New Old Guy With Questions

[grandpaul]

This is a great thread...

 

[turbo Bob]

Well, just to update my original thread. I found a shop where the owner is 72 years old and has been working on British bikes his whole life. I stopped by just to chat, and he told me about a 1978 Triumph Bonneville that one of his customers had and that his widow was selling it. I made arrangements to see the bike. I wasn't prepared for what I saw. The bike had been restored way beyond factory, when I say pristine I'm not exaggerating. It has all the upgrades I have been reading about here on the forum i.e. Amal Premiers, electronic ignition, aluminum shouldered rims with stainless spokes. The list is too long to go over. I have got receipts from 2019-2023 totaling $17,000. not including the owners labor. I forgot, the top end was rebuilt with new pistons and tappets. I was just looking for a nice bike to ride and wasn't expecting to find something like this and for a reasonable price. I have an appointment with the shop to have different ratio kick starter gears installed that the owner says will make the bike so easy to kick over you could almost do it by hand and they are stock Triumph gears from a different model.

 

[Mcsurf]

Sounds like a great bike. The 78 and 79 are identical with the exception of electronic ignition and the carbs, and the key is located differently but that hardly matters. You’re getting the upgrades and the alloy rims, which I had on a Norton and which allow an easier turn in, as well as a refreshed top end. You should be good to go for more miles than you’ll ever put on it. Btw, I almost never have to fiddle with it and I treat it like a daily driver

 

[turbo Bob]

Here are a couple of photos.

 

[grandpaul]

Here are a couple of photos.

VERY nice!!!!
Congrats.

 

[Rudie]

1978 Triumph Bonneville

Here are a couple of photos.
View attachment 57231

78 and 79 are identical with the exception of electronic ignition and the carbs, and the key is located differently but that hardly matters

... as do not the completely different electrics and several other things ...

@turbo Bob's photos show a T140V, (there are also 78 T140E that share details with, but are not even close to being "identical" with both T140V and 79 T140E).

T140V and T140E might look similar but, if you own any and believe "78 and 79 are identical with the exception of ...", you will have problems ...

@turbo Bob - As you are new to Triumphs, be aware any reference to a year is a reference to a model year, never a calendar year. As your photos above show a T140V, of which very few were exported to the US in the 78 model year before Triumph switched to building and exporting the 78 T140E for the US only, I advise you to check the VIN on frame and engine for the date code. The VIN should consist of the model code (T140V?), a two letter date code and a five figure number:-

. the date code's left letter is the calendar month;

. the date code's right letter is the model year; 78 is X, 77 is P.

Aside, the VIN was first stamped on the drive side (left hand looking forwards) crankcase under the cylinder block when the engine was completed. When an engine was installed in a frame, the engine VIN was copied on to the frame, so motorcycles left Meriden with "matching numbers".

have an appointment with the shop to have different ratio kick starter gears installed that the owner says will make the bike so easy to kick over you could almost do it by hand and they are stock Triumph gears from a different model.

More details of this modification would be interesting.

 

[turbo Bob]

... as do not the completely different electrics and several other things ...

@turbo Bob's photos show a T140V, (there are also 78 T140E that share details with, but are not even close to being "identical" with both T140V and 79 T140E).

T140V and T140E might look similar but, if you own any and believe "78 and 79 are identical with the exception of ...", you will have problems ...

@turbo Bob - As you are new to Triumphs, be aware any reference to a year is a reference to a model year, never a calendar year. As your photos above show a T140V, of which very few were exported to the US in the 78 model year before Triumph switched to building and exporting the 78 T140E for the US only, I advise you to check the VIN on frame and engine for the date code. The VIN should consist of the model code (T140V?), a two letter date code and a five figure number:-

. the date code's left letter is the calendar month;

. the date code's right letter is the model year; 78 is X, 77 is P.

Aside, the VIN was first stamped on the drive side (left hand looking forwards) crankcase under the cylinder block when the engine was completed. When an engine was installed in a frame, the engine VIN was copied on to the frame, so motorcycles left Meriden with "matching numbers".


More details of this modification would be interesting.

I'm going to make another thread for the modification to the kick starter so more people will see it.

 

[atomsplitter]

Great find. Hope you get a lot of miles on it.

 

[turbo Bob]

I just posted a new thread with all the information about the kick start gear swap.

 

[Bloodknot]

I just posted a new thread with all the information about the kick start gear swap.

Couldn’t find it. Any chance of a link?

 

[Greyfell]

Couldn’t find it. Any chance of a link?

Easier Kick Starting For Us Older Folks

 

[Bloodknot]

Easier Kick Starting For Us Older Folks

Many thanks