OCTANE FUEL.WYNNS INJECTOR CLEANER NOW AND THEN HELPS SMOOTH OUT THE QUIRKY INJECTION SYSTEM I ENJOY KEEPING IT CLEAN AND I USE SILICON SPRAY FOR A SHOWROOM SHINE ON THE PLASTIC BITS AND THE FRAME.I RUN A PIRELLI TYRE ON THE BACK AND IS BETTER THAN A BRIDGESTONE ORIGINAL, GREATER STABILITY IF SLIGHTLY SLOWER DIRECTION CHANGES. I HAD NOT HAD A BIKE SINCE 1975 AND ENJOY THIS ONE. I INTEND KEEPING IT. I MAY GET A CRUISER OR BONNEVILLE TYPE AS WELL FOR LONG DISTANCE WORK AND MORE MANAGEABLE TWO UP RIDING. NOT AN ALL ROUNDER BIKE BUT NICE TO RIDE THE STREETS ON WITH THAT POWER RUMBLING BENEATH ME. EXCELLENT BIKE FULL OF TECHNOLOGY. FEELS BIT SMALL ON WHILE AT 180 TO 200 KM/H, LIKE A DART. GREAT ON ROUGH NARROW ROADS AT UP TO 140 + NEVER FEELS DANGEROUS OR PLAYS UP. THAT WILL DO SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE MAYBE. Show less

This is a great bike for all who desire a sport bike.It handles like a champ and seems to have enough power to weight ratio to make any rider pleased. Show less

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. The engine runs hot, the fuel injection has problems, it doesn't start like it should. Guess what.. All of these problems have been fixed. At your local Triumph dealer you can get "Version 10" downloaded into your vehicle computer to fix all of your fuel injection nightmares. I just bought a 2001 TT600 with 2350 miles on it and I asked about all the up grades since production, and wouldn't ya know it, they downloaded the new software right then and there. I was amazed at the difference in software.... This little feature beats buying a high performance chip any day. I will admit the bike has a little torque problem in the early RPMs, but for the love, it red-lines at 14,000 people, USE ALL 14,000.. This stragedy will get ya to 85 in second gear. Just immagine what 6th gear brings. Show less

