OIF Question

[The Seeker]

Well, I drove over near Akron, Ohio today and bought that red and black 750 Bonneville. He gave me the original air box and covers even though I'll stay with the "beauty kit".

It's a tad rougher than the photos, but it's a good solid almost original bike (Mikuni carbs and Boyer electronic ignition). It does start on the first kick and he says he never uses the choke. No oil leakage at all anywhere on the bike. The gears are smoother than any 650 I've ever ridden and the 5th gear is nice to have. I'll need to add a good dual set of mirrors as the one on it is worthless (set screw is stripped so is vibrates horribly). It runs good and pulls hard. I also think he's got the rear shocks on upside-down as well as I noticed he's got modern Continental radial tires on it which probably doesn't help the feel at all.

I had to ride Interstates back home and I will be honest with you.....I almost turned around and asked for my money back at first! Evidently, it's been a long time since I rode such a light bike and one without a fairing. The Trophy simply eats the miles up and there's no wind hitting my chest. It felt like a moped in comparison, so I was spooked at first. It just didn't seem stable and the wind was really annoying. After about a half an hour I got more and more comfortable so that by the time I was getting close to home I was cruising at 70 MPH. The speedo must not be too accurate because it read 60 MPH, but my Daughter said I was going 70.

 

[ducarly]

CONGRATULATIONS SEEKER, Back to riding a real motorcycle!! JA JA!
No more buttons to start, nothing to protect them from wind and rain, long slide, much shimmy, high vibration, no hydraulic clutch, that is true happiness UP OF A MOTORCYCLE ... I love the Ducati 900, but I MUCH LOVE THE TRIUMPH!.
It's like women, a Geisha is pretty, but a wife with character is PERFECT!.
Actually, CONGRATULATIONS !!! :y115:... It´s beautiful :y115:... oh, and always mirrors vibrate! (my Triumph TR6R 650 stops vibrating at 100-110 kph / 70-80 mph)
Good routes, Carlos from Ensenada, Argentina

 

[Rocky]

Well.......it's whole new experience riding these old bikes compared to a modern bike. You have to accept it for what it is.
I had a new modern bike for two years before I bought my old Triumph and it was a shocking transition. At first I also wondered what I had gotten myself into!
Congrats on the buy. It sounds like a nice bike to which you can add your own touches as you go along.

 

[The Seeker]

Thanks Carlos and Rocky!!

I'm not exactly sure what to call them, but I have to locate a couple of the rubber intake venturis which go between the intake and the carbs. One looks to have some dry rot type cracks in it and I believe it's leaking air there.

 

[DaveM]

Re: IF Question

Congratulations AJ, I loved the look of the 750 always wanted one but never did get around to actually finding one this side

 

[Dschief]

I stiil haven't found the header adapters for you, but this is where I got the silencers and their adapters from:
http://www.northerneagle.ca/triumph%20Exhaust%2011.htm
About halfway down the page, item #'s 07-0047 and 81-8005.

 

[Dschief]

Oops, they do show the spigot adapters on the page I posted, but they are temp out of stock.

 

[The Seeker]

That's a great link for the mufflers!

I'm thinking of keeping the stock header pipes, but changing the mufflers to the retros. When I look at other retro style mufflers, they are too short at the front to meet the upswept header pipes correctly. These have extra length in front of the "bulge" it seems to meet my header pipes just right.

So all I'll need then is the reducer sleeves

 

[CarlS]

AJ, a hearty congratulations. You made a really good choice. The one thing I wish my TR6 had was that five speed tranny. You have one gorgeous and unique bike.

Rocky and Carlos are absolutely right about riding these old bikes. It is a totally different experience from riding a modern bike. I rode those for nearly 20 years. When I test rode a new Bonnie when I was purchasing mine, it felt awkward, stiff, and relatively unresponsive to me. I was expecting it to feel like the old Triumphs. I missed the lightness and the nimble handling. When Paul finished my '68TR6 and I test rode it, I felt right at home. The only thing I missed were the hydraulic disk brakes! But soon fell into my old patters of allowing good stopping distances. I took it to NC and the mountains. I would rather ride it in the twisties than ride my '03 Bonnie - except for the brakes. Mirrors are useless at speed unless you put your hand on it to slow the vibration down. I just have the one mandatory mirror on my TR6. A second mirror is only good stopped or at low speeds. You have to take you hand of the throttle and hold it to see anything in it at speed. Just part of the charm of a vintage Triumph.

Enjoy that "new" ride. Awesome choice.

 

[CarlS]

Be sure to post pics when you add the retro pipes. I would do the same if it were my bike. I put retro pipes on my "03.

 

[Dschief]

[quote author=The Seeker link=topic=10178.msg50803#msg50803 date=1284923682]
That's a great link for the mufflers!

I'm thinking of keeping the stock header pipes, but changing the mufflers to the retros. When I look at other retro style mufflers, they are too short at the front to meet the upswept header pipes correctly. These have extra length in front of the "bulge" it seems to meet my header pipes just right.

So all I'll need then is the reducer sleeves
[/quote]
That's pretty much what I did.

The nice thing about these silencers was I was able to re-use the original brackets to install them. It's a little "fiddly" trying to get everything lined up, but it looks much better than using the universal chrome straps that come with them.

 

[The Seeker]

[quote author=Dschief link=topic=10178.msg50810#msg50810 date=1284928105]
That's pretty much what I did.

