This process was. obviously handed down father to son in my family, with the affected offspring studiously avoiding any make that the father had owned (with the obvious and inescapable exception of BSA). When it was finally my turn I was running out of makes. Velo are beautiful but pricey, everything with any semblance of performance was horrifically expensive, with one notable exception, the Triumph Bonneville.
How my heart ached for a Bonnie, especially the ‘68 model, so beautiful, so rare... after 3 months fruitless searching, I'd lowered my sights to include any Triumph 650 or even a 500. The speed with which Triumphs sell is only fully appreciated when you try to buy one, most of the ones in MCN were sold in the morning that it came out.
Eventually I found a 1971, oil in frame, 650 Trophy. I went to see it and fell in love. Yes, I told myself, I too could own a Triumph, all I had to do was pay the man. A brief test ride confirmed that generally things were OK, as far as my limited knowledge was concerned. The deal was struck at 650 quid, and the ex-owner followed my car back to my house - the bike only conked out once in the twelve mile trip; a fact which I considered to be a good sign.
The next day it went in for its MOT, which it passed no problem, but the garage pointed out a huge capacitor aiding the 300 year old battery. The electrics were attended to by my father and a new battery installed. Then the oil leaks started. The biggest was at the top of the front pushrod tube - I thought that even the British didn’t deliberately engineer gaps between the tube and head. A new set of pushrod tubes eliminated that oil leak, whilst some blue Hylomar, new gaskets and careful assembly got rid of the others.
One day we decided to go to Assen. Rich, Triumph and myself. The Triumph used a gallon of oil on that trip and carried on running after turning off. On return to jolly old England, it became apparent that these two facts were not unrelated. The oil was being burnt and was forming large carbon deposits on the pistons. A new set of valves and guides solved this problem.
After my old Honda 750, I couldn't believe that a large capacity bike could be so economical - 65mpg was the average, though it must be said that money saved at the pumps was quickly consumed by spares. The amount that I spent on spares was more or less entirely due to its owners, past and present. The previous owners had neglected to keep it in top condition and I wanted to have a reliable and shiny Triumph. It seemed that every time I fixed one problem, something else would break.
Generally, though, the bike never let me down. The only time that it left me stranded was when the final drive chain broke and I couldn't find it. It never ceased to amaze me the speed with which various parts wore out, until that is, I discovered a thing called The Sludge Trap, conveniently located in the crankshaft, thus requiring a mere total engine strip to clean it out. It was full to the brim, making sure that little oil circulated throughout the engine. I cleaned it out until it was fit to eat off.
The whole engine was rebuilt, making sure that no knackered parts were included, as well as new main bearings. Both barrels, pistons and valve gear were ail well worn and replaced. The difference was startling. It had barely managed 90mph two up, now it would top 95mph with plenty more on tap - I can’t be more specific about the top speed as above 95mph the speedo went haywire. Once I clocked up 10000 miles in ten seconds.
It honestly felt as quick as the Honda 750 on acceleration. The power of the Triumph was more constant, though, it would give instant response to the twistgrip, but it was always very controllable, so very safe in the wet. You also always knew what was happening between road and tyres.
I had a lot of problems finding a headlamp with both a good dip and main beam. The best was a Wipac, but every time you wanted to switch from the dip to main beam you had to lean forward and physically move the bloody headlamp downwards... I
eventually fitted a sealed beam unit off a Reliant Robin.
One good thing about the Triumph was the handling. One night I'd just adjusted the light down to find I was approaching a sharp bend at 90mph. I almost shat myself but I just hurled the bike over and it made the curve with absolutely no trauma. The Honda 750 would have been through the hedge and ploughing up the field.
Having achieved a degree of reliability I became obsessed with its appearance. Perfectly serviceable but slightly tatty bits were junked in favour of brand new shiny equipment. I eventually had a shiny and reliable Triumph. Apart from a slipping clutch that didn’t respond to new plates, that is.
I was in the process of getting this fixed when the bike was nicked. I still get sad and angry when I think about it, as I had really fallen for the machine, despite all its little quirks. I felt a large chunk of my life had been ripped away. The insurance company would only give me £750 for the bike (less £200 excess). I just had enough to buy another but then the insurance rates went crazy - from £200 to £400.
Consequently, my next two bikes were cheap hacks - a Suzuki X7 and a Jawa 350. As I aged my insurance premium slowly dropped to an acceptable level. The final crunch came when a Talbot helped the Jawa stop from 25mph in a fraction of a second. The Jawa was a write-off, so I started hunting for a Triumph again.
Prices had shot up and I almost gave up. After the usual hunt around I ended up with a US import, a reasonably sound but tatty 750 Bonnie for £650. With my past experience, I tore the engine apart to clean out the sludge trap - no need, it was almost clean despite 15000 miles - just shows what regular oil changes can do.
I haven't had to spend as much on the engine and to date it has proved totally reliable. It feels even quicker than the 650 but you tend to travel slower as the vibes are much worse. The twin discs are, however, a massive improvement over the conical hubs of the 650. It may not be as good looking as the 650, and its fuel consumption is worse, but I’m happy again, and in the final analysis that’s what counts, isn’t it?
Steve Willett