Topic: Any Triumph guys on here ?

[greenjeans]

I have a chance to purchase a 1976 Triumph Bonneville T140V

It's fairly complete and has been in dry storage for the last 20 yrs.  Supposedly wouldn't need much to run again. (you know how that goes)

Anyway, the guy wants $1600 for it, which I think is high.   Anybody care to share any advice or what problem areas to look for ?

[SteveD CB500F]

I know that we love our old bikes, but if you're going to buy a Bonnie, buy a Hinckley model.

The T140s really were as bad as we remember...     great when they're running (but oily)

[bryanj]

Mileage is important as bores; valve guides and other bits wear.

not unheard of for frames to crack and leak oil

chrome needs to be good

Ignition timing is WAAAY more finiky tha early Triumphs so its easy to hole a piston

St Joseph Lucas, Prince of darkness, needs to be prayed to and allowing everthing to work properly

There are 2 different 750 engines with different bores and for the life of me cant remember when they changed

[gerhed]

I have an earlier 650--'67--pre oil/in/frame.
not too complicated --mechanical everything-no hydraulics--a real pleasure !
Probably similar in weight to the '76.
Feels like it weighs half as much as the CB750.
$1600 doesn't sound like too much to me.

[okie]

Here is the best forum I have found for British bikes.  My Bonneville is a 1966 and is VERY different from the newer ones.  And yes, they do leak a little bit of oil.

http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

[bryanj]

I beg to differ Okie----They CAN be assembled leak free, I used to do it (Pre Unit as well)

[mrbreeze]

The usual complaints.......oil droppers,Lucas electrical nightmares.......I rode a few but never owned one. They are sweet to ride.
Approx.35 yr. memory!!!!!! They have the look....thats for sure!!!!

[GoatBaSS]

You will pay. Period. There is nothing like this SOHC group for other bikes that I am familiar with. Get it now at the lowest price, and expect to spend. Kick start only, I believe. Lock tite and a good manual are musts.

[motorhead55]

Here is a picture of my 1967 Triumph Tiger Cub. These are the standard of mickey mouse British engineering! Actually it has been a good bike but I just ride it local. I had a 1966 500cc Tiger and it was a pretty good bike. I put a Daytona dual carb head on it and it woke it up. The bigest problem with both my Cub anf the Tiger 500 was the ET ignition system. If you set them up as the book eludes to, they don't run. Atleast mine didn't. I would have to fiddle with the timing AND point gap till it ran good then just slapped the point cover back on not even wanting to know where it was set.

[tom8Toe]

I know that we love our old bikes, but if you're going to buy a Bonnie, buy a Hinckley model.

The T140s really were as bad as we remember...     great when they're running (but oily)

Here's my Hinckley: Wears a set of British Customs Predator exhaust silencers. Let me just say that they are anything but silent. The Mickey mouse ear mirrors have been replaced with bar ends. The stock front turn signals have been replaced with after market signals so the Norman Hyde Ace bars could be rolled forward just a bit.

[fuzzybutt]

old Triumphs dont leak, they mark their territory 

[bryanj]

No they dont----they mark your trousers

[bryanj]

Other thing i want to know is how Triumph got 3 gazillion pieces into that 1" cubed carb on the Cub?