Triumph Bonneville T140V

          THE FULL MONTYFrom Wikipedia: The full monty is a British slang phrase of uncertain origin. It is generally used to mean "everything which is necessary. appropriate. orpossible; ‘the works’". A US equivalent might be the phrase "the whole nineyards". "the whole ball of wax". "the whole enchilada". "the whole shebang"or "the whole hog". 12/15/14:This immaculate 1974 Triumph 750 was presented to me with 2 boxes of partsand paperwork. Mr. H. obviously a long time dedicated motorcyclist. is onlythe second owner of T140VGJ55178 and has owned this matching engine/frame numbers bike since at least 1982: over 30 years. What started as a fairlystock machine in average condition became something of an obsession . ulminating with a near full restoration done by Baxter Cycle of Marne. Iowa. ne of the most renowned classic Triumph dealers/ restorers in the USA. Wellover $5. 00 invested with copious receipts documenting work performedthrough the decades.  The machine came to me with a note:“I’ve had the Triumph in my possession just shy of 40 years. It has alwaysbeen garaged. but for 8 years prior to the 2003 rebuild it was not startedat all. I was focused on my job during that time and paid little attentionto the Triumph. To my surprise after 8 yrs of sitting. a new battery. &fresh gas it started up on the second kick and ran very well. Since it ranpretty decent I decided to go ahead with a major rebuild at Baxter’s. I put an estimated 3. 00 miles on the bike prior to the rebuild. I’m all but100% sure I was the second owner and the bike had less than 2. 00 mileson it at the time of purchase. I estimate I put 3 to 4 thousand miles onthe Triumph after the Baxter rebuild. In any case I put far less than 10. 00total miles on it. The bike you see today is in the same condition as it wasin 2003. I wanted it to stay that way so I limited the mileage. I always hadat least two motorcycles and used the second bike for over 90% of myriding. The time has come to sell the Triumph. ”   My role is to organize the parts and receipts. to present the machine with itsextras and its history after checking it over carefully and test riding it. I willdocument the condition for prospective buyers. answer questions and totally assist with the sale and delivery to insure that a good home is found. My job is tomake it easy for you: I can personally deliver it within 500 miles if you pay gas and tolls. I can crate it or bring it to your shipper. Whatever you need. I have sold dozens of motorcycles on ebay in this manner and if you check my ebay feedback you will feel confident that all my representations are accurate.    The day it arrived I started it up and took some photographs. The engine fired upeasily and sounded terrific. It was immediately apparent that this machine is anexceptional one. Some deviations from stock were noted:*pre-oil-in-frame style mufflers*dual Mikuni carbs with air filters to suit*pre-oil-in-frame style frame side covers*classic style bullet turn signals*chrome plated primary chain case. transmission and timing chest engine covers*stainless steel spokes*strutless front fender* very nice fuel tank paint job (‘JR’ initials on top)*highly polished front fork sliders*chrome plated oil distribution pipe and valve adjuster coversThe overall effect is very stunning. The bike has been restyled to closely resemblepre-oil-in-frame models. It is clean to the point of being immaculate and will certainlyattract interest everywhere. but what of the mechanical condition?   First I organized the receipts chronologically and read through them to get an ideaof what has been done to the machine. Most significant is the total “no holds barred” engine overhaul performed in 2003. This included a long list of new parts: mainbearings. nbsp;rod bearings. an oil pump assembly. (rebore to) . 020” oversize pistons andrings.  4 valves. springs and guides and clutch plates. Running gear refurbishment completed at the same time included stainless steel spoke sets (front and rear). heel bearings.  tires and tubes. rear brake shoes. chain and sprockets. nbsp;twin Mikuni carbs and air filters.  throttle and clutch cables. exhaust pipes. mufflers. front fender. ront brake caliper kit  and front brake pads. This one round of work cost over $5. 00 in 2003! Ongoing  maintenance. upgrades. the beautiful paint job and more are all also documented. `Next I put the machine on a lift and went over it end to end.  Around the bike mechanical tour of this machine:01-08-15:*Removed cruise control which crowded right hand controls excessively and re-positioned right hand controls to suit. Packed with spare parts. *Laid out and organized spares for photo documentation. *While pushing bike onto lift. noticed very excessive slop in handlebar pedestals.  Checked. nbsp;found pedestal nuts substantially loose and tightened. *Noticed brand new master cylinder has cracked rubber dust cover over brake hose banjo bolt.  Cosmetic concern only. *Noticed a “creak’ when clutch lever pulled in. Lubed clutch lever pivot to eliminate.  Removed clutch handle to reverse backwards adjuster so as to allow cable to be disconnected and lubed. as it appeared to be dry. *Checked security and tightness of all front end clamps and hardware. *Removed excessive electrical tape from tach and speedo cups which was being usedto prevent instrument illumination bulb sockets from falling out of bottom of instruments. Zip tied the socket wires to the respective meter drive cables to prevent dropping out of the meters. Neater solution. *Speedo illumination bulb inoperative. Replaced wedge bulb. *Noticed headlight rim loose and rattle-y at fit to bucket and pilot light inoperative. Replaced blown pilot light bulb. Tested high and low beams. high beam. low oil pressure and blinker indicators. blinkers. brake/tail lights. ignition switch and horn.  *Front brake light switch inoperative. Found loose Lucar connector within headlight atpower wire to front brake light switch. Tightened connector to restore function. *Noticed left and right handlebar switch assemblies appear to be reversed which could have been done as a matter of preference. I believe that normally the blinker switch and kill switch are on the right while the horn button and dimmer belong on theleft. Also the tiny word ‘Lucas” on each switch is upside down with the existing arrangement. No wiring work would be needed to swap them back. just removal of 4screws on each side to swap over : a 10 minute job. *Removed hose clamp from kick start rubber. It was just too ugly and obtrusive when under foot.  Secured rubber with safety wire instead. *Checked throttle cable free play. Noticed right cable adjuster out of threaded hole inright carb top. Readjusted free play at top adjusters to allow more thread engagement at carb top.  Synchronized carbs initially by equalizing cable free play. *When re-installing headlight noticed still very loose/ rattle-y at rim to bucket interface. Tried reshaping the headlight rim clamp slightly but to no avail. Finally resorted to a run of friction tape along the rim of the bucket. This is invisible when rim is installed and itmade everything tight and right. *’Looped’ ends of air filter hose clamps to prevent fingers from contacting sharp edges. *Clutch cable was crowding the headlight switch and seemed likely to turn it on or off. Rerouted top of cable behind the front brake pipe and zip tied bottom end to air cleaner hose clamp loop to take up some slack from the slightly too long cable which keeps it away from headlight switch.  *Left steering stop felt mushy. Found tachometer cable getting fouled in steering stop.  Added zip ties to tach cable to keep it out of steering stop. *Lubed throttle cable grommet at right fork upper cover pass through to alleviate annoying squeak when handlebars are turned. *Checked and tightened rear shock absorber mounts. kick starter and gear shifter bolts. nbsp;footrest nuts. brake pedal pivot bolt. swing arm pivot bolt. rear axle. rear chain adjusters and rear brake torque arm bolts. *Noticed an oil leak on left side of motor near base gasket. Traced source to loose tachdrive unit. Disassembled tach drive and tightened loose retainer bolt to stop leakage.  Cleaned up residual oil and touched up paint on left side of cylinder base flange. *Checked primary chain tension: good. *Lubed external rear brake linkage. *Checked swing arm bushings. Very slight free play detected side to side. Re-torqued swing arm pivot nut which eliminated all free play. Greased both swing arm bushings. *Noticed left muffler loose and noticed fretting at left passenger peg/ muffler hanger.  Tightened hanger bolt and muffler clamp to eliminate looseness. *Tightened loose primary chain case cover allen bolts. *Checked drive chain and sprockets. All looks good/ fresh. clean. adjusted and lubed. *Checked rear spoke tension. Good. Rear rim is British Dunlop with perfect chrome.  It is straight and true. *Rear wheel bearings smooth and no slop. *Rear fender. grab rail and tail light all perfect. *Rear shoes are good/ plenty of adjustment available. *Rear tire is Avon Road Runner. AM21. 110/90 X 18. Has very good tread depth and not quite ? worn. *Checked motor mounts. side stand and center stand pivot nuts. All good. Lubed sidestand pivot. *Tightened right muffler mounts and clamp*Tightened transmission cover and timing case cover Allen screws. *Inspected points compartment. No leaks. no corrosion and gap is within reason. *Confirmed engine oil and transmission oil levels OK. *Right plastic side cover was very sloppy. Installed missing rubber grommet.  Time spent in the shop…………………………………………………………3. 0 hours01-09-15:*Tightened front spokes*Steering head bearings feel smooth but a bit snug. Loosened steering head bearing tension a bit. *Front rim is straight and true. Chrome is perfect. Rim is “Jones”. made in UK. *Front wheel bearings smooth and no slop*Front tire is Avon RoadRunner. 90/90X19 AM20. Like new. *Front disc is cosmetically and mechanically perfect. Mounting bolts are tight. *Front brake pads are ‘fat’: like new. *Fork tubes have some wear to chrome plating. only at the point where the seals rideat full extension. hidden beneath the dust covers. The right fork tube has slightdiscoloration only. nbsp;which is of no consequence. The left tube has similar discolorationbut also has lost chrome plating in an area smaller than a dime hidden beneath the dust cover. Neither fork is leaking and fork action is smooth and well damped. The left fork may eventually begin to leak and a new seal and stanchion tube will be needed at some futurepoint. One fork cap is missing the original service information sticker. A NOS sticker is supplied with the spare parts. yet to be installed. *Rerouted and zip tied the speedometer cable to keep it out of harm’s way. It washanging well below the bottom frame rails. *The spark plug high tension wires were frayed and taped. especially where they passedover the frame rails and got squashed by the bottom edge of the seat. I installed NOSwires (another new set is included in the spares) and routed them under the frame rails to avoid further damage. *Fabricated and installed a seat restraint cable; the old one pulled out of the eyelet.  