1968 Triumph Bonneville T120R Fully Restored

I acquired this beautiful 1968 Numbers Matching (see photos). FULLY RESTORED Triumph Bonneville a little less than a year ago. indirectly from the 2nd owner. who completed an extensive 4 year restoration some two years prior. This was not your typical quick-turn shop restoration. but one lovingly overseen by a conscientious owner for his personal use. You won't find a cobbed-together harness. or cheap plastic tie wraps where the original rubber ones should have gone. His restoration was extensive and correct. including:Engine and transmission disassembled and overhauled as neededAll new cloth covered. period correct wiring harness. chrome. rubber. chain. brake shoes. battery. wheels. spokes. sprockets. mirrors. instruments rebuilt to new standards. exhaust pipes and mufflers. shocks. front fork rebuild. etc. After completing the restoration. the owner test rode the bike less than 15 miles. then decided it was too nice to ride. so he drained all the fluids. and kept the bike in his living room until passing away unexpectedly. leaving this beautiful bike in museum quality as-restored condition. When I acquired the bike. my initial intention was to follow the previous owner's example and just keep the bike on display. but my wife soon nixed any thoughts of having the bike in my office. All the better. because. let's face it. like a bird in a cage. a bike is meant to be ridden. not just displayed. So. upon delivery. I removed the gas tank (it was empty and squeaky clean) but just in case. I flushed it thoroughly. I removed the carb bowls and flushed those as well. then added oil and lubricant to recommission the bike. Then I carefully checked timing. points. and valve clearancesTo my amazement. following the owner's manual procedure (tickle each carb until fuel flows out. kick over once or twice with ignition off). I flicked on the key. stepped the starter. and the bike roared to life on the FIRST KICK! That starting experience has been the norm ever since. Of course. once I rode the bike a couple of times. those inevitable little problems associated with a long slumber began to crop up. I was having problems with the slides sticking in the Amal carburetors. so I decided to just replace them both with brand new Amal concentric units. which are physically identical to the original (and same manufacturer) but with a number of enhancements to insure smooth running and long life (the original Amal carbs will be included with the sale). Additionally. I replaced the new. but older tires with brand new correctDunlop Gold Seal K70 tires. tubes and liners. and added a brand new battery. Although the seat and cover were in unblemished condition. I wasn't happy with the slightly faded gold Triumph logo on the rear of the seat. so I purchased a brand new seat cover directly from an English craftsman. and installed that. The previously-installed seat cover. again. will be included with the sale. In like manner. in my pursuit for perfection. although the throttle and clutch cables were in nice condition and perfectly functional. there was a bit of fraying at the end. so I've replaced those with quality new spares (the clutch cable has yet to be installed. but will be included with the sale). In respect for the quality of this bike's restoration. I have ridden it sparingly over my year's ownership (I have 4 other bikes. so there is no need to take this Bonneville out in other than perfect weather. and only on short missions). I am guessing I have put no more than 500 miles of careful riding since it's restoration. The best part of this Bonneville however. is not just its incredibly beautiful condition. but the experience of riding it. At just 363 pounds. this lovely machine rivals the most modern high-tech crotch rocket in handling. It just feels incredibly nimble and responsive on the road. The iconic vertical twin produces gobs of torque. making a rider wonder why any bike should need more than 4 gears. It accelerates briskly and easily to way beyond legal speed. and the transmission shifts like butter through the gears. I had worried at first about being confused with the reverse foot pedal placement (brakes on the left. shift lever on the right). but it just seems like the brain automatically adjusts to the proper procedure when sitting on this bike!The absolute best part of this machine though. is the incredible and unmistakable sound of those period correct exhaust pipes. Whether it be Marlon Brando. or Steve McQueen in "The Great Escape". it just takes a few seconds of that glorious sound to identify it immediately as a Bonneville! Nothing else comes close. I am thrilled to be the custodian of the complete chain of ownership. as best as I can determine. which includes the original purchase document dated July 12. 1968. where this bike was purchased new. direct from P. Mitchell & Co in Birmingham England. by a young serviceman (Dennis R. Klatil) stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. for the princely sum of 314 British Pounds. Additionally. as part of the records to be passed along to the new owner. there is the copy of the title from the second owner (who lovingly restored this bike). and a certificate of authenticity from Triumph Works records showing this bike. serial number DU 84485. was manufactured on June 13. 