The nice thing about these silencers was I was able to re-use the original brackets to install them. It's a little "fiddly" trying to get everything lined up, but it looks much better than using the universal chrome straps that come with them.
[/quote]

So just to be absolutely sure here....

If I keep the T-140V 750 header pipes as they are and then buy those particular retro style mufflers, I will have enough length in the front part of the muffler to make this match up correctly.

I don't mind some fiddling with the brackets to make 'em work....I'm good at that kind of thing.

 

[The Seeker]

BIG question!!!

I was ready to buy a set of those intake manifold rubber venturis (or whatever you call them) because I definitely have cracks that are leaking air between the head and the carbs.

The bike has the stock intake ports bolted on, but it has the Mikuni carbs. So before I bought them I emailed the guy to be sure they'd fit the Mikunis and he said the stock rubber venturis will be too small to match-up.

So my question is if anyone knows of a place to find rubber intake venturis that will fit the stock Triumph intake on one end and the Mikuni carbs on the other???

To be perfectly honest with you, just looking at it visually, it looks to me as if the diameter of the intake and the diameter of the Mikunis are equal?!!?? In other words, it seems to me that any rubber hose of the right diameter will fit BOTH. Maybe I should just go to NAPA and have them cut me some correct diameter hose??

 

[CarlS]

AJ, I have certainly seen a lot of guys use hose on not only the vintage bikes but on the new Bonnies as well.

 

[Dschief]

[quote author=The Seeker link=topic=10178.msg50905#msg50905 date=1285098464]
So just to be absolutely sure here....

If I keep the T-140V 750 header pipes as they are and then buy those particular retro style mufflers, I will have enough length in the front part of the muffler to make this match up correctly.

I don't mind some fiddling with the brackets to make 'em work....I'm good at that kind of thing.
[/quote]

That is correct, the old style silencers and the adapters on the page I posted will fit right onto your stock header pipes. Just use a high temp silicone to help seal the joints.

[quote author=The Seeker link=topic=10178.msg50906#msg50906 date=1285098900]
BIG question!!!

I was ready to buy a set of those intake manifold rubber venturis (or whatever you call them) because I definitely have cracks that are leaking air between the head and the carbs.

The bike has the stock intake ports bolted on, but it has the Mikuni carbs. So before I bought them I emailed the guy to be sure they'd fit the Mikunis and he said the stock rubber venturis will be too small to match-up.

So my question is if anyone knows of a place to find rubber intake venturis that will fit the stock Triumph intake on one end and the Mikuni carbs on the other???

To be perfectly honest with you, just looking at it visually, it looks to me as if the diameter of the intake and the diameter of the Mikunis are equal?!!?? In other words, it seems to me that any rubber hose of the right diameter will fit BOTH. Maybe I should just go to NAPA and have them cut me some correct diameter hose??
[/quote]

I would measure the o.d. of the intake manifold and the carb body and find a hose that has that i.d., just make sure it is made of a material that is compatible with gasoline and gasahol (you know that crap they sell us these days).

 

[ducarly]

Hi Seeker:
Based on this picture (I hope it comes out!) The intake pipe is a hose line. Your note that is fuel resistant rubber.
Good roads, Carlos (not the hurricane!) From Argentina

 

[The Seeker]

[quote author=Dschief link=topic=10178.msg50920#msg50920 date=1285112494]
That is correct, the old style silencers and the adapters on the page I posted will fit right onto your stock header pipes. Just use a high temp silicone to help seal the joints.
[/quote]

Thanks!!! That's exactly what I needed to know before plopping down the money....

I would measure the o.d. of the intake manifold and the carb body and find a hose that has that i.d., just make sure it is made of a material that is compatible with gasoline and gasahol (you know that crap they sell us these days).

That's pretty much what I was thinking.

Ducarly's picture also shows that they have a metal sleeve inside. I would imagine that's to keep the carbs from sagging from the weight and also so they don't tend to collapse from the suction. I think I'll get some heavy rubber hose and then try and find a metal sleeve to imitate that photo. I have a friend that owns a stainless exhaust and muffler shop for cars that can probably match-up the metal sleeve for me.

 

[grandpaul]

[quote author=The Seeker link=topic=10178.msg50767#msg50767 date=1284841536]
I also think he's got the rear shocks on upside-down [/quote]

If they are the original Konis, or one of a few other types of the era, they are not upside-down.

If you mount those "correctly" with the hydraulics at the bottom and the rod at the top, they wont damp correctly and they'll fail prematurely.

 

[grandpaul]

[quote author=The Seeker link=topic=10178.msg50906#msg50906 date=1285098900]
it seems to me that any rubber hose of the right diameter will fit BOTH. Maybe I should just go to NAPA and have them cut me some correct diameter hose??[/quote]

NO!

Must be fuel-rated (doesn't need to be high pressure, just fuel rated). Industrial hose shops carry the kind with the stiffening and liner.

 

[The Seeker]

[quote author=grandpaul link=topic=10178.msg50939#msg50939 date=1285157055]
NO!

Must be fuel-rated (doesn't need to be high pressure, just fuel rated). Industrial hose shops carry the kind with the stiffening and liner.
[/quote]


Well, yeah...I was going to make sure whatever hose I bought would be fuel rated.

But now that you mention "industrial hose shop", I do have one of those about 5 miles from home that I will check out as opposed to NAPA. The stiffener would be a good idea because presently the weight of the Mikunis does make the present hose "sag" just a tad.