So I was cleaning out the garage last weekend, right? Found my old ’99 Triumph 955i hiding under a dusty tarp like some forgotten relic. Figured it’s time to see how this beast stacks up against other old bikes folks still chase. Grabbed my notebook, pissed off the neighbors firing it up after two years of silence, and got to work.
First Step: Digging Up the Competition
Called up Dave – that bloke down the pub who hoards bikes like squirrels hoard nuts. Told him the plan. He shows up with his ’98 Honda Fireblade and a crusty ’01 Suzuki GSX-R 750. “Proper old-school shootout,” he grins. We shoved ’em side by side like grumpy old men at a bus stop.
What Actually Happened:
Kicking Tires & Taking Measurements
- Grabbed my tape measure first like a right plonker. Measured wheelbase – Triumph’s longer by a finger’s width. Felt more planted just pushing it around the driveway.
- Heaved them onto paddock stands. The Suzuki’s dry clutch rattled like a toolbox in a tornado. Triumph’s wet clutch? Silent as my bank account after paying parts prices.
- Checked spark plugs. GSX-R’s cylinders smelled… lean. Carb tuning nightmare. The Triumph triple? Balanced, but fuel injection needed a coffee after hibernating. Still felt smoother cranking.
The Revelatory Bit
Took ’em down twisty backroads near Miller’s farm. That’s where the Triumph went from “old bike” to “bloody hell”.
- Fireblade screamed past me on the straight like it stole something – no surprise there. But hit uneven tarmac? Felt like riding a jackhammer. My spine’s still complaining.
- Suzuki cornered sharp, yeah. But the engine? Dead below 6,000 rpm. Felt like dragging an anchor uphill.
- Then the 955i… grunted like a proper animal from idle. Three cylinders pulling hard without screaming its head off. Hit a bump mid-corner? That long wheelbase swallowed it. Didn’t feel like wrestling snakes.
The Ugly Truth: Checked the service manuals after. That Triumph engine? 106 ft-lbs of torque. The Honda? Peaked at 76. Suzuki? Struggled to 55. Explains why pulling out of Farmer Joe’s muddy lane felt like cheating on the Brit bike. It just… hauled. Didn’t care what gear you were in.
The Part That Went Wrong
Tried swapping Dave’s GSX-R exhaust onto the Triumph for laughs. Big mistake. Needed brackets welded, the hanger didn’t line up, and it sounded like a constipated badger. Wasted three hours and a pack of biscuits before admitting defeat. “Some things shouldn’t be mixed,” Dave coughed through exhaust fumes. True that.
Final Verdict After Sweat & Petrol
Yeah, the Honda’s faster. Yeah, the Suzuki’s lighter. But ride them back-to-back? The Triumph makes 90s tech feel downright clever. Torque that bends spacetime, suspension that doesn’t try to kill you, and no bloody carbs to sync? Still stands out.
Spent Sunday nursing a sore back – thanks, Fireblade – but grinning. Moral? Old bikes got soul… but some have more than others. The 955i? Underrated. Feels less like a museum piece, more like something you’d still happily ride daily. If you find one that ain’t rusted to bits… grab it. Bring biscuits. And a torque wrench.
