Triumph Bonneville Bobber Build, Part 1

By Motorcycle Classics Staff
Published on March 31, 2010
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Here’s what our brand new Bonneville looked like when it arrived at the MC offices.
Here’s what our brand new Bonneville looked like when it arrived at the MC offices.
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Here’s our brand new Bonneville after an afternoon spent pulling it apart. Now the real work begins - putting it together the way we want it!
Here’s our brand new Bonneville after an afternoon spent pulling it apart. Now the real work begins - putting it together the way we want it!
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We're going to drop our Triumph down a little closer to the ground, and to do that we'll install a set of shorter aftermarket performance shocks and also push the front forks a little farther up into the steering yokes.
We're going to drop our Triumph down a little closer to the ground, and to do that we'll install a set of shorter aftermarket performance shocks and also push the front forks a little farther up into the steering yokes.
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Proably the hardest part of our afternoon's work was removing the stock exhaust system, which we'll be replacing with an aftermarket unit. The first step in removing the exhaust is loosening the crossover pipe connecting the left and right sides.
Proably the hardest part of our afternoon's work was removing the stock exhaust system, which we'll be replacing with an aftermarket unit. The first step in removing the exhaust is loosening the crossover pipe connecting the left and right sides.
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Next up is removing the nuts holding the header pipes to the cylinder head. Best practice is to just crack the nuts loose, one after the other, before loosening them completely.
Next up is removing the nuts holding the header pipes to the cylinder head. Best practice is to just crack the nuts loose, one after the other, before loosening them completely.
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To get to the bolt that holds the rear of the header pipe you have to remove the right side cover, shown removed here, followed by the right side foot peg/brake pedal assemly, which you'll see in the next photo.
To get to the bolt that holds the rear of the header pipe you have to remove the right side cover, shown removed here, followed by the right side foot peg/brake pedal assemly, which you'll see in the next photo.
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After removing the side cover we also removed the right side foot peg/brake lever assembly. That's necessary to access the bolt that holds up the rear of the header pipe, which you'll see in the next photo. This photo shows the exhaust system already removed.
After removing the side cover we also removed the right side foot peg/brake lever assembly. That's necessary to access the bolt that holds up the rear of the header pipe, which you'll see in the next photo. This photo shows the exhaust system already removed.
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Here you can see the rear header pipe mount. There's no good way to remove this bolt without first removing the side cover and the foot peg/brake pedal assembly.
Here you can see the rear header pipe mount. There's no good way to remove this bolt without first removing the side cover and the foot peg/brake pedal assembly.
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The muffler is held on at the rear by the rear footpegs. We're going to install a solo saddle which means we won't need rear footpegs, so these aren't going back on.
The muffler is held on at the rear by the rear footpegs. We're going to install a solo saddle which means we won't need rear footpegs, so these aren't going back on.
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Removing the headlamp shell is easy because the wiring is mostly fool proof thanks to unique terminal ends for each cluster of wires - with the exception of the turn signals, which use the same black/white wiring left and right but plug into different colored receptacles. We made sure to tag the wires in the loom for left and right signals.
Removing the headlamp shell is easy because the wiring is mostly fool proof thanks to unique terminal ends for each cluster of wires - with the exception of the turn signals, which use the same black/white wiring left and right but plug into different colored receptacles. We made sure to tag the wires in the loom for left and right signals.
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Here's a closer view of the rear of the frame with the fender removed. We're going to cut or
Here's a closer view of the rear of the frame with the fender removed. We're going to cut or "bob" the upper frame rails where they kink inwards before reaching back to the rear of the bike. The wiring will all nest nicely under the solo saddle we're going to install.

We’re building it, but you could own it. When we’re done, the Motorcycle Classics/Dairyland Cycle Insurance Bonneville Build could be yours. Just sign up to win . We’ll be giving the bike away at the 6th Annual Barber Vintage Festival Oct. 9, 2010, and we’ll be showing it off at shows across the country this summer. Look for more info online and elsewhere in this issue! 

Coming off our last project, the 1973 Honda CB500 Four we transformed from a junkyard reject to a smooth looking and smooth running café for the street, working on this new Triumph Bonneville is almost like taking a vacation.

Where every nut and bolt on the Honda was stuck in place from 35-odd years of accumulated rust and grime, the Triumph’s are held only by thread locking paste and torque. It’s a bit of a surprise to put a wrench on a bolt and have it actually turn with applied force instead of sticking solid while the wrench tries to spin on the head.

A bobber?

Yeah, a bobber. We know there might be a doubting Thomas or two out there, but the fact is the bobber theme has been around long enough to make it a classic in its own right.

Although a lot of folks will tell you the bobber style — bobbed fenders, minimalist decoration and lots of self-made parts — originated with returning servicemen in the post-World War II era, it’s a lot older than that, reaching back to the “California Cut-Downs” of the late 1920s and 1930s.

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