ChicagoJoe
Member
Hello! I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself and see if you might be able to help me with a couple questions I had.
So I bought myself a ’78 T140v a few weeks ago. I’ve never owned a Triumph and it’s been more than thirty years since I last owned a motorcycle. There’s probably a few folks on this board who think I’m biting off more than I can chew by picking a 40 year old British bike as my first foray back into motorcycle ownership (and I wouldn't blame them, but I have wanted a Bonneville ever since I was a kid. Sometimes those first loves are the deepest.
My plan was to spend the rest of the fall just riding it and then make an assessment of what I should do first. Wanting to be a responsible owner, however, I wanted to ask the experts here whether you think that’s a good idea. I don’t want to risk doing any significant damage by riding it if there’s a serious problem somewhere.
Some background on the bike: I’m the third owner, 12,600 miles, frame and engine serials match. Previous owner has owned the bike since the 80s and claims the bike is original, aside from a repaired seat and assorted replacement parts. Photos I’ve looked at online largely confirm. P/O claims he’s ridden it somewhat regularly during the time he’s owned it and it’s never sat without running for any significant time. Always stored indoors. The kill switch is badly oxidized and disconnected and the tacho isn’t working. Otherwise it's running well, starts easily, seems to have good compression. The engine was caked with oil and grime, especially the bottom end and frame, but since I cleaned it up, the only place I get an occasional drip is below the chain lubrication. I’m sure there are other things I probably should be evaluating. If there's anything else you might need, let me know and I'll add it.
Here’s some of the questions I have now-
When I degreased and cleaned around the sump plate, it looked like the P/O had put some kind of liquid-seal around the plate. I was afraid that if I took the plate off I wouldn’t be able to put it back on without it leaking, so when I changed the oil I didn’t take the plate off to clean the filter All I really did was drain and replace what was in the frame.
Occasionally when I back off acceleration, the engine makes a sound I guess I would describe as metal sliding up and down. When I first heard it, it almost sounded like gas sloshing back-and-forth in the tank. Anyone have any idea what it might be? Possibly push rods?
What would you recommend as the first winter projects if my aim was to address what are generally the most pressing needs for t140s? From talking to the P/O, it doesn’t sound like he did a whole lot of work on the engine.
I’m grateful for any and all suggestions and ready to learn at the feet of the experts!
So I bought myself a ’78 T140v a few weeks ago. I’ve never owned a Triumph and it’s been more than thirty years since I last owned a motorcycle. There’s probably a few folks on this board who think I’m biting off more than I can chew by picking a 40 year old British bike as my first foray back into motorcycle ownership (and I wouldn't blame them, but I have wanted a Bonneville ever since I was a kid. Sometimes those first loves are the deepest.
My plan was to spend the rest of the fall just riding it and then make an assessment of what I should do first. Wanting to be a responsible owner, however, I wanted to ask the experts here whether you think that’s a good idea. I don’t want to risk doing any significant damage by riding it if there’s a serious problem somewhere.
Some background on the bike: I’m the third owner, 12,600 miles, frame and engine serials match. Previous owner has owned the bike since the 80s and claims the bike is original, aside from a repaired seat and assorted replacement parts. Photos I’ve looked at online largely confirm. P/O claims he’s ridden it somewhat regularly during the time he’s owned it and it’s never sat without running for any significant time. Always stored indoors. The kill switch is badly oxidized and disconnected and the tacho isn’t working. Otherwise it's running well, starts easily, seems to have good compression. The engine was caked with oil and grime, especially the bottom end and frame, but since I cleaned it up, the only place I get an occasional drip is below the chain lubrication. I’m sure there are other things I probably should be evaluating. If there's anything else you might need, let me know and I'll add it.
Here’s some of the questions I have now-
When I degreased and cleaned around the sump plate, it looked like the P/O had put some kind of liquid-seal around the plate. I was afraid that if I took the plate off I wouldn’t be able to put it back on without it leaking, so when I changed the oil I didn’t take the plate off to clean the filter All I really did was drain and replace what was in the frame.
Occasionally when I back off acceleration, the engine makes a sound I guess I would describe as metal sliding up and down. When I first heard it, it almost sounded like gas sloshing back-and-forth in the tank. Anyone have any idea what it might be? Possibly push rods?
What would you recommend as the first winter projects if my aim was to address what are generally the most pressing needs for t140s? From talking to the P/O, it doesn’t sound like he did a whole lot of work on the engine.
I’m grateful for any and all suggestions and ready to learn at the feet of the experts!
