Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Stupid Newwbie Question

Hi! Please forgive me for this newbie question. Just yesterday we bought my husband's first motorcycle (a 2004 Triumph America.) So we have it home now and have a silly question... Does the 04 America not have a fuel gauge? I would look it up in the owner's manual, but we don't have it yet. It is being shipped to us since the prior owners needed to get it out of storage, and are shipping it to us. If it doesn't have a gas gauge what is the typical mileage you all get per tank?

Sorry for such a novice question, and thanks in advance for any guidance.

-Dinah

If stock your looking at 120 + before going on reserve average mpg would be 45 to 55 depending on how heavy a hand one might have.

Most of us use the trip meter built into the speedometer and fill up every 120 to 140 miles. You should expect 40-50 miles to the gallon depending upon your "enthusiasm"

Dinah, Welcome aboard. Feel free ask as many questions as you need.
Oh and congrats to you and the hubby.
Mike

Thanks to everyone for the replies. We are not sure exactly how many miles it has been driven on this tank. We bought this bike from a guy who was selling it for his brother in law who was having some health issues. The guy we bought it from was on a trip when we went to pick it up, and his wife didn't seem to know much about bikes. So, we have been figuring things out on our own, like where the key goes, lol We figured that one out after a few minutes. But after that and then the "where is the gas gauge" question we weren't feeling too intelligent

Thanks again for the help!
Dinah

When you get the bike, fill the tank, reset trip odometer to "0" and start to see after around 120 and up where it starts to sputter & you need to switch to reserve.Use this procedure every time you fill up. It will run better I have found with premium gasoline as well .

+1 Fill it up so you can start from a known point and then read the online owner's manual(until your hardcopy arrives) to get properly acquainted. Welcome aboard!

Thank you guys so much. That link for the online owner's manual is great. I had been looking at Triumph's USA site, and didn't find one. I should have gone to the UK site.

Thanks again!!!

One last thing Dinah, no questions are stupid on this site. We all work together to help each other out cos we too had to start somewhere.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome to the bike and the site, Dina, and the old man. No stupid questions here, or they wouldn't let me log on!

Welcome, I always run until I hit reserve then switch to reserve and find a gas station. You can fill the bike up and set the trip meter and take note when you go on reserve then do that every time and you will have a good idea when it's time to start looking for a station.

Thank you everyone for being so friendly and helpful. You never know the tone of a board till you ask a silly question. Thanks again, hopefully we can get some pictures taken of the new bike and post them soon.

Have a great night!
-Dinah

Photo Post is down right now, you need a free photobucket.com account or one of a number of others. I use Photobucket because it's easy once you upload the pic just copy the direct link and paste it in the UBB code window that open when you click "image" under "instant UBB code" on the screen you go to if you check the box that says preview reply next to where you type to post.

Welcome Dinah and your husband to the site from across the pond.

we have something much betterer than a fuel gauge: Reserve. When she gets skinny reach down on the left side of the tank and rotate the petcock 180 degrees! Expect to fill up every 140 miles or so.

Welcome to this site!

I am not sure if this is where I should post this, but here is a pic of the new bike:


Being novices we are not sure what upgrades are on the bike. I figured out the tachometer is

Thanks again for all of the help!

Sweet! There are really no inappropriate places to post photos of English Iron. I thought of what i posted above as I crested the Banana River Bridge and got skinny. Like it when that happens going downhill or while rolling. When accelerating from a light it kinda isn't any fun.

"Being novices we are not sure what upgrades are on the bike. I figured out the tachometer is "

The tail light area has been reworked very nicely. Solo finishers where the passenger peg triangles were. Chromed Cam cover. Turn signals have been relocated front and rear. Chromed Chain Guard. Air injection hasn't been removed. Chromed George Foreman Grill. OEM Bridgestones Mag Mopus and Excedra. Rear view mirro right side has been removed. The left side has had it's stalk altered.

Lovely color that Goodwood Green. I also like the flipped tail light and the rear turn signal move.

You got the green America! That was the first color scheme that I truly fell in love with. What a georgeous machine. Don't get me wrong, I truly love my blue/white, but I definately have appreciation for that 04 model. You and your husband did well Dinah. Welcome aboard and ask all the questions you want.

