Triumph Bonneville 750 1981 - Is it Fun to Ride?
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- Опубліковано 18 лис 2024
- Surely a 42 year old motorcycle must be horrible to ride in this modern, enlightened year of 2023?
Let's find out, while also stuffing our faces with food and checking out lots of other classic bikes.
thank you for sharing so much with us.... I'm sure jealous now
Beautiful bikes, spectacular fall day. What could be better? Thanks for the lovely ride.
2 Lovely bikes, great weather and roads, and superb commentary. Thanks for sharing mate.
Biking heaven! What an array of machinery in just the terrain, plenty of twisties, friendly enthusiasts, splendid weather and what a brekky, with dogs on hand. And good to hear you loved theTriumph. I lived close to Meriden as a boy and even closer to the development facility at Umberslade. It must have been a frustrating place work in the 70s, with NVT/ BSA running out of cash and strikes crippling production, but Norman's blue and white machine somehow came to be, along with his Commando, andlovely to see you all, years later, enjoying their charm.
Thanks mate.
What a perfect day! Great video thankyou!
Wonderful! I never think of my NC as equivalent of those 'big bikes' of their day, but I will now, with a smile on my face. It's plenty enough. Great observations on all counts. Well done!
-Tom
Thanks mate.
Very nostalgic my Friend,worth watching just for the soundtrack & beautiful vistas… Keep’em coming.
Thanks mate. It’s good to remind ourselves that “latest and greatest” aren’t always that much better than these old machines.
I’ve got a 79 Bonnie now and had a 1978. These bikes are fun and very cool. Hey the Fons rode a Triumph . Ayyyyyyy!
I love my 71 Norton 750 combat and my 73 750 Bonniville. Both are exceptional rides. I’m going to start working on my 76 T140 750 Bonniville barn find I just picked up.
Great sound from those bikes, saw several examples of bonnevilles with that design at a bike museum today. I love my modern T100 for all of the same reasons.
Norman is a very clever boy that for sure. Marvellous video sir👍
Excellent Video! Your so right... Character, is the one thing most modern bikes appear to lack. ;0)
My 1980 Bonnie was far more reliable than my 2009 Harley sportster and MORE fun. Wish i still had it.
Thanks for the great video, great weather, great bike and great commentary. I couldn't have described my experiences riding my own 1973 Bonneville any better. Only difference is mine is kick start only.
Arrrr. Then YOU at least are a REAL man. Not like us “button wimps”
Deliberately maintained pace on the highway the other day to have one ease past me so I could admire it as it passed.
Knew it was a Trumpy by the header pipe profile in the mirror as he approached, lovely thing with a nice burble.
American spec bars from the look, and he was heading into the rain.
Turned my wipers on, and would have swapped places in a heartbeat.
Enjoy your channel mate, thanks.
Thank you. 🥰
The problems with quality control went very deep. It's not just that the build quality of the Triumph motorcycles were lacking. Every nut, bolt, electrical connector, switch, light bulb and cable were suspect as well. Bikes were built with casting flaws. The Japanese didn't have casting flaws. Bikes were built with bolts of questionable quality. The entire manufacturing industry was stuck in the 1950s trying to build products with worn out tooling and zero funding.
Spot on with your observations. Sad.
I bought a Triumph Tiger 750 in 1977 with about 1000m on the clock. It looked fine, but just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. And I loved it. The problems began with the engine design fundamentals - as an excessively bored out 360° parallel twin it shook everything into fragments, from the engine itself to bulb filaments to the petrol tank. That, combined with inherent design flaws (watercooled clutch and gearbox internals, self-ejecting header pipes, popping rockerbox gaskets (x13), seizing brake calipers front and rear) almost non-existent quality control at the manufacturing stage (ungreased needle-roller steering head bearings) taught me a great deal about bikes.
But cruising along at the speeds you were at in the video, it was a joy to ride.@@AfricaTwin-Stuff
@@m2menuiserie540I had most of that on my 79' T140
Snap! Literally. But people are now buying these things at crazy prices. At least in the US the vendors suggest you bring a trailer!@@PatrickWhitaker-ls2cs
Aftermarket parts resealing and mine is now oil tight. 79 750
Great bikes mate, love my classic Triumph.🇬🇧👍
I had a 2012 Bonnyville and some of the best motorcycling memories I've ever had remain with that bike. It had the king and queen seat and was great for two-up. I took it to the northern rivers of NSW and stayed at Nimbin overnight and that was definitely an experience.
Ha! Nimbin! Adds a new meaning to smoking exhaust.
nothing like a proper one though
No offence mate but that’s not a Bonnie
@@highdownmartin that was a past tense comment but no offence if you can’t realise that!
@@garethlipyeart6520exact .J'ai possédé une Bonneville 2006 ça n'a rien à voir avec les anciennes.Fiable mais sans saveur.
