1982 Triumph 750 Bonneville T140ES
(Page 3 of 3)
September/October 2008
Story and photos by Robert Smith
In the end, one was sold locally, complete with its luggage, and the other went to Calgary as a T140ES, without the touring equipment. “I have a feeling that my bike may have been the Calgary one,” says Bill. “I don’t think there were that many
shipped in.”
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Why a Bonneville, and why that bike? “I bought it before the new (Hinckley) Bonneville came out,” says Bill. “It still had the vintage look, but it was relatively modern. I grew up in Montreal. There were a lot more BSAs and Triumphs than Nortons. I sort of had a leaning toward Triumph because of the look and the sound.
“The power is quite good. It’s a comfortable bike — you can actually cruise all day on it and not end up in traction. What I like about it most is the look: the chrome, the wheels; it’s very tastefully done. I like the wide bars. Everything works so well on it and always has. It’s never been a bike that I’ve had a breakdown on; it’s never left me at the side of the road.”
The only real issue Bill has had with the bike has been setting up the Bing carburetors. Owning the Bonneville was the end of a long hiatus from riding for Bill, so he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “When I first bought it, it ran well, but I never pushed it,” he recalls. “I was returning to motorcycling after about 35 years. For the first couple of years it ran great, then it started bogging above 4,000rpm.”
Bill suspects it may have been re-jetted to suit the shorty mufflers that were on the Bonnie when he bought it. Now fitted with the correct “cigar” pipes, the mixture seems to be too rich. Bill plans to send the carbs to “Doctor Bing” at the Bing Carburetor Agency in Council Grove, Kan. (www.bingcarburetor.com). “I had a wonderful response from him,” says Bill. “He sent me a three-page checklist, ‘here’s what to do before you send them to me.’”
Bill also plans to remove and refit the cylinder head to fix a persistent oil leak from one of the pushrod tubes — a known problem area on Triumph twins, but fixable with the correct assembly procedure. A couple of paint blemishes will also get repaired. “Other than that, I’m just going to keep the bike the way it is and ride it,” he says. “I’ll never sell it. I’m going to bequeath it!” MC
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