The Triumph T140V Bonneville

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Good examples of the Triumph T140 Bonneville don't seem to be hard to find, but they don't seem to stay on the market for long, either.
Good examples of the Triumph T140 Bonneville don't seem to be hard to find, but they don't seem to stay on the market for long, either.
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The Yamaha XS650
The Yamaha XS650
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The BMW R75 /6.
The BMW R75 /6.

Triumph T140V Bonneville
Years produced:
1973-1980
Total production: N/A
Claimed power: 50hp @ 7,000rpm (1976)
Top speed: 110mphEngine type: 744cc, air-cooled two valve per cylinder parallel twin
Transmission: Five-speed
Weight: 188kg (414lb)(w/half-full tank)
MPG: 40-50
Price then: $1,995 (1976)
Price now: $2,000-$5,000

The Triumph T140V Bonneville is a great rideable classic and is much more affordable than its earlier counterparts.

The Seventies were not good years for Triumph. By 1972 Triumph, arguably the personification of motorcycles and motorcycling, had been eclipsed by a hoard of Asian upstarts, despite 70 years of manufacturing tradition behind the fabled company.

In some ways, Triumph had been its own worst enemy. An entrenched, misplaced belief within the British motorcycle industry in its own superiority had resulted in outdated product, just as new rivals were launching the most technologically exciting motorcycles ever seen. Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha were spearheading a revolution, changing and innovating their products yearly. But in 13 years of production, Triumph’s iconic Bonneville, introduced to rave reviews in 1959, had changed little. At Triumph, it appeared that evolution, not revolution, was the order of the day.

The Bonneville desperately needed a shot in the arm to remain competitive, and Triumph belatedly responded in 1973 by upping the Bonnie’s 650cc engine to 744cc and, finally, fitting a five-speed transmission in place of the old four-speed.

  • Published on Jul 18, 2007
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