1977 Triumph Bonneville

T140VDP82434J

Clear

1977 Triumph Bonneville T140J Silver Jubilee 1 of 1000 Absolutely Unrestored, Just Under 8,900 Miles From New Recently Mechanically Refreshed by a Vintage Bike Expert, From His Collection Please Wait for all Pictures and the Lengthy Description to Load! Offered this week is a very special motorcycle. This 1977 Silver Jubilee has had just two owners from new, both of which in Central Virginia. The bike was long in storage from the 1980s until the early part of the last decade. Since that time, the bike has been maintained by its present owner, Eppa Wimbish IV, who is our local vintage and unusual motorcycle guru. For the last while has been part of his own private collection. A note about the finish on the bike - Triumph used a terrible clear lacquer on these bikes that went to hell in very short order - if you see one of these that looks pristine, it's been redone or kept in a bubble. This bike has a fantastic patina from stem to stern that looks a lot like the fake 'patination' popular with the cafe crowd! I brought Eppa another barn find to resuscitate (surprise, you might see it later on this year) on Wednesday and since I had an empty trailer, he asked me to sell a bike from a selection of well-sorted motorcycles in his collection as he needed to make some space. I picked the Bonneville right away, mostly as I was intrigued to get to know this machine during the sale process (yes, I also wanted to take it down the road!) It had not run in months, yet after a few priming kicks and a few more beside, the bike fired right off and purred away. He demonstrated how good a bike it is by donning a helmet and gloves and heading out down the road and back. On bringing it home, I fired it up myself and rode it around a little bit; it did nothing wrong. You'll see below a few photos from yesterday evening when I took it down to the gas station. I suspect I've put 20 to 30 miles on the bike prior to offering it for sale and have been greatly impressed with it! The Norton Pea Shooter-style pipes were made for the T140-series Bonnevilles and are a recent addition. These Dunlop Roadmaster tires were mounted in 2003 for the prior owner and are in excellent shape, no dry-rot cracks thanks to proper storage. The chain is new within the last year. There are no o-ring chains for these bikes unless one made a serious sprocket change. This is the original seat and rear grab bar. These logos on both sides of the bike are, of course, the originals. We did change the pictured kickstart rubber and it has already cracked, an inferior reproduction. Back to the overview. You'll notice that the engine has been cleaned and detailed slightly but has never been opened up to the best of our knowledge. The fuel tank and carbs were gone through most recently in the last year or two. It's very nice to have both side and center stands on this vintage Bonneville. It goes without saying that this frame number... ... matches the engine number. What's also nice is that the bike features not only a smooth 5-speed transmission but front and rear hydraulic brakes, both freshly serviced with new flex hoses. A few decals, such as the ones on the headlamp for the warning lights and light switch, were replaced. Close-up of the tank badge above the retaining bolt. This is not reproduced! Note this odometer reading. On touching up a little finish on the frame, this was a nice touch to put back on the down tube. Obviously a fresh AGM battery was fitted here under the seat. You'll also notice on the coil wiring if you have a sharp eye that this bike has a Boyer Electronic Ignition - no more pesky points and condenser to mess with! So we went down for some gas, since the tank was almost empty - I wouldn't want anyone to come for a check ride and run out! I couldn't resist seeing a friend on the way home, so it was nearly pitch black on my return. Note the headlight on low beam is sufficient.... Gentlemen can drive after dark after all if their Triumphs are as good as this one! payment/shipping Payment is due within seven days of auction close unless cleared with me prior to your successful bid. There are no exceptions to this rule. Further, unless you are standing in front of me with payment or use the Buy it Now option, I will not close the auction early. Accepted forms of payment include cash, cashier's cheque or wire transfer. Paypal is not an accepted form of payment for this auction. Pickup or shipping needs to occur within fourteen days of auction close, again, unless cleared with me prior to your successful bid. I will be out of town from Wednesday, May 1 through Saturday May 4 on business but I can have a friend help you load or assist your chosen carrier assuming payment has been received. I will do whatever I can to assist you or your carrier. If you do not know a motorcycle shipper, I have a few I can recommend to you depending on where you are. While I welcome in-person inspections, test rides require a valid state-issued motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license, safety gear and proof of the ability to pay in full should you damage the motorcycle in any way while in your care. There are no exceptions to this. I sell a lot of motorcycles every year on consignment and directly from my own collection. Note my excellent feedback for many collector car and bike auctions I've done in the past, you can bid and buy with confidence. QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS? E-MAIL ME OR CALL 804-357-4926 On Apr-24-13 at 19:28:55 PDT, seller added the following information: I have been authorized to drop both the reserve and Buy it Now prices by Eppa, we're getting close here to this bike finding a new home. More information has also come my way - the bike was purchased new in 1977 from Sam Selle who is now the owner of Sportland Cycles in Urbana, Illinois, by David Bland, who died in 2001. His brother in Virginia then acquired it. As it had been in storage for years, he had a vintage bike mechanic (Steve Hardiman) go over the bike in 2003; replacing the tires/tubes, rubber brake lines, brake pads, and all fluids, including the fork oil. It was then ridden about 600 miles over the next couple of years, and stored again until Eppa's purchase. On his acquisition, he cleaned and sealed the gas tank, cleaned out the carbs, installed a new battery, new drive chain, and changed the engine oil and brake fluid. Eppa also installed new "Norton" mufflers, the chain, some detail items and other small items mentioned previously in the ad. Good luck!