I purchased a 2002 Triumph TT600 on July 3rd, 2002 and have sincerely loved every minute of ride time I've had so far. Since then, I've logged over 3,500 miles on the bike and have a few observations about its: character, build quality and styling, and performance. Its Character: As the title of my review suggests, the Triumph TT600 seems to have a bit of an identity crisis when compared to other bikes in its class (in fact, solidly placing the TT600 in any class is difficult). The TT600 is constantly put up against Honda's CBR600F4i, Kawasaki's Ninja ZX6-R, Yamaha's YZF R-6, and Suzuki's GSX-R600, but this in itself is troubling. The Triumph's riding position and seat configuration are more upright than ANY of those bikes, and will remind riders of Kawasaki's ZZR-600 rather than the sharper-edged ZX6-R. It's seat height is lower (by almost a full inch) than any of those bikes, and its clip-on positioning (forward crouching-factor if you will)is less dramatic. The bike is much less front-end biased, but that doesn't mean that the front tire isn't confidence-inspiring. A rider buddy of mine (who owns a Suzuki GSX-R1000)described it this way: "You can't help but sit on your butt on the Triumph, but the thing handles better than my bike. It is amazing how far you can lean the thing over and still have tons of grip." The stock suspension settings are less stiff than its competition, but a little fine tuning on my part remedied that. The brakes are SUPERB; I opine they're a bit better than any other 600 available in 2002. But even then, as a devoted owner, I feel the TT doesn't quite know what it's there for. It's not a super-sharp canyon-carver, but I seem to be able to ride it as quickly (or even quicker) than other 600s when the road gets curvy. It's not a squishy-soft sport-tourer, but it's comfortable enough for 350 mile days in the saddle. Its Build Quality and Styling: The TT600 is not an artistically beautiful motorcycle. Having said that, the longer I own it, the more its odd styling cues seem to soften my judgement. The bodywork is solid (read "friggin' heavy") and seems to be made well. My complaints are as follows: 1)The finish on the paint is too soft. Even with normal riding, I had small scuffs on the sides of my tank within about 1000 miles. Another "high scuff area" is found where the side panels meet at the bottom of the bike directly behind the front wheel. Serious scuffs appeared within 500 miles of riding. 2)The positing of the bodywork requires that you drill large holes (about 2 3/4 inches) in the side panels in order to install bodywork-saving framesliders. What's the point of drilling holes through the bodywork you're trying to protect? 3) Why does the bike NOT COME FITTED WITH A REAR WHEEL HUGGER? Because it lacks one, I get all sorts of road grime up into the underseat storage area. Several IMPORTANT items live there and can seriously be damaged by water, grit, mud, etc.: Owners Manual, Tool Kit, Battery, Computer female plug for tuning the EFI, and main circuits. Triumph basically forces owners to purchase rear wheel huggers in order to simply preserve those delicate items! (I guess I shouldn't complain too loudly: my friend's 2002 Ninja ZX-6R didn't come with one either). Its Performance: The longer I ride motorcycles, the more I'm convinced that less than 1% of regular street riders ever utilize ANY 600cc motorcycle to its full potential. Before you brashly dismiss this idea as the musings of a chicken, consider this: have you ever pushed your current bike to its performance threshold? Are you TRULY that skilled? If so, then you shouldn't buy the TT600. Having said that, overall the Triumph is a solid middle-of-the-road performer that can (with the right rider) keep pace with bikes much lighter & more powerful. Believe me, 95 BHP at the rear wheel is PLENTY! I bought the Triumph because I PREFER bikes that are a little different (I own a 1987 Yamaha TZR250 two-stroke street bike. There are only 3 in the USA.)and I wanted a bike with character. What the TT600 does, it does rather well. Hmmmm, this "superb all-around middleweight" thing might have some validity after all. Show less

I THINK WITH A LITTLE MORE REFINEMENT THIS BIKE COULD BE TOPS I CONSIDER MY SELF TO BE A MIDDLE OF THE PACK RIDER JUST AFTER 3 WEEKS I SMOKED AN R6 AND A ZX6R GOING THROUGH SOME TIGHT TURNS JUST OUTSIDE EASTON PA A PLACE CALLED CEMETARY CURVE THIS BIKE IS SO CLOSE TO THE JAPS IT'S ALL UP TO THE RIDER Show less

If there's a better 600cc sportbike, I've yet to ride it. Handling is precise, engine is spot on and supremely powerful on the street. As far as looks go, this bike has CLASS, a characteristic of most all the new Triumphs. Absolutely love it! Show less

I just finished the break in period on my 2002 TT and if the first 500 miles were any indicator of what the bike has to offer,I am a lucky man. Let me start off by saying that the rumors that there is "quirky" mid-range could not be more incorrect. The throttle has fantastic response all the way through the range. A slight drop at 6500, but it is ever so slight and does not last more than 1/2 a second. The handling should be text book for all 600 sport bikes and the braking is nothing short of perfect. In all, once you ride this bike, you WILL buy this bike. Show less

Just had my 500 mile break-in service yesterday so understand this is still a very fresh bike. The bottom line, though, is that I like it a lot. My last bike was a 2002 ZX-6R. On the down side the TT seems little "buzzier",especially at 4500rpm. That is just a "sweet-spot" though, because it only occurs right there. The pegs feel a little higher on TT. The power band seems a little steeper. Upside: The TT seems a lighter bike. The seat is more roomy. I can actually use it all. On the 6R the slope slides you to the tank and it is hard to sit back on the seat. Not on the TT. This only taste, but it seems gorgeous to me. I don't care for the "busy" paint/decal schemes on the other 600's. This solid yellow TT suits me just fine. The shop I bought it from In Augusta is racing it and doing very well. I predict this bike is going to break out into the spotlight this year. Show less