What a beautiful morning to set off with the misted hilltops, a good day to be alive and on a motorcycle 😊
Absolutely 😘
Norman's a good friend to have. Along with my NC, I have an 85 R80 and at 4,000 rpm it's mechanical symphony :)
Agree. He is a good mate.
You can make a big improvement to the front brake by fitting a 13mm bore master cylinder. It is identical externally to the standard 5/8", with the same fittings, and screws straight in as a direct replacement, but the smaller bore gives much better feel and more leverage. I fitted one on my 78 T140V 4 years ago and it has transformed the braking. I just wish they had been available when I first got it, 30 years ago.
Thanks for the advise. Norman has done this to his Norton but the improvement was so small as to be invisible.
But nothing to say it won’t work for the Triumph.
The 13 mm has worked for me but I would not say it did "transform" the braking - but it did improve quite a bit. The adjustment is a lot more fiddly since the 13 mm set up does not have a pressure check valve. The big game changer for me was a floating disc and the alloy caliper.
I was surprised to hear you lament the brakes on the Bonneville. I have a 1979 Bonneville, on which I spent significant time and treasure on the brakes. Having made the investment, the brakes are absolutely superb. It has the firmest handle and pedal of all my bikes, many of them quite a bit newer. Yet the pressure required for a vigorous stop is quite light. I hope your friend Norman will take a second look at the brakes on the Bonnie, since I know that they can be made to work with distinction.
Norman and yourself are very lucky people indeed and you make very jealous 😊😊😊
Thanks mate. Yep we are very fortunate, and me especially.
I had a 1979 Triumph Bonnerville T 140 V.
I sold it to a mate about 13 years ago.
I wish I hadn't.
Where are you guys? Wish you would say - I think I will go and live there and buy myslef an old Bonni. SAdly that will never happen in this lifetime.
Good on ya Norman.
Had a 1973 T120V..650cc..and 1974 Norton 850 Mk 2A..back in the day
Enjoyed both when running well..
Both let down by the infamous Joe Lucas electrics..😮
Yes. I forgot to mention the Triumph standard electronic ignition (Lucas) has been replaced with a modern unit.
Ah yes . . . Joe Lucas, the Prince of Darkness.
Excellent looking bikes🏆🏆
That very nice of Norman. Can you ask Norman if he needs another friend ? 😁
Hmmmm. Well, he has ONE friend at present. But I think he is wondering if it’s his sparkling personality or his bikes that attract that friend.
So I dare not ask just in case that friend gets replaced.
G’day Adrian,
now I know why Dalmore is getting a bit porky, he’s got a nose for the eggnbacon rolls.
Thanks to you and Norman for taking us along on some beaut classic bikes. A refreshing change to the 2 wheel computers.
Nice of you to give the Mrs a go too, and, showing the hard working staff at the best bike friendly cafe on the planet. Good riding mate.
Thanks Graham. Dalmore? Porky? …. Never! 🤣
Those older machines have a character all there own.
Presume you’re talking about the motor bikes ? 😂😂
Norm is a very lucky chap owning all theses classic beauty's
No matter what you do. I enjoy it great bike great roads and I very nice Ozzie to boot well done 👏👏
Ha! Thanks mate. Very kind on you.
Great vid & nice to see some background. I like the camera work & as others say you’re very lucky to have “Norm” as a mate, even if he’s more interested in bacon rolls.😂 recon you’re in for some flak over the “even a girl” comments 😂
Ha! Thanks mate.
I’m waiting for the comment about the table graffiti that I didn’t see till after editing!
I don't think I've seen less than 30 bikes in the times I've been at Jerry's and after seeing what was there, I might have to hide my CB500X around the back next time. You highlighted many classics on this visit however the one that caught my eye was the Suzuki 750GT. I had the 550Gt and my good friend had the 750. In those days (70's), I thought how big was that bike, yet by todays standards not so much. You've ridden a few bikes of Norman's now, he appears to have a good vintage collection. Enjoyed the tour of Jerry's.
Thanks mate. I owned a Suzuki 500 Titan in the 70’s. Still love two-stokes.
Most people with classic bikes have a modern one too. I've got a 650 Bonnie and a 2023 Honda CB500X (and a couple more bikes) and would be happy to look at either. 👍
Morning great video on another note my 2023 nc750x is about to hit 15000 km and the chain is shot got hard spots in it so looks like it hasn't been improved
Cheers ✔️ 🍻
Thanks mate. Yep Honda still scrimping on parts sadly.
Where are the silencers from, I want that style for my 1979 T140 E? Great video!
Sorry. Don’t know. The bike was purchased with these on.
My Bonnie is from '72. That's all I can say because I haven't got modern bikes. My oldest one is a Horex Regina 350 from '54, than come the two Velos, the Bonnie and last but not least my Kawa Z1R from '79.
I really don't know how a "modern" bike feels, but I love to ride my babies.
By the way, he who loves dogs and is loved by them can't be a bad person. That goes for the landlord and the landlady as well.
