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22 Page – PDF Download – Complete Series – Triumph T140 Bonneville Restoration
“Andrew Stoker’s 1978 Bonneville
Who? Well, Andrew is a reader who had a cunning plan. “Why don’t you restore my 1978 Triumph Bonneville T140 as a project for Mechanics?” He wrote.
Nice try, we thought, and replied, “Why don’t you restore the bike and write about it for us? We’ll even pay you a couple of bob for the words to help you finance the project.” So here it is, part one.
This is the start of a new project, one I have been thinking of for the last five years. With the help of Mechanics I can now complete it.
Let me introduce myself and the bike. I am Andrew Stoker, just seeing the wrong side of 30, married, one baby, employed by London Underground (the train system, not Inner City Terrorists, although sometimes I have my doubts). Usual thing, mortgage hanging like a millstone around my neck, a family to feed, no money left for retiring motorbikes…
I’ve had experience of spraying and mechanical work over the last ten years and some of you will have seen my BSA A10 Plunger in the March 1992 ‘Show US Yours’ feature. I have use of my parents’ small garage, all the usual tools plus a compressor and a mig welder.
The bike is a 1978 Triumph 750 T140 US-style Bonneville which has been stored outside for around two years. When I bought it, it ran. Sort of. It was a real pig to start and the clutch dragged so much you could not stop. The electrics were so bad nothing worked. Even the ignition had to be turned on by connecting the battery rather than just turning a key.
This project is going to be a rebuild rather than a restoration to original condition…”
22 Page – PDF Download – Complete Series – Triumph T140 Bonneville Restoration
