Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rough Edge racing on June 27, 2018, 08:02:27 AM
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So I'll be 71 in a week and decided it's time for another bike..I build race vintage race Triumphs but don't have a 650/750 street bike...So I see a very original 1979 T140 D Bonneville Special on Ebay.. This has cast wheels and a two into one exhaust ....I email the seller, a deal is struck.....The bike is in Brooklyn, about 350 miles from me in rural western NY state..I decided to drive down last Friday night,I got directions to navigate from a NYC tow truck driver. A piece of cake, right???
I cross over the Tappan Zee bridge and head south on I 87...Traffic is moderately heavy at 7 PM but moving at 75 MPH...as I approach Yonkers the traffic slows down and grinds to a crawl..Literally bumper to bumper inching along...I have a manual transmission pick up truck, lots of stick time..This goes on for about an hour and then I exit too early and wind up totally lost in the Bronx ...Hmmm...I park the truck, stuff over 3000 bucks cash in my pocket, can't risk leaving it in the truck, and walk a block to a corner variety store. A group of people are outside, I ask for direction to Brooklyn..A very friendly guy gives me directions....I get back in the truck and again get lost...You might think the Brooklyn -Queens expressway ,aka, I- 278 might be well marked, not in NYC!!. I call the bike seller, he asks why I don't look at my "navigation" on my iphone... That's a good question but anyways he gets me close and I just stumble on the correct route and finally meet up with him around 9:30 PM...I was wandering around for two hours...
The bike seller is from Japan and has been living in this densely populated Brooklyn neighborhood for 12 years..I look around and it's like all sorts or people from different cultures .Imagine the scene from Star Warswhen the main characters go in a bar.... I can smell food from from every nationality, a 24-7 tire store working right in the street, tiny gas stations and repair shops, fully dressed Harleys and wheel standing Ducati's. This crazy place is full of life...Everyone I talked to was friendly...Cars and more cars, every possible square inch has a car parked, plus all the cars driving around...But no pick up trucks!!!....We load the bike, I pay the man and he counts the money on the hood of my truck in full sight of passer bys...The seller offers me a bed of the night but I want to get home. Nori, the seller, rides a bike daily, he owns no car. He also has a 63 Triumph 650 and a 70 Norton Commando...Dense slow moving traffic until I clear Yonkers, then it's again fast moving traffic......Back home I feel like I had an excellent adventure...
Me and Nori in Brooklyn.. I'm wearing the Triumph shirt and bad hair do....
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1809/42068381545_a896e40b8a_c.jpg)
The Triumph at my place
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1834/41163053320_189002fb31_c.jpg)
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Looks like you ended up with a great deal Rough. NYC can be a great time if you know the area or has a friend who does. Sensory overload. Otherwise no fun for a visitor who doesn't know his way around.
Pete
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Sounds like a great and memorable experience. Best part of buying a bike sometimes. The icing on the cake there is the bike is sharp looking, nice score!
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Rough Edge: You didn't hear about the theft in Brooklyn? It was you! You stole that bike!
There is and has always been huge motorcycle activity in Brooklyn; especially Guzzi's. I've 9 motorcycle shops in my db. Plus I could never delete Raceco. Totally famous Guzzi shop from the 70-80's period. (Manfred Hecht and Amadeo Castellani). They moved to UK many years back and became internationally famous for race kitting Moto Guzzi, Formula Ford, etc. I sold my'77 LM, less than a year ago, to a fellow who works for Moto Borgotaro/Union Garage, in Brooklyn. That bike may have been goin' home.
Now that you know 'people' and how to get in & out, Tuesday early evenings, are bike nights @ the www.earinn.com
Great to read your trip report. Thanx for sharing. Good fortune, R3~
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A very nice Bonneville. I’ve always liked that particular year of the T140. Black and gold just works on that machine and the mags make it unique among Meriden bikes. Great find...
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That'll buff out nicely!
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:thumb:
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Lovely T140 - Congrats! You might consider a smartphone with built-in GPS before your next trip to NYC.
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Good atmospheric story with a motorcycle ending; glad you got the Triumph you wanted. Bet that's going to be fun.
I enjoy reading about people who go places that I would never go for any reason .... !
