Trevor Jessie said:
"Remember this is one of the years Triumph made the engine so it's more powerful and easier to maintain."
Thoughts?
Honestly, I think it's about a wash. Especially in a street car.
I raced a 1500 for years and it was fine as long as RPMs weren't too high (6000 max....this was a mostly stock, unbalanced engine).
I switched to a 1275 two years ago. It's in a similar state of tune. The shorter stroke and more compact engine bodes well for longevity in the bottom end, which is the weak point in the 1500.
I'd say the 1275 has slightly less torque and clearly seems to spin up nicer. 6500 RPM seems easy.
In a strictly theoretical sense, the 1500 can make more power due to bigger displacement and much better porting.
The all-syncro 1500 "Marina" trans is fine, but I actually prefer the "ribcage" trans on the 1275 due to the excellent shift linkage.