Thanks for explaining all of the "extras" since we really had no clue when we bought it. Honestly we just went with our gut, and the people selling it were very nice and upfront with us. I generally do my homework and then some, but not so much this time. Thankfully it seemed to work out.

We are awaiting the second seat in the mail. Honestly I have never ridden a motorcycle, so this will be a first. I ride horses, or used to since I just sold my horse and we used some of the proceeds to buy this bike for my husband. I am going to give my husband lots of time to get nice and comfortable with it before I ride with him.

We did have one sad moment with the bike though. We went to the local bike shop to have them help us pick out the right "gear" to tie down the bike in the cargo trailer for the ride home. They sold us a nonslip wheel chock, 4 ratchets and 2 sheepskin handlebar pads. Long story short, while hauling it 2 hours home we think the nonslip wheel chock slipped a small amount and the bike leaned just enough onto the spare tire that the right rear turn signal snapped off It broke off right at the neck. It was a sad moment. I called Triumph and they have ordered a replacement part. They told me they are made to break off so they don't bend the bike's frame. The guy at Triumph told me it is an easy fix, but now that you guys are telling me the rear turn signals have been reworked, I hope it isn't a difficult or expensive repair. If anyone has any guidance on that I would appreciate it. I was told of a bike shop in Auburn, AL that works on Triumphs. Talked to the guy and he seemed really knowledgeable, and he had recently worked on a guy's Triumph that had similar thing happen, but with more damage. So hopefully that is a good sign since he is much closer than driving back up to ATL to get the work done.

Probably an easy fix but not just bolt on, I imagine the stalk was shortened to a certain extent considering it's location but can't tell for sure due to the angle of the pic.

yep shortened by quite a bit. hard to say if those are custom made posts or shortened stock posts or maybe hollow bolts with stainless or chrome spacers. The latter being the easiest. You can get polished stainless spacers at some hardware stores and the hollow bolts at J&P Cycles or another bike shop. Question is did the person use the thread in the fender and re thread the signal head or a nut inside the signal head? I can think so many ways to do it but you want to make it match the other side so either remount both so they look the same or find out how the good side was done and copy that.

No gas gauge, but it does have a generous reserve. If it still has the original control valve, you turn it counter clockwise for the main tank. This is different from most bikes. If you look close, one side of the control is thicker, this points down for normal, up for reserve and forward for off.

I usually start looking for a gas station after about 100 miles. Even with a lot of traffic riding and a long way between stations, I seldom have to switch to reserve. While traveling, I fill up every restroom/water stop. The tank is good for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours and my bladder comfort zone is about 2, so that works out just right.

If you decide to start riding yourself, take the local rider safety course and then just ride. The Triumph twin is the ONLY bike larger than 400CC that I feel is well behaved enough for a first time rider.

There is one really big problem with the Triumph Twin. You are going to spend a lot of time listening to, "Hey isn't that a Triumph? (I, my dad, uncle, etc) had one just like that back in '68...." Oh, and every time you go someplace where other riders hang out, you will have to fight your way through the crowds of admirers to get to your Triumph.

Also I note that you do not have a stock Petcock (fule shutoff valve, under the gas tank, "drivers side", ) based upon the chrome "bar" I spy just above the intake boot, nor is your headlight mounted in the original configuration, it is higher and further forward.

Someone spent some time and $$$ on this, enjoy and I echowhat Ed (Greybeard) said get some rider training! Many things on a bike to know that have little or nothing to do with can you get it into gear, and ride it around the block...and there are only two ways to learn some of those things....one way hurts...alot sometimes... the other will chew up a weekend but you'll have fun...

Thanks guys. My husband has taken the MSF course that was offered on post (we live on a Army post.) He is taking it really slowly, just getting used to the bike, driving it on some easy vacant roads right now in our neighborhood. So far he is loving it.

Hello Dinah, Glad to see you purchased a Triumph.

Some other accessories noted on the left side. Tachometer is an extra. Chrome battery cover and decals. Triumph side cover emblem on the left engine side cover. Chrome clutch lifter dresser kit. Chrome speedo cable guide on front fender.

Did you receive any extra parts from the previous owner (license plate bracket which also holds the original turnsignal arms/lights)? With the rear turnsignals in the current location, you will have problems installing saddle bags in the future.

There would have been a passenger seat also on the original.

The indiwinker heads are the originals the stems are short, thats all.