Keith's right Cory. It's not a bad idea to take out the hidden filter if you are putting in a descent one. It has the potential to be a problem waiting to happen otherwise.
This is due to it being so small that whilst it should prevent any foreign material entering your jets etc, the size of the thing can get blocked by any larger particles or as has occured in the past with others, with a batch of bad fuel clogging up the fine mesh and hence starving the carbs of the go juice.
There are numerous posts on here about the hidden fuel filter so Keith's advice is sound and has the potential to improve you're bike's reliability.
Whilst I'm at it Cory, I should mention that as a newbie (and for anyone else interested) and you aren't aware already, our bikes are great for all the right reasons but Triumph has skimped on certain parts to keep their prices down.
That's a fact of life and to be honest, I look at it positively where whilst in comparison to a lot of other bikes I've saved money in the original purchase, it's also allowed me to replace many parts with ones I wanted.
Not only that, I've happened to develop an interest in my bike beyond just riding it which I didn't know would happen originally. Of course, I owe much to many of the riders on here who have taught me the ropes but to be given the opportunity to replace many of the parts with one's I like has been a big bonus imo.
So depending on whether you enjoy getting your hands dirty (sounds like you don't mind) or not, doing some preventative maintenance by learning from what others have done on here can help you go a long way in ensuring your steed remains sure footed and true without unexpected problems occuring.
That's the idea anyway. So fwiw my tip is to read up mate and ask questions cos most of it has already been discussed and sorted out. That way you'll feel confident in the fact you know you've done everything possible to prevent any unwanted stops on the roadside so to speak.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a big deal but certainly worthy of mention. For instance, I have been stranded between Boggabilla and Wagga Wagga (
) and having read about certain symptoms that were a result of such and such, I was able to fix the issue on the side of the road where I conked out. Pretty helpful stuff when you think about it and btw, the bloke I was riding with was impressed with my diagnosis and actions. Certainly made me feel good anyway.
Actually, the squirel condoms are an excellent case in point. In my situation for instance, when I replaced my A1 it came with new condoms to use but after less than a year I could see they were starting to perish and crack.
Well luckily for me I had already read about this one and was keeping an eye on them anyway but rather than have my bike start running like a dog's breakfast which was inevitable, I was able to replace them with beauties from Triumph beforehand. Problem avoided.
As a matter of fact whilst I was at it I also bought some quality fuel line to connect one carb to the other (evens out the vacuum) and with the other two, I bought the quality Triumph ones which are twice as thick as any others I've seen and to ensure they continue to last as long as possible, I now and then treat them with rubber conditioner like "Armour-All".
So that's what I'm talking about really, being aware of any potential problems others have already told us about on here, and then taking note and/or action to hopefully avoid the same happening to us.
That's my 2 1/2 cents worth anyway mate.
staffo