The seat appears to be original. The cover has a few very minor blems. the foam is a little tired and the plastic trim strip around the lower edge is deteriorating. *I cleaned up and zip tied the wiring under the seat. *Removed battery for service. The water level was rather low; topped up with distilledwater and charged battery which had 12. 5 volts standing DC & 13. 3 volts after recharge: a good battery. *Battery was loose in tray. Added some foam pads and tightened battery strap. Made a rubber cover to guard against the terminals contacting the seat base or anything else.  Sprayed terminals with corrosion preventative. Rerouted and secured battery breather hoseaway from chrome and drive chain. *Checked operation of front and rear suspension. Shocks and forks both feel very good: smooth and nice rebound damping. good spring balance front to rear. Adjusted rear shock spring pre-load from hardest to middle of 3 positions. *Pulled spark plugs for compression test. 145 psi left and right on Snap-On screw-in typecompression gauge. Very strong reading. *Inspected frame and swing arm. Nothing bent or amiss and everything very clean. Theframe has never been painted. There are some minor bare spots mostly where the original metal cable ties have abraded the paint. Touching up is in order. *It is noteworthy that after being parked in the same spot for several days there is not onedrop of oil on the floor under the bike. Time spent in the shop…………………………………………………………………. 1. 0 hours01-11-15:Confirmed charging system performance. Synchronized carbs with gauges and adjusted idle and mixture screws. Aired tires to 32 rear. 28 front. Fifty mile test ride: 20 highway. 20 on secondary roads and 10 miles in town. Temperature 35 degrees. o clouds / very low humidity.  Ran all 50 miles with electric vest running. Clean andpolish. Time spent in shop…. ………………………………………………………. 0. 5 hours                              Riding impressions:   This machine is very well sorted and will not need any work whatsoever. The newowner can admire the classic handsome looks and ride the machine as much as he/shewishes  with nothing more than the turn of a key. I would not hesitate to set off for the west coast on this bike tomorrow.   Starting is very easy with the two Mikuni carbs each fitted with an enrichener deviceAKA choke. There is no need to fool with messy ‘tickling’ of the the carbs. Starting is straightforward: turn on the gas and the key. chokes if cold and one good swing on thekick starter will get things burbling. It is a good idea to hold the clutch lever in and operate the kick start lever several times to free the clutch plates before starting theengine.  After a very brief warm up the engine will hold an idle which becomes rock steady once  full operating temperature is reached. The motor sounds FABULOUS0with the pre-oil-in-frame style mufflers and it pulls with authority everywhere. Clutch pull is reasonably light and engagement is smooth and positive. After several miles I have acclimated and the engine is carbureting perfectly with no flat spots. just endless smooth. soulful torque any time the throttle is twisted.  In town I quickly learn to trustthe steady idle; it did not stall once in 50 miles. The engine is very crisp and healthy insound and feel. There is no smoke at all from the exhaust. It runs clean at all times. Outon the highway I open it up briefly to what I estimate to be 90 mph for a short stretch.  Typically. the speedometer needle is overcome by vibration at these speeds and cannotbe relied upon. The speedo may not like the vibration level but I am totally impressed withhow smooth everything feels.  Cruising at 70 is pleasant and relaxing. I cannot imagine thatanyone would ever find the vibration level on this machine to be an issue. I find myselfgrinning the entire time I am riding this bike. Could this be love?   The 5 speed transmission is buttery and flawless. The front brake seems a bit weak atfirst but it improves with use as the disc gets cleaned off. The rear drum brake gives plentyof useful feedback. While the brakes cannot compare with modern machines. they workjust as they should. The suspension also works quite well. absorbing small bumps and large with good control. The front fork is especially plush for a vintage machine. I am very  impressed that there are no clunks or rattles from anything at any time. The machine has a solid. sorted feel that instills confidence. Everything works! The steeringis absolutely perfect. as only a lightweight vintage British bike can be. The seat is no problem at all: better that I thought it would be. given it’s age. My bulky winter overpantsmake my legs feel a little too bent and the parachute effect of my heavily jacketed torso at highway speeds is noticeable but the incredible balance and precise handling are a treat. In warmer weather. nbsp;without the Eskimo gear. I know the seating position will be perfect.   I can confidently say after 50 miles that this machine will put a smile on any enthusiast’sface.  A joy to behold and breathtaking to ride. In fact if you have a memory of a Triumph from your youthful motorcycling past this machine may just bring a tear to your eye. It really is that good. The quintessential Triumph experience! If you buy and take delivery of this machine I will guarantee it unconditionally for 10 days. You can return it for a full refund if you feel it is not worth the price you paid.  I know you will absolutely love it. Tell me what you need to make it happen. Bid now with complete confidence! 

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