T140 Bonneville
SHOULD YOU BUY A T140?
There are plenty of options for the big twin buyer, but each comes with its own challenges. Most of the AMC twins, apart from the Norton Commando, were out of production by 1968. Royal Enfield Constellations and Interceptors are mostly for those with deep pockets. A BSA unit twin is an option, but good ones are getting pricey and harder to find. As for pre-oil-in-frame Bonnevilles, they’re either eyewateringly expensive to start with or going to be similarly so to restore.
There are lots of 750 Triumph twins about. Spares availability for a T140 is about as good as it gets – better than anything of the period from the Japanese. You can probably get anything you want for a basic T140 off the shelf or within 24 hours, if you work at it. They are not complicated to work on, though it’s fair to say they can be a little fiddly in some areas. There are plenty of specialist Triumph parts sellers too, some it seems motivated by a love of the breed as much as a profit, and most will help you out.
Designed as a sporty tourer, you get almost modern levels of equipment. A Bonnie is a comfy, rapid classic that can lope along all day, stop when you ask it to and blast off into the middle distance occasionally when you open the taps. Find a good A-road and give the big twin a handful and it’ll shoot off like an elderly but over-excited labrador getting the scent of a rabbit.
That’s not to say you can treat a T140 with contempt. Keep an eye on your oil levels, as a T140 can be expected to use a pint every 200 miles, especially if ridden hard. If something starts to leak seriously, it’s not going to stop doing it, so you might as well give it some attention. That oil filter at the bottom of the tube? Keep it clean, and spotlessly so if you’re replacing it after you’ve taken it out. If you’ve been for a ride, don’t just park the old lady up and expect her to come bouncing back next time.
Owning a T140 will require a healthy collection of AF spanners and sockets and a little mechanical skill. Look after your bike, check the valve clearances, make sure the oil is circulating – what harm can it do to spend two
