T160 Primary Drive Options

For many years now Triumph T160 Trident owners have been wondering what to do if they need to replace their primary drive chain in the event it wears out or breaks as they are no longer available as a spare part.

We have some exciting news from one of our fellow triples enthusiasts here in Australia on how to use a triplex chain to replace the no longer available Duplex chain on your T160. Of all the options available for the T160 this one seems to make good sense when you consider that the triplex chain was well proven on the T150 Trident!!

 Ian says:

Back in 1975 when Triumph released the Electric Start T160 Trident it was widely assumed that the change to a 7/16” Duplex Primary Chain in place of the well proven 3/8” Triplex chain used on T150 Tridents was all about making room for the LH gear change mechanism that had been fitted between the larger Primary Drive Sprocket and the inside surface of the Primary Cover.

Fast forward to the present and T160 owners find themselves with a problem because nobody makes 7/16” Duplex chain anymore.

A number of ‘less than perfect’ solutions to this situation have emerged but they have all had their problems…. Belt drives that really do not fit…. Belts that break frequently…. Twin simplex chains that cannot be adjusted to get even chain tension, and the need to machine chunks of metal from the inner cover to fit these adaptations are just a few of the issues encountered by owners looking for a solution.

However, a recent breakthrough has changed everything.

A new product has emerged that smashes the long-held theory that the duplex chain was used to make room for the LH gear change. Ian and David Wright from www.classic-triumph.com have developed a conversion kit that easily converts a T160 primary drive to accept a 3/8” Triplex chain as fitted to the T150 models and it works perfectly. No machining to any cases is required with this simple ‘swap and go’ solution that leaves you wondering why Triumph ever changed to a Duplex Chain in the first place!

For more information go to http://classic-triumph.com/t160-primary-drive-conversion or http://www.clivescarfesystems.co.uk/