Lannis
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Nice Triumph! And a great story,.
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Great tale, thanks for sharing.
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Congratulations on the new Triumph, except for the seat and muffler looks to be pretty much original. The 79 Bonneville Specials are pretty nice machines. Many of them were sold as leftovers as they didn't sell too well when introduced, partly because they were considerably more expensive than the standard Bonneville.
I have one I bought from the original owner about 20 years ago with only 850 miles on it, he bought it new as a leftover at Randy's Cycles in Boylston, Mass in 1982. I just got it back on the road last year after being stored for many years.
I've always liked the looks of the European market T140's so made mine look like one, put on a "breadbox" tank, euro bars and fork gaiters. I also changed to the twin exhaust with Norton style mufflers, never really cared for the 2 into 1 system. The exhaust ports on the special are threaded so you can use the threaded collars like the 650's had. Also, I got some tubeless valve stems from Harpers Moto Guzzi and went with tubeless Avon tires on the Lester wheels.
(https://thumb.ibb.co/nzngeo/IMG_0761_A.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nzngeo)
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What a great find! I just finished reading "Triumph in America" which has a pretty good description of how this bike came to be in reaction to the first round of Japanese "cruisers."
I lived in Manhattan for 10 years and parked my Dunstall Honda and Laverda on the street without incident except the Honda got knocked over by parking cars once or twice. Oh, and someone stole the license plate off the Laverda -- cops caught him a week later over in Brooklyn. Now I live in a mountain town, population 1500.
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Thanks, I do have the original seat for the bike. I have GPS and navigation on my Iphone but it sent me the wrong way...I'll blame it on the phone :wink:...There's more... I got the bike home and took it for a short ride..Later on I tried to start it, nothing...I did some trouble shooting and the original Lucas Rita electronic ignition control box failed..Well, 39 years is a good run... An Australian on Brit Bike repairs this type electronic ignition so I sent it to him...And another guy sent me a loaner Lucas Rita control box to use until I get mine back...I could have bought a Boyer of Pazon electronic for about 130 bucks or even used points....
I grew up in NJ 10 miles from NYC..I used to drive into Manhattan quite a bit but never the other boroughs..And that was 45 years ago.....But I still know how to push my way in traffic...
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Great looking bike, good score RE.
We have just got back from Vietnam and your description of Brooklyn sounds a bit like Saigon on a quiet night :rolleyes: except Saigon has no big bikes. It does have sidewalk bike shops and a helluva lot of 130 downwards sized bikes/scooters though.
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Congrats on the bike. I live in south Jersey, and worked in NYC for over 6 years. It's a friggin' nightmare, bottom line. I avoid it (all 5 boroughs) like the plague. That city sucks.
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I lived in Brooklyn for 2 years...bought a new pickup truck 1 month before leaving to move my stuff...got hit three times on the street in that month... :shocked:
Nice bike, hope you enjoy it!
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Great story and good looking bike and "wow!" what a price. But at 71, where'd you get all that hair??
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Great story, thanks. Back in my NYC days, that only meant Manhattan. The City or NYC was Manhattan, Brooklyn was Brooklyn, only technically part of New York City, but not of the City.
Some of my favorite riding memories are Sunday mornings in Manhattan in the summer - the Wall Street boys are gone, the City streets are heating up, the Canyons beckon.
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My favorite NYC moment was having to give two lifelong Manhattanites directions to take the train to Atlantic Avenue Station in Brooklyn...they'd never left the island before... :cool:
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Best of luck with the new old triumph...very nice.
You sounded a bit nervous with your money...Nah....NYC has changed a great deal since 911.
I worked for the City back in the mid eighties....Dingman was watching it spin down the drain...Rudy G helped to bring it back and after 911 it felt more like a community than the largest City in the US. My brother-in-law was in the South Tower when it all came down...he was lucky and made it out...most of his office mates did not...he'll never be the same. But neither will the City...out of the ashes rises the phoenix...I love everything about the place...the cross Bronx in heavy traffic, the BQE, LIE, FDR drive, and especially the East Side Drive at 6:00 am on a Sunday morning with the East River on my left and the Canyons on my right and nobody on the road.
Thanks for the tale...Trust NYC :)
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The D model was built in limited numbers , supposedly 1,000 , or something like that . At one time in the very early '90's there were three of them right here in Muskogee , go figure . I rebuilt one after it holed a piston , and did some work on one of the other two . Have the MK 2 Amals been sorted ?
Dusty
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The D model was built in limited numbers , supposedly 1,000 , or something like that . At one time in the very early '90's there were three of them right here in Muskogee , go figure . I rebuilt one after it holed a piston , and did some work on one of the other two . Have the MK 2 Amals been sorted ?
Dusty
A lot of people dislike Mk2's, this is my first experience with them....The bike ran well for the several short rides before the ignition croaked...I disassembled the carbs for cleaning, surprisingly not worn out like Mk1's always are..I'll Increase the main jet one size.
79 has the new style head with parallel intake ports that supposedly increase turbulence for better combustion...
Triumph "detuned" the 750 using goofy cam timing when introduced in 1973 because of poor quality main bearings, prevent warranty claims....Later on, better bearings were used but I don't know if the cam timing changed for better performance. Some time spent changing the timing can really perk up mid range power.
Some Brit bike guys think the muffler is original.
The hair? Small brain doesn't heat up the head .....
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A lot of people dislike Mk2's, this is my first experience with them....The bike ran well for the several short rides before the ignition croaked...I disassembled the carbs for cleaning, surprisingly not worn out like Mk1's always are..I'll Increase the main jet one size.
79 has the new style head with parallel intake ports that supposedly increase turbulence for better combustion...
Triumph "detuned" the 750 using goofy cam timing when introduced in 1973 because of poor quality main bearings, prevent warranty claims....Later on, better bearings were used but I don't know if the cam timing changed for better performance. Some time spent changing the timing can really perk up mid range power.
Some Brit bike guys think the muffler is original.
The hair? Small brain doesn't heat up the head .....
Hmm , first I'd heard the short exhaust cam timing was because of bearing issues , always thought that was done for emission reasons . Anyway , the couple of T140's I owned responded very well to 3134 exhaust cams from the older 650 .
Yeah , the Lucas RITA ignition was prone to failure , in fact my friend's D model experienced that problem , I converted it back to points for him .
Anyway , good luck . The one thing I might suggest from experience with that model , if it has the 4-10 front tire they came with that was the same size as the rear , they were known to shake their head at higher speed . Inflation pressures are important , although what finally fixed most of them was going down a tire size .
Dusty
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A lot of people dislike Mk2's, this is my first experience with them....The bike ran well for the several short rides before the ignition croaked...I disassembled the carbs for cleaning, surprisingly not worn out like Mk1's always are..I'll Increase the main jet one size.
I've had two Bonnevilles with the MK2's, including my current T140D, have had good luck with them. Only complaint I have is the "choke" linkage, it gets worn out and won't stay on. There are plungers available that thread in to the body to replace what's there. These allow you to attach a cable and use a handlebar mounted lever, just like the earlier models.
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Hmm , first I'd heard the short exhaust cam timing was because of bearing issues , always thought that was done for emission reasons . Anyway , the couple of T140's I owned responded very well to 3134 exhaust cams from the older 650 .
Yeah , the Lucas RITA ignition was prone to failure , in fact my friend's D model experienced that problem , I converted it back to points for him .
Anyway , good luck . The one thing I might suggest from experience with that model , if it has the 4-10 front tire they came with that was the same size as the rear , they were known to shake their head at higher speed . Inflation pressures are important , although what finally fixed most of them was going down a tire size .
Dusty
Dusty, if you have interest in vintage Triumph's ,you should subscribe to Vintage Bike. John Healy,well known Triumph dealer, tuner, and current major parts supplier is the editor..The magazine features articles by Kevin Cameron, Mike Duckworth and Triumph engineers ...The early 750 engine devolopment was covered in detailed, very interesting...
Because my claim to fame is "the fastest naked stock frame land speed racing Triumph in the USA", some people think I know something...I don't know that much about the various individual models. In fact it's a mystery to me how the bike I built goes that fast.... :blank:
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Dusty, if you have interest in vintage Triumph's ,you should subscribe to Vintage Bike. John Healy,well known Triumph dealer, tuner, and current major parts supplier is the editor..The magazine features articles by Kevin Cameron, Mike Duckworth and Triumph engineers ...The early 750 engine devolopment was covered in detailed, very interesting...
Because my claim to fame is "the fastest naked stock frame land speed racing Triumph in the USA", some people think I know something...I don't know that much about the various individual models. In fact it's a mystery to me how the bike I built goes that fast.... :blank:
Heck Tony , it is amazing that any Triumph actually runs :laugh:
Yeah , I read Vintage Bike , great magazine .
Oh , I am pretty sure "you do know something" , just observing your work tells us you are a talented knowledgeable motorcycle guru , don't sell yourself short . No one knows it all , well maybe a couple of those old fellas in England who worked at the factory for years , but most of them are gone now .
Dusty
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What a great account of the day... I can relate.
Hell of a good find there Edge.
Best,
Rob
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Does anybody have any experience with the Amal Concentric MkII Premium carburetors? The hardened slides, Viton tipped float needles, and improved idle mixture circuits seem to address the most common complaints...
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Does anybody have any experience with the Amal Concentric MkII Premium carburetors? The hardened slides, Viton tipped float needles, and improved idle mixture circuits seem to address the most common complaints...
Have installed a set of those on a Triumph for a friend , they seem to be a real improvement , but he really doesn't ride the bike enough to make a good call .
Dusty
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They seem to sell out quickly whenever Amal makes a batch. I think I might get one for the TR6R. The original seems okay, but I hate leaky float bowls; a problem my ‘74 Norton had despite new float needles. They performed well however and were similar to the slide/needle Mikunis of the period. I’m hoping this and an electronic ignition will address the most common failure points for my ‘71...
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Great story. Despite the news stories and reputation it seems like people in big cities are pretty good at getting along - they'd have to be to put up with it. (I definitely avoid them, but Jill likes them and I like Jill :grin:)
Does anybody have any experience with the Amal Concentric MkII Premium carburetors? The hardened slides, Viton tipped float needles, and improved idle mixture circuits seem to address the most common complaints...
Both Ariels run Amals, (remote float type - not MKIIs) but the new Amals are great. One old carb would never idle so I spent a small fortune on a brand new remote float Amal. It worked so well that I bought a second to replace the "better" one and now have about 7,500 miles combined on them. The body casting is much better material (not potmetal of any sort), the slide is bronze, all the adjustments work like they should hot or cold. Idles hot or cold, usually starts first kick hot or cold, adjustments are consistent hot or cold. I am a big fan of the new Amals.
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So I'll be 71 in a week and decided it's time for another bike..I build race vintage race Triumphs but don't have a 650/750 street bike...So I see a very original 1979 T140 D Bonneville Special on Ebay.. This has cast wheels and a two into one exhaust ....I email the seller, a deal is struck.....
I have an original brochure for the T140D, thought you might like it. I scanned it so I could post here;
(https://thumb.ibb.co/mkVZrd/T140D004.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mkVZrd)
(https://thumb.ibb.co/nqYLWd/T140D005.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nqYLWd)
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Hey, thanks for posting the info!.....I may take a ride on the bike today. It's been in my shop since the purchase for maintenance and replacement of a few items like the intake manifold rubber boots and such...
And the ignition..Lucas jokes aside, the original Lucas Rita electronic ignition is considered to be very reliable and failures after nearly 40 years are rare...And supposedly equal or better than modern aftermarket electronic ignitions...And so basic that it can be repaired by an electronics technician..
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NEVER drive into the city on a Friday night, unless you have to and make sure it is way late. Like midnight. Yes, good luck with the bike. My accountant has the except same bike and he has had it for years without many problems. Parks it on the street and it looks like shyte but it keeps on ticking.
Congrats on the bike. I live in south Jersey, and worked in NYC for over 6 years. It's a friggin' nightmare, bottom line. I avoid it (all 5 boroughs) like the plague. That city sucks.
Cam, I owe you dinner, so how about in the city near my apartment in the East Village? :wink:
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I remember Randy's well, and would stop by about once a week. The shop seemed like a phone booth it was so packed. When I started working in Southbridge, one of the Doc's was his daughter....almost a small world.