Triumph Baby Bonneville

Barry Burns of Wangaratta is a Vietnam Veteran who after serving there was sent to Malaysia in response to a series of riots that were taking place in 1969. Whilst there he wanted to buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle and have it sent to him in Malaysia. However they advised that machines only up to 500cc were allowed to be imported into that country so his purchase did not proceed. He later saw the machine the subject of this article in a motorcycle ship in Malacca. He purchased this machine and got with it the original registration papers showing that it was a 1962 500cc Triumph. He returned home with this machine and began courting his now wife on it.

It is claimed that this machine could easily outpace a 650cc T120 Triumph up to about 50mph. Sadly down the track he loaned this to his brotherin-law who was involved in a collision with a truck. This resulted in extensive damage and the Triumph was laid up for many years. Some considerable time passed and a friend of Barry’s was talking to Melbourne Triumph enthusiast Bryce Findlay. After several talks over a period of time he agreed to take on the restoration job of Barry’s damaged machine. However when it arrived he soon realised that this was no ordinary Triumph. It was a 500 al- alloy engine number T100 D17861X with the remainder being 1962 T120. Bryce was dumbfounded as this was virtually a factory-built race engine. He commenced making inquiries here and in the U.K. It latter transpired that this was the last one of nine machines built by Triumph as a special order for the British military to be used in Malaya. With the 500cc restriction then the factory has fitted those engines into the T120 frame. Barry has original registration papers showing that the machine was previously owned by two serving military personnel. This being the case then it appears that although they were ordered by the military then they could be owned and used by their members serving in Malaya. Bryce commenced work and dismantled the engine which was fitted with two E3134 cams, 9-1 pistons, a delta head with two 376/77 carburetors. There was some considerable amount of time spent on this restoration project. The photos clearly show the extensive damage caused to this machine and the high standard of his workmanship required to achieve an outstanding result. The machine will shortly be returned to Barry at Wangaratta and he will once again be able to relive his lost youth.