Real Life Wrenching: Triumph Bonneville Restoration Update

Reader Contribution by Jennifer Lankford
Published on July 2, 2012
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Editor’s note: This blog was originally posted in October 2010 in the Real Life Wrenching blog at MotorcycleClassics.com.

Me and my 1972 Triumph Bonneville.

In 2010, my father, an avid Triumph enthusiast, finally gave me one of his prized motorcycles. However, he wasn’t about to let me ride off on a running, restored vintage Triumph. If I was going to have one of his bikes, by God, I was going to learn something and build it myself (such a Dad move!). So I packed the entire bike, a 1972 Triumph T120 basket case, into my compact car and drove it home in boxes. 

Four months later, I’ve spent every weekend and evening possible wrenching away at my restoration project, trying to get to the next step. I have to admit, it’s becoming one of the most addicting hobbies I’ve ever had. As a newcomer to the world of motorcycle restoration – or bike mechanics at all, for that matter – delving into a project like this hasn’t exactly been easy, although I can’t say it’s been all that difficult, either. It’s time-consuming, expensive, at times frustrating, and generally slow going, but it’s always rewarding. And I’m barely halfway there. I’ve said it a million times already, but I know I’ll shed a tear when I finally fire her up.

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