What a lovely landscape! Where is it?
Cheers!
Where? New South Wales Central Coast area of Australia (Kulnura)
@@AfricaTwin-Stuff
Thank you! From here, Germany, it's rather hard to locate.
How did Norm get the modern tolerance machining and other upgrades done on the Bonneville? I know that some companies make modern tolerance versions of classic engines but couldn’t find anything else in my searches in the UK
Arrr. The trick is to buy a classic already restored - as Norm has done with many of his bikes.
I admire those who restore clapped out originals but the cost always is greater than the resale value.
Lovely bikes you have there, weather too!
fantastic Bike I have this bike in 1988 at my Home Egypt Cairo but we face some deffcults regarding spaer parts
my elder sun Have BSA 1969 and we travel too much in Egypt citis . the Bretain engner who desined the engien should be offer a nobile Prise
Hi, I have just acquired a very nice 1980 T140 EV, very happy man. However, bit of hesitation with the carbs down low. May i ask whether the triumph runs amals or are they mikuni’s?
Gday mate that sound brings back some memories ,i learnt to ride on an xs2 650 yamaha before all the bullshit 250 crap came in i was 16 at the time ,just watching this i want to sell the 500 and maybe get something close to it like a interceptor but the 500 will do for me speaking of which had an exon valdez moment trying to do an oil change the other day note to self do not do oil change on the centre stand puled the plug and oil went straight over the top of the pan onto the driveway heaps of fun anyway great video and a credit to norman .
Thanks mate. Yep. I can identify with oil change spills. You’d think I would have learned after all these years.
At the same time in the early 1980's Triumph made a 650 Thunderbird and I had one for about 10 years trading it in for a new Triumph Trophy. I should have kept it and used both.
Great to hear you chatting with the family in the cafe. So polite and debonair, you old smoothie. It has to be the Kettle for me, never could understand why my mates preferred to spend their time repairing their British bikes while I was out riding my Suzukis. BTW who is Dick?🤭
Ha! I was waiting for someone to answer that question. Clearly it is referring to Richard, commonly called Dick.
But Belinda is heat-broken to hear the scribe loves Dick and not her.
Repair? Yep. My first road bike was a AJS 500 twin. I spent way more time repairing that pile of poo than I did riding it.
I have a 78 Tiger 750, same bike as the Bonnie but single carb. I’ve had it for 15yrs, it’s completely stock, it’s been 100% reliable and is a joy to ride. Mine is UK spec with the breadbin tank and slightly odd tucked in handlebars, I really like the look of the bars on your bike are they standard??
Thanks mate. I believed the bars are standard but were bought with the bike.
I really love them.
The exports had hi rise bars and peanut tank, the UK spec had straight bars and big tank.
Wish I lived in Aussie.
Giday, 1981 found me purchasing a1971 Triumph TR6R oil in frame 650.used six days a week i kept it for ten years loved it, Would i have another?not a chance.though the exhaust note is sweet the tappets sound like a skeleton having a wank in a biscuit tin.
Ha! Very amusing. But I happen to link the mechanical sound - weirdo that I am!
The biggest problem with any classic bike is previous owners bodding and buggering.
Yes it’s a risk. Fortunately the previous owner of this bike was an expert and restored it perfectly.
One thing I never hear vintage owners doing is changing fork oil. Today's oils should be better than 40 to 60 year old fork oil. New tires and modern shocks would also be good updates. On thing about old bikes is that someone knows what goes wrong and what to do to prevent it. You are riding an investment. Yes in 20 years your bike will be worth more. You may even make money riding. Now that is job worth having.
Good point. All Norman’s bikes have new fork oil and new tyres - tyres use modern rubber but have classic patterns.
i own a recent royal enfield 650,the rear tyre is 130 section, ive seen a honda 125 recently with the same, my old gs1000 was 130 also, people are always looking to put the largest tyre possible on but its not necessary 5o my mind
Agree. The narrow tyre makes the bike handle better.
Triumph Bonneville 750 1981 - Is it Fun to Ride? on what planet would it not?
My dads bike he restored!!!
We are loving his work.
Horrible brakes and sticky clutch plates but fun to ride
You are riding on the wrong side of the road! What is 18 degrees centigrade in real units?
What more could you ask for? Reliability maybe! LOL
Ha! You must be from America - the only country still clinging to an illogical and outdated measurement system. 🥰
@@AfricaTwin-Stuff Hahaha. When you Aussies can build a 747, we will see who has the illogical and outdated measurement system.😝
That's a really nice TRI mate. These 1978's were good ones. Unlike those terrible oil in frame ones. 71?
Still think the 1970 TR120 650 was the high-water mark. After that they were not really "Bonneville's", eh? Old anorak here.😅
Take care. Sorry you have to ride a Honda!
@DennisMerwood-xk8wp - ha! Fair enough. I agree with you about the 650 though.
Yes, nice bikes!