1979 Triumph Bonneville

T140DDBA18122

Clear

This is a great example of an *unmolested 1979 T140D Triumph Special. It is a numbers matching bike that looks like the day it rolled out of the factory and onto the showroom floor. It is not a concourse restoration, but an original paint bike. I acquired this gorgeous bike several months ago from a collector here in Virginia. * Unmolested does not mean it has not had maintenance, new parts or repairs. I means it has never been chopped up or otherwise messed with. It is in the same configuration as the day it left the factory. This bike was in good condition when I got it, and ran okay for a bike that had not been run in three years. I am a Historic Preservation Specialist for a living, so I tend to approach projects with a light touch. In other words, if it ain't broke, I don't mess with it. I did what I would consider a very light restoration. Some of the items I addressed are as follows: * Paint is original: Tank and side covers were cleaned, pin-striping touched up, clear coated, buffed and waxed. Note: Paint is not perfect...it is ORIGINAL and over 34 years old.* New shocks were installed. They look and feel like the factory originals. The old ones go with the bike.* Carburetors were cleaned and adjusted. New fuel lines installed.* New clutch cable installed, clutch inspected and adjusted.* Aluminum cleaned and polished.* Chromed cleaned and polished.* Oil was changed, new plugs installed.* New battery installed.* New Wassell seat was installed. Looks just like the original. Original seat is included in sale. * NOS two-into-one header, fittings and a BRAND NEW ORIGINAL NOS TRIUMPH muffler was installed. These sell for over $800.00 for just an original muffler (silencer).* Original side panel badges. I found these in Australia from a fellow who was rebuilding his original '79 T140D.* Installed new fork seals, reproduction dust covers and new fork oil per original specs.* Installed new Dunlop tires same type and tread pattern as what came on the bike originally. Note: Photos show the tires that were on the bike when I got it. NEW Dunlops are currently on it. Some of these parts and pieces are virtually unavailable anymore. That's why you don't see these bikes very often looking as original as this one does. I spent over three months just tracking down parts. This bikes looks about as much like one straight from the factory as you will ever see. It is a vintage Triumph so it can be finicky to start, but I have done my best to get this one dialed in properly. With proper choke and a little attention it usually starts on the second kick and settles immediately into a nice low rumble. It idles right around 900 to 1,000 rpm's. All gauges, lights, horn, etc. work, however the contacts on the right signal switch probably need to be cleaned as it can be intermittent: works when it wants to. The brakes are surprisingly good for this model and the pads look almost new: I have not replaced them. Runs very strong and handles like old Triumphs do (great!). I try to be honest and represent the bikes I sell as accurately as I can, but keep in mind this bike is 34 years old. If you don't like tinkering you may want to consider a new bike. Fiddling with these old Brit bikes is part of the fun. There is a little oil spotting on occasion as with most any old motorcycle, but no pings, knocks, rattles or other weird noises. Put an extra quart of oil and a spare set of plugs in my saddlebag and I would ride this bike coast to coast. The mileage may increase slightly as I actually ride my motorcycles. I am not a dealer, just an old guy whole likes motorcycles. I usually sell two or three bikes a year. Some of the previous offerings have included a 1948 Indian Chief, a 1937 Indian Scout, a 1979 HD FXS Lowrider, a 2005 HD FXD, and a 2004 HD Softail Deluxe and several Cushman scooters. Each one of them was completely or partially restored by me and went to very, very happy new owners. Like I said, I try to be honest so let's talk about the starting price: The starting price is far, far less than I have in the bike and parts, not counting any labor I put into it. Hell, the Buy-it-Now price is less than I have in it! I am not looking to buy a new home in the Bahamas with the money from this sale, just want to cover my costs if possible and put it into another old bike I just bought. So PULLLEEEZ don't email me with tales of a similar bike for $2,000.00 setting in someone's garage in Iowa...go buy it. This is an honest, solid bike that is that most elusive of motorcycles...a vintage classic that you can actually afford and don't have to be afraid to crank the hell out of the throttle. Note: I am not a shipping company, so please don't ask me about rates, etc. It is sold as-is, where-is. If it needs to be shipped, I will be here to hand your shipper the keys and push it out of my garage. Oh, one more thing I thought of. The seat does not engage the lock properly. Not sure why, but the repro seat has a shorter tab on it than the original. The seat closes solid with no problems, but won't lock. The original seat is in good shape and included in the sale. The main reason I replaced it was because the Triumph logo was faded and I am a fanatic for detail.