1976 Triumph Bonneville T140V

Summary:

Beautiful motorcycle let down by poor manufacturing design and quality

Faults:

The push rod tube seals and rocker cover gaskets would need regular attention to stop oil leaks.

The primary drive cover gasket was also replaced.

The front indicators would rotate whilst riding due to engine vibration.

The carbs would go out of balance.

The chrome front disc was useless and dangerous in the rain.

The exhaust to head flanges needed regular sealing/tightening.

The valve stem seals failed at 17000 miles, so the motorcycle was sold.

General Comments:

The Bonneville when new, was an impressive looking British motorcycle.

The handling was wonderful with the bike being well balanced and a joy to ride around town and across country.

However, the bike was not good on the motorway with harsh vibrations causing numb fingers.

I was really disappointed with the Bonneville, and had to spend a lot of time and money to keep her on the road. Having owned owned Japanese bikes prior to the Bonneville, I needed reliability again.

After a short dabble with a Trident T150, which was reliable, the shadow of poor reliability had sowed a seed of doubt with Triumph, so I returned to Honda and the CB 750 F1.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 16th September, 2016