1977 Triumph Bonneville

T140VGP73744

Up for sale is my 1977 Triumph T140 Bonneville cafe racer.  I've been working on this bike on and off for a few years after assembling it from boxes.  It is a matching numbers 1977 frame and engine with many parts from a 1979 donor bike as outlined below - titled as a 1977 T140V, but think of it as a T140E, with its parallel port head, airbox, and much nicer triple clamp and gauge mounts.  This bike represents the best combination of reliability and looks, in my opinion, of all the oil in frame Triumphs.  It is well sorted - selling only to fund my next acquisition.  The title is clean, in my name, and the registration is current. I have put about 900 miles on the bike since completion (and counting).  Please note that the 11000 miles in the listing is the approximate current mileage on the odometer, which has not been reset since the bike has been restored.  It is not a "show bike", but a super clean rider with sparkling glossy paint, nicely polished alloy and pretty much everything has been replaced whether it needed replacing or not.  Service is up to date, with a fresh oil change, valve adjustment, chain adjustment and lube, and a general going over of the entire bike.  The cylinder head was re-torqued at 50 and 500 miles. The highlights of this bike are the fresh engine, belt primary, Norman Hyde M-bars, 650 exhaust cam, Akront rims and lightweight alloy AP Racing brake calipers.  Many, many parts have been replaced with new, please see the list below. - frame stripped and painted with epoxy by previous owner - rebuilt/polished forks - new progressive fork springs - new Commando style fork gaiters - new Norman Hyde "M" bar - cleaned and painted 1979 switch housings - polished 1979 gauge housing - chromed 1979 idiot light panel - new speedo and tach cables - new Veglia speedo drive box - new Halcyon stainless steel bar end mirrors - new old stock Beston grips - new throttle and clutch cables - new Emgo turn signals - new stainless front and rear master cylinders - NOS master cylinder cap and reservoirs front and rear - Norman Hyde braided stainless brake hoses front and rear - drilled OEM brake rotors - Halcyon stainless tax disc holder - completely new wiring harness - tank and side covers professionally painted - matching Corbin solo seat - engine built from bare cases - rebuilt and polished rods, balanced to each other and end to end - lightened (drilled and chamfered) timing gears - knife edged rocker arms - alloy pushrods - new cams including 650 type exhaust cam - new cam followers - new main bearings (Superblend timing side) - rebuilt parallel port head with new valves, springs, keepers, and guides - rebored cylinder block - new pistons with 3-piece oil rings, chamfered valve pockets, balanced to each other (NO noticeable oil consumption, NO smoke) - new Clubman Racing sweptback exhaust pipes - new nickel plated steel exhaust port stubs - new Toga Commando style T140 mount mufflers - new two valve oil pump - new Timewarp Customs finned alloy oil cooler (replaces frame oil filter plate and incorporates a spin-on return flow oil filter inside the frame) - rebuilt Amal Mark II carbs with new slides, springs, gaskets, choke plungers - new Euro specification carburetor jetting - new halogen headlight bulb - new coils - new Pazon electronic ignition system - new Champion ignition wires - rebuilt 5-speed transmission with all new bearings - new Tony Hayward economy belt drive wet primary (triplex chain primary included) - new Barnett clutch - new clutch springs - new 3-phase stator and regulator/rectifier - new drive sprockets (standard gearing) - rear sprocket drilled and chromed - new Renold chain - polished original wheel hubs - new Akront rims - new stainless spokes - wheels assembled by Buchanan's - new Dunlop K81 Roadmaster "TT100" tires - new Hagon shocks - new Lockheed AP alloy racing calipers - new Ferodo brake pads - rebushed swingarm - new Clubman Racing rearsets The triplex primary drive has been replaced with a Tony Hayward "budget" belt drive kit from Burton Bike Bits.  This system uses standard clutch innards running in a toothed clutch basket.  The original triplex chain primary drive is included in good condition.  The belt drive (along with a careful engine build) made a big difference in smoothness and mechanical noise.  At freeway speeds, the mirrors are completely clear, and while you can certainly feel the machine running, it is by far the smoothest vintage Triumph twin I've ridden.  Whether this is down to the belt drive, the fresh motor, the electronic ignition or the Amal carbs, I'm not sure - but she is really a sweetheart. Rearsets and M-bars provide an aggressive but not uncomfortable riding position, that is, if you are a fan of the European posture rather than the American cruiser cockpit.  The bars are at a comfortable level when you are braced against the wind (and really not bad even around town), and can be made higher at no cost by dissassembling and inverting them, as they  have a slight drop in the bend.  The Corbin saddle is all-day comfortable.  The rearset footpegs are decidedly racy and are a tight squeeze for tall folks like myself, but most sporting riders of average height will find them comfortable.  The overall position is much like a Moto Guzzi Le Mans or a vintage Ducati twin. The five-speed gearbox is a huge improvement over the older four-speed type, and shifts positively and accurately.  Neutral is easy to find at stops, and there is no clutch drag or slip. The only remaining Lucas electrical items on the bike are the switchgear and horn (which work fine) and the turn signal flasher (which blinks faster in one direction than the other!).  New wiring harness, modern charging system, and modern electronic ignition should pretty well banish the Prince of Darkness.  I said *should*.  This is an old Triumph!  The neutral light works great, as do all of the other electrical functions.  The battery is a few years old but seems to be working well. NO, there is no electric start.  Never was, never will be.  One or two kicks cold, one kick hot.  She kicks fairly easily, but work on your follow-through! With California gas, there is zero pinging at any speed, RPM or throttle position, tested on a 98 degree humid day! As always, there are a few minor issues, noted below. The Euro spec jetting is running well, but the idle jets seem like they might be one size too large.  She picks up clean and will pull at any throttle setting in any gear all through the range with no hesitation or coughing, but the idle just seems a tad rich even with the air screws backed out most of the way.  Just a bit of a stumble when you let her idle for a long time - very minor.  Now that the weather is colder, I don't notice this issue at all. The cast iron brake discs could stand to be re-ground.  They aren't warped, but they were factory chrome plated for cosmetic reasons (cast iron rusts instantly in the wet), and the chrome is getting patchy, so the braking action is uneven.  The front is fine, but the rear "pulses" as the brake pads pass over the unchromed parts - again, a minor issue, but noticeable.  A brake re-grind will run about $50 per disc, and I have a source to do the job if the buyer is interested. Tach and speedometer have not been rebuilt.  They both work fine, but the speedometer needle is broken.  Don't think too hard about fixing it, because most old Triumphs seem to need a speedo overhaul every 5000 miles anyway! The top end was assembled carefully and has no leaks.  After a long ride, occasionally there may be a drop of oil which seems to be coming from between the case halves on the bottom of the engine.  Last time I rode the bike, there was no leak and the engine is totally dry.  This is an old British bike, folks - expect a drop of oil now and again. PLEASE READ BEFORE BIDDING! Your bid is a contract.  If you know you aren't going to pay - please don't bid!  It's just common courtesy.  Buyers are invited and encouraged to come see, sit on, ride and inspect the motorcycle before entering a bid.  Please ask lots of questions if you're interested, I am happy to answer all of them. Shipping will be up to the buyer. I do not have a means of transporting the motorcycle to you other than by riding it, however I am happy to make arrangements to work with your carrier, including draining gas and oil and removing the battery for shipment, etc., at no charge.  Any crating or other transportation costs are the responsibility of the buyer.  I have a safe, secure garage at my home and would be able to store the motorcycle for a reasonable and agreed period of time prior to pickup, also at no charge. Good luck and happy bidding!