A change of pace
New CB recruit Mark explains why he’s enjoying the transition from a 1000cc Japanese sports bike to a ’70s British twin
Meet the newest addition to the CB club. Mark, 28, works at SRM Engineering in Aberystwyth and he’ll be giving us regular updates on his Triumph Bonneville T140V from now on...
MARK owns a 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000, but the bike that increasingly lights his fire is a 1978 Triumph T140V Bonneville. How did that happen? “When I was a kid, both my dad and step-dad had bikes,” Mark explains. “But it was when my dad bought a Hinckley Bonneville that I really started to take an interest. I’d just turned 17 – and once dad got the Bonnie I had to have a bike myself. Within a year, I’d passed my test and a Honda CB500 was my first ‘big’ bike. I loved every minute of being on two wheels and didn’t bother taking my car test until a year or two ago.”
That explains the bike thing maybe, but it was getting a job in the stores at classic bike specialists SRM that led to Mark blasting round the mid-wales roads on a
Bonneville more than twice his age. He was instantly surrounded by British bikes at work, although he still didn’t think he’d ever own one. All that changed when Classic Bike’s Rick Parkington spent a few days at SRM for a technical feature last year. So it’s all his fault.
One of SRM’S co-owners, Jon Jolley, fills me in. “While I was chatting to Rick, he mentioned he’d been trying to get some younger riders down his way into the classic thing. I told him about Mark and introduced them. The next thing I knew, Rick was asking Geoff and I if there was a bike knocking about that Mark could ‘take over’. We had this T140 that had been here for ages; we’d quoted for an engine rebuild when it first came in, but the owner didn’t want to spend the money on it, so we bought it. We intended to sort it out and sell it on, but we’ve been too busy with customer work since. We agreed that Mark could have it and pay for it ‘as and when’ – as long as he did all the work on it.”
Mark was delighted. “I’d been chatting to Rick and he’d realised how much I love bikes. I couldn’t wait to get started on sorting out the Triumph. I had to, though,
‘ I COULDN’T WAIT TO GET STARTED ON THE TRIUMPH.WORKING ON IT HAS BECOME A PLEASURE, NOT A NECESSITY’
as I’d just come off my Suzuki and had to get that back on the road. I’ve always worked on the Suzuki myself – there aren’t too many bike shops round here even if I didn’t want to – but once I got started on the Triumph I realised just how different it was to work on.”
The T140 was something of a mixed bag. SRM had rebuilt the engine – it had originally arrived with the main bearings shot – but the rest of the bike was a mess. “The brakes didn’t work, the exhaust had been bodged on with metric fasteners, it had cheap aftermarket carbs, the chainguard was rotten and everything was filthy. But it ran – and it was mine. I was a British bike owner.” With his Suzuki back on the road, Mark had time to savour the pleasures of fettling the Triumph. “It’s great to be able to take my time working on the bike,” he says. “Working on it has become a pleasure, not a necessity. I’m doing more stuff that I wouldn’t have taken on before – and loving it. It’s definitely more engaging and satisfying to work on – and I get support and advice from Jon and the rest of the team at work.
“Rebuilding the brakes and getting the carburettors
sorted have been the most difficult jobs so far. The back brake was seized solid, with jelly-like goo all over it. It turned out there was no O-ring fitted to the rear brake reservoir – the fluid had leaked out over everything and gummed it up. I rebuilt the calipers and fitted new seals. Getting the pistons out defeated me at first – until Jon showed me how to pop them out using an air gun. I was going to split the calipers – like I’d done on my Suzuki – but Jon saved me a lot of time and effort there.
“I fitted brand new Amal Concentrics, rather than chasing faults round the old carbs. But I still had a few problems getting the bike to run right – and tick over reliably. Swapping the pilot jets helped the tickover issue, but dirt kept getting through to the float bowl. It helped being able to use the SRM dyno to get it set up right.
“The rest of what I’ve done so far is mainly cosmetic. I’ve replaced all the worn and perished rubbers, fitted new, pattern Norton peashooter silencers and fabricated the mounting brackets to suit them. Other than that, it’s been a bit of paint and polish, a new chain and a good service, really. I don’t want a concours bike, just something that looks nice and is good to ride.”
Ah, riding. Just how does the Triumph feel out on the road compared to his big Suzuki? “Before I rode it, I tried not to build up my expectations too much. But I’ve been shocked – in a good way – at how good the riding experience is. I thought the gearbox might feel a bit crude after my modern bikes, but it’s lovely. I love the way the engine pulls in the midrange, too. And, as for the sound... If I’m honest, it’s been a real eye-opener – so much better than I thought it would be. I’ve had my fill of performance. The GSX-R is fun to ride, but the Bonnie makes you think more about your riding. It’s more involving and relaxing. It’s wicked.
“I absolutely love the Triumph. I’d have been wary of buying one ‘off the street’. I’ve seen so many ‘rebuilt’ engines at work that have been nightmares. But knowing the engine has been rebuilt here gives me the confidence of knowing it’s been done right. Maybe next winter I’ll have a go at lifting the heads and barrels to check them over and repaint the barrels. I want to spray the tank and side panels and fit indicators. I’ll be looking for somewhere to live that’s got a garage or shed, so
I can work on the Triumph at home, too. First, though, I want to ride it more and enjoy it. Roll on spring.”