1968 (see photos for copies of these). You don't often see bikes with such complete history from new. Other items included with this purchase include:Original Factory workshop manual. in original loose-leaf notebook binderOriginal Owners ManualA selection of period-correct Whitworth wrenches (the '68 used a combination of Whitworth and SAE bolt and nut sizes)Original tire ironsOriginal Amal carburetorsOriginal seat cover (in like new condition)Spare jets for the new Amal carburetorTDC finder tool (new)When using the correct procedure. this bike starts FIRST TIME. EVERY TIME. I have taken to accepting bets as to whether I can start it with one kick. it has been so reliable. responding dutifully. even after sitting for several weeks at a time. This bike wants to be ridden. and deserves to be ridden. And. honestly. there is something very satisfying about riding a bike with no frills. no fancy ABS. heated seats. turn signals. electric start. fuel injection. Just pure mechanical joy. and the knowledge that. if need be. you could disassemble the entire machine and repair virtually anything on the side of the road. and be on your way! And. honestly. in this day of electronic. automatic everything. I promise a grin of satisfaction will light up your face the first time you kick start this bike and realize that you are fully self-sufficient!This bike demands close scrutiny of its incredible condition. therefore I have uploaded some 70+ very high resolution and close up pictures to an online gallery. and I encourage any interested buyer to take a few minutes to view these images to fully appreciate the quality of this bike (don't forget to look at the images taken UNDERNEATH the bike. those areas most sellers don't want you to see!). You can view these high resolution images at:http://austinclassiclimo. smugmug. com/Automobiles/Triumph-T120R-eBay/You can also view a nice video of THIS bike that we filmed in the spring of 2015. showing YES. a first time kick start after the bike had sat for some 3 weeks. Please view the video at: https://vimeo. com/124152408 (Don't forget to click the icon in lower RH corner for a full screen viewing experience. Sadly. my 70 year old knees are not what they used to be. I recently had arthroscopic surgery on my right knee. and my doctor warns me against activities such as kick-starting a bike. so it looks like I am now relegated to riding one of those new-fangled bikes with electric start. I can honestly and truthfully say that this bike needs absolutely nothing. My wife and I currently own some 18 classic cars and bikes. most of which we have purchased as being "fully restored". and every one requiring substantial dollars and time to bring the vehicle up to my own exacting standards. I have done that with this bike. correcting the minor but worrisome issues to bring it from 98% to 100%. and it truly just needs the new owner to climb on board. kick start. and go have an incredibly enjoyable ride!Unlike many eBay sellers who include all sorts of ominous warnings with their listings ("All sales final". "No refunds". etc). I take the opposite approach. I would have no desire to force a buyer to purchase a bike he doesn't want. Yet. I am so confident that this bike will meet the scrutiny of even the most discerning owner. if you are the winning bidder of this bike. fly to Austin to inspect it within 7 days. and if not fully satisfied. I will cheerfully refund your deposit and full payment. (I am always happy to pick up a prospective buyer at the airport and bring them to my home to inspect the bike)This bike is NOT a garage queen. nor a brand new "restoration" shipped out the door by some quick-turn restorer for a profit. No. it has been fully seasoned by regular and conscientious riding during the past year to shake out all the inevitable bugs (no more than 500 miles. I'd estimate). and it is now ready to immediately be ridden and enjoyed without further expense or bother. If you re looking for a bargain bike. look elsewhere. I have set my reserve equal to my original purchase price. and I did pay top dollar when I acquired this bike. I have NOT included the substantial expense and time I have incurred since to truly bring this bike to show-quality level. so the winning bidder will be getting a real bargain. and a ready-to-ride and enjoy machine that will only increase in value over the years. Video: https://vimeo. com/124152408Photo Gallery: http://austinclassiclimo. smugmug. com/Automobiles/Triumph-T120R-eBay/ I do encourage interested buyers to carefully view the video and the high resolution photo gallery. and I welcome calls from interested parties. I love talking about this bike. I do reserve the right to end this auction early. and am open to discussing a fixed buy-it-now price. Call anytime. Phil Auldridge 512 517-0055 I am located near Austin. Texas. and of course will cooperate with your shipper